Iowa State-North Dakota Gameday Primer

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State opens its 133rd football season and the ninth under head coach Matt Campbell Saturday afternoon when it plays host to 2023 playoff qualifier and the FCS No. 22-ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks. ISU is celebrating the 50th season playing at Jack Trice Stadium in 2024.

Who: Iowa State (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. North Dakota (0-0, 0-0 MVFC)
Where: MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium (61,500) – Ames, Iowa
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 – 2:30 p.m. CT
PURCHASE TICKETS | PURCHASE PARKING

The Links
WATCH: FS1
PxP: Eric Collins; Analyst: Spencer Tillman
LISTEN: Cyclone Radio Network – Varsity App, TuneIn Radio or Radio Affiliates
PxP: John Walters; Analyst: Eric Heft; Sideline: Ryan Harklau
LIVE STATS
IOWA STATE GAME NOTES
2024 FOOTBALL YEARBOOK
GAME PROGRAM
MEDIA CENTER

INSIDE THE SERIES
First Meeting
Overall: 0-0
Home: 0-0
Road: 0-0
Campbell vs. UND: 0-0

50 SEASONS AT JACK TRICE STADIUM
Saturday's contest against North Dakota kicks off Iowa State's 50^th season of play at Jack Trice Stadium. Learn more about the stadium's history by clicking here.

COLOR-IT-CARDINAL
Fans are encouraged to wear cardinal to the game. To find the latest Iowa State cardinal gear visit the Cy's Locker Room store.

RETURNING TALENT
Iowa State had one of the youngest teams in college football last season and, in 2024, return 47 letterwinners and 18 starters, nine on each side of the football.

The 2023 team had 21 redshirt sophomores or younger, including three true freshmen, play in each of the season's 13 games. Six true freshmen made a start, including linebacker Jack Sadowsky, who started all 13 games. This all leads to one of the nation's most productive returning teams.

What's Back?
Passing Yards	100%
Passing TDs	23/23
Rushing Yards	49.9%
Rushing TDs	9/16
Receiving Yards	85.4%
Receiving TDs	19/23
Tackles	81.4%
Sacks	21/21
Interceptions	13/16

Redshirt sophomore QB Rocco Becht leads a talented offensive group of returnees after being named the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Top weapons returning include wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who combined for 119 receptions and 13 touchdowns along with more than 1,800 receiving yards.

On the defensive side of the ball, All-Big 12 performers Jeremiah Cooper and Beau Freyler (AP) return to form one of the nation's top safety units alongside Malik Verdon. The three starters from a season ago combined for 10 interceptions, including five from Cooper, who ranked sixth nationally in interceptions.

Beau Freyler

OTHER KEY STORYLINES

The Cyclones and Fighting Hawks will be meeting for the first time as ISU looks to win its fourth-straight season opener ... the Cyclones are 5-3 in season openers under Campbell and 92-36-4 all-time in season openers, including 37-12 in openers at Jack Trice Stadium.
Campbell is in his ninth season leading the Cyclone program, the third-longest tenured coach in program history and tied for the third-longest active coach in the Big 12 Conference ... in school history, only Dan McCarney (1995-2006) and Clay Stapleton (1958-67) had longer tenures.
Campbell has led the Cyclones to 53 wins, second only to McCarney's 56 victories ... among Big 12 coaches at their current schools, Campbell's 53 wins are the fourth-most.
ISU had three players on the All-Big 12 Media Preseason Team, tied for the third-most among league members ... Stevo Klotz and Higgins on the offense and Cooper defensively ... the Cyclones were picked sixth in the 16-team Big 12 preseason poll.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

Since the start of the 2021 season, ISU has allowed just 324 points in the second half of its 38 games, an average of 8.5 points.
Multiple players made impressive gains in the weight room this offseason, including: TE Benjamin Brahmer up 10 pounds to 250; LB Cael Brezina (240) up 25 pounds since arriving in January from high school; DE Kenard Snyder up 17 pounds since arriving in January from ULM; RBs Abu Sama and Carsen Hansen up 10 pounds since playing as freshmen.
Noel has 32 consecutive games with a reception, tied for the fourth-longest active streak nationally and the fifth-longest in school history.

Jaylin Noel

CYCAST WITH THE CYCLONE RADIO CREW
John Walters, Eric Heft and Ryan Harklau sit down to preview North Dakota ahead of this weekend's game. The podcast is presented by Van Wall Equipment.

To listen, CLICK HERE.

WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Matt Campbell, Jon Heacock, Rocco Becht, Jayden Higgins, Beau Freyler and Tyler Onyedim met with the media on Tuesday. Watch their interviews below.