Kansas State vs. Iowa State score, takeaways: Cyclones take down Wildcats in back-and-forth season opener

Iowa State drew one of the easier schedules in the Big 12 this season, with only two ranked teams on the schedule. After vanquishing the Wildcats, the Cyclones have wide open spaces ahead. The only other ranked game comes against No. 11 Arizona State at home on Nov. 1. Otherwise, the road trips are to Cincinnati, Colorado, Oklahoma State and TCU. 

But perhaps more importantly, Iowa State now has an all-important tiebreaker against Kansas State three months before the standings come into play. If both teams are sitting at 7-2 in December, the victory in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic could make all the difference. 

Iowa State has been projected in the middle of the Big 12 championship race by most heading into the year. After beating Kansas State, it might be time to adjust our priors. 

Early on, it was clear that Kansas State's new-look offensive line was struggling with a talented Iowa State front. The Cyclones were able to get behind the KSU offensive line with relative ease, finishing with seven tackles for loss and multiple batted passes. Outside of a 33-yard fake pitch by receiver Jayce Brown, the Wildcats averaged only 2.96 yards per carry. 

The Wildcats had to replace multiple starters along the offensive line, and missed projected tackle starter George Fitzpatrick with an injury. However, the depth left much to be desired as quarterback Avery Johnson had to move the pocket on numerous occasions. The return of running back Dylan Edwards should help make the game easier, but it's a weakness KSU will have to accommodate. 

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht's numbers didn't look special at the end of the game, but the stats hide his impact. Becht has a sensational performance to help lead the Cyclones to a pivotal win in the Big 12 title race. 

In all the biggest moments, Becht was there. He threw a perfect swing pass to running back Carson Hansen to clinch the game. He also had a major 4-yard conversion run on a fourth down to keep the game rolling. 

On paper, Becht's line was 14-of-28 for 183 yards and two touchdowns. However, there were several drops and whiffs from his receivers. As he continues to build more consistency with them, his raw numbers should improve. 

FINAL: No. 22 Iowa State 24, No. 17 Kansas State 21

No. 22 Iowa State survived a late comeback from No. 17 Kansas State to win a 24-21 slugfest and capture the first victory of the 2025 season at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. The Cyclones converted on a critical fourth-and-3 to win a third straight game against Kansas State. Instead of punching it in at the goal line, the Cyclones took three knees to end the game. 

Running back Carson Hanson took over in the fourth quarter, rushing for 59 physical yards and nabbing a critical 15-yard reception on fourth down to all but end the game. The Cyclones turned to ther their bruising running back to ice the game after he posted only 12 yards in the first three quarters. 

Kansas State connected on a handful of big plays, including touchdown throws of 65 and 37 yards in the fourth quarter. However, the Wildcats struggled to put together consistent offense in short-game situations, including three turnovers on downs as the staff did not rely on a first-year kicker. 

The matchup was defined by sloppiness in the early going as rain fell on a long grass field in Ireland. The teams combined for four fumbles, including a muffed punt deep in the red zone and a whiffed toss on the goal line.

The win is the fifth in six years for Campbell against Kansas State, flipping the trend established under former KSU coach Bill Snyder. The Wildcats had previously won eight consecutive games against Iowa State.  

4Q: Iowa State 24, Kansas State 21

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is one of the top athletes in the country. After going down by 10 points, the Wildcats took the top off. Johnson found transfer receiver Jerand Bradley for a massive 65-yard touchdown reception as KSU put together a one-play, 15-second touchdown drive. We have a game!

4Q: Iowa State 24, Kansas State 14

Kansas State went for it on a key fourth down near midfield and a controversial spot of the ball ultimately led to a turnover on downs. The play was reviewed and ultimately was upheld, giving Iowa State the ball with great field position. 

From that moment on, quarterback Rocco Becht took over. Becht threw a 21-yard bomb to tight end Benjamin Brahmer and then ran seven yards on the keeper for a touchdown. The Cyclones now have the first multi-score lead of the game with only 6:38 remaining. 

4Q: Iowa State 17, Kansas State 14

Iowa State running back Carson Hansen is slowly starting to get going in the fourth quarter as his physicality is causing KSU some problems. Hansen had four carries for 45 yards on a big-time drive as the Cyclones took the lead on a field goal by Kyle Konrardy. Chase Sowell had a drop that could have ended in a touchdown, but the field goal was enough to take control in the fourth. 

4Q: Kansas State 14, Iowa State 14

Kansas State has been trying to get Avery Johnson going in the passing game, and top receiver Jayce Brown finally got his shot. Brown used a double move to bait the safety and break wide open to set up a wide open pitch-and-catch for a 37-yard touchdown to tie the game. Kansas State's line did a strong job of getting protection. 

End 3Q: Iowa State 14, Kansas State 7

Iowa State has been outgained by more than 50 yards, but a pair of beautiful throws by quarterback Rocco Becht has the Cyclones leading rival Kansas State in Dublin. Becht has passes of 24 yards and 23 yards over the arms of outstretched defenders for touchdowns as the Cyclones hope to win a third straight matchup against Kansas State. Kansas State has rushed the ball with more consistency, but backup running back Joe Jackson has a fumble and has been tripped up several times on big opportunities. Kansas State has also been called for five penalties to waste multiple trips deep into Iowa State territory. The winner of this game will take control of the Big 12 championship race. 

3Q: Iowa State 14, Kansas State 7

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has made all the biggest plays for the Cyclones as he connected with Brett Eskildsen for a 24-yard touchdown to retake the lead. Becht had a critical four-yard run on 4th-and-1 near midfield to keep the drive alive and then hit Eskildsen downfield in a tight window. Running back Abu Sama III has also started to get more touches; he gives ISU more explosion. 

Kansas State defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi has been the breakout player of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic early in the third quarter. Osunsanmi picked up his second sack of the day against Rocco Becht and has been a consistent force for the Wildcats in holding the Cyclones underwater. 

The junior has six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season, but is pacing to challenge that in the opener along. After losing Big 12 Lineman of the Year Brendan Mott to the NFL, the emergence of Osunsanmi is a welcome addition. 

HALF: Kansas State 7, Iowa State 7

Kansas State and Iowa State are knotted up at 7-7 after a competitive first half. The Wildcats had a chance to get into field goal range, but quarterback Avery Johnson took an unnecessary intentional grounding to lose 12 yards. The Wildcats will get the ball out of halftime. 

Iowa State struck first after quarterback Rocco Becht put together a strong drive, completing three straight passes. He capped it off with a touchdown throw to redshirt freshman Dominic Overby, who has emerged as Becht's top target after only catching one pass last season. However, Iowa State's rushing offense remains an issue, mustering only 23 yards on 19 carries with two fumbles. 

Kansas State has struggled to protect quarterback Avery Johnson and has only gotten 4.0 yards per carry from top running back Joe Jackson. However, offensive coordinator Matt Wells has diversified the run game and mustered 94 yards from four different rushers. Top running back Dylan Edwards was ruled out for the rest of the game after suffering an injury on an early punt return. 

Both teams have missed opportunities in scoring position to define the game. The Cyclones fumbled the ball on a botched toss, while the Wildcats were stopped on fourth down in the red zone. The mistakes have started to add up for both teams, especially as rain has been intermittently falling at Aviva Stadium. 

This matchup feels an awful lot like a Week 0 game. Kansas State running back Joe Jackson just had a 17-yard run through the line, but Drew Surges forced a fumble that was recovered by Iowa State. The miscue was the fourth of the game combined, two each by Kansas State and Iowa State. Notably, Jackson was projected to be the backup running back behind Dylan Edwards, who went out with an injury after an early punt return. 

Outside of the one drive, Kansas State's defense has played well against the pass. Qua Moss got back against Rocco Becht and forced a strip sack to give the Wildcats the ball in great field position. However, Iowa State's defense struck back, getting a fourth-and-1 stop to get the ball back in field position. Both teams have been highly aggressive to this point; for Kansas State, one time it worked, one time it didn't. 

Early 2Q: Kansas State 7, Iowa State 7

The Wildcats started to find some success with a diversified running game and quarterback Avery Johnson was able to take advantage with a 10-yard quarterback draw for a touchdown in the second quarter. After reaching five total yards on their first two drives, Iowa State had four players combine for 70 yards on the ground during that last drive. Kansas State has still gotten nothing from its passing game. 

End 1Q: Iowa State 7, Kansas State 0

Iowa State struck first against Kansas State to take an early lead in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 48 yards and a touchdown on his third drive to help set the tone for the matchup. 

Kansas State had to turn over most of its offensive line, and the unit has struggled to protect against Iowa State's solid line. Quarterback Avery Johnson completed only one of his four passes, and it was a batted ball to an offensive tackle. However, offensive coordinator Matt Wells has a few nifty calls to help get Kansas State into scoring position. 

Mistakes have defined the matchup for both teams. Kansas State committed a pass interference in the end zone and muffed a punt. Iowa State fumbled on a toss and has multiple drops. The team that can clean things up will likely come away with a victory. 

1Q: Iowa State 7, Kansas State 0

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht had only six yards late in the first quarter, but found his groove after the rain stopped falling. Becht was handed the ball on three straight plays and completed passes for 10, 15 and 23 yards, the last of which went for a touchdown to Dominic Overby. Becht looked like the veteran he is, and the receivers have done enough to pull ISU in front. 

Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards had a muffed punt early and has been seen getting worked on by trainers since then. The Kansas native was projected to be the starting running back, but backup Joe Jackson took the first two carries of the game for KSU. 

Kansas State muffed a punt to give Iowa State goal-to-go and then committed a pass interference in the end zone on third down. But in classic Week 0 fashion, Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht threw a toss too high and the ball went flying and was recovered by the Kansas State defense. It's a critical missed opportunity for Iowa State to get on the board early. 

Kansas State forced a punt on the first drive of the game, but returner Dylan Edwards muffed the punt inside the 10-yard line. Iowa State was able to corral the dropped ball and now has the ball with goal-to-go. That's the kind of critical mistake that KSU can't afford in an evenly-matched battle. 

Kansas State won the toss and opted to defer, which means that Iowa State will open the season as the first team on offense of 2025. The Cyclones are led by star quarterback Rocco Becht, but will have to rebuild his wide receiving corps after losing two starters to the NFL. 

Iowa State and Kansas State each have bitter in-state rivalries, but Farmageddon might be the most important football battle each plays. The pair of teams and coaches have battled with major implications on the line each year since Matt Campbell took over in Ames. 

Kansas State was on an eight-game winning stream under coach Bill Synder through the 2017 season. But when Campbell got his program rolling, he has wrested control back. Iowa State is 5-2 against Kansas State since 2018. The winner of this game has made the Big 12 title game in three of the past five years. 

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson turned down offers from high-profile programs to stay home in the state of Kansas. After letting Will Howard walk last year, the Wildcats' coaching staff has prioritized building a winner around him in 2025. 

Kansas State QB Avery Johnson leads beefed up Wildcats roster built to conquer bar-fight Big 12

Brandon Marcello

Iowa State won a program record 11 games and reached a Big 12 Championship Game, but several key players from last year's squad returned in hopes of getting even more. The Cyclones have not won a conference championship since 1912, the longest drought in college football. 

"There's a lot of guys coming back t a team that feels like they underaccomplished," offensive lineman Tyler Miller told CBS Sports. 

Iowa State football's top stars returned for 2025 run despite revenue gap: 'We want to win a title'

Shehan Jeyarajah