2024 FB Season In Review

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State wrapped up the most successful season in school history with a win against Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl to secure its 11th victory. The 2024 Cyclones finished the season ranked No. 15 in both the final AP and coaches polls, the second-highest season-ending ranking in program history.

KEY STORYLINES
- Iowa State reached double-digit wins for the first time in the program's 133-year history ... the Cyclones won their third bowl game under head coach Matt Campbell and sixth overall ... no Big 12 school has more bowl appearances since 2017 than ISU.
- Campbell, who agreed to a contract extension through 2032 following the school's second appearance in a conference championship game, became ISU's winningest football coach earlier this season ... he surpassed Dan McCarney's previous mark ... he recently completed his ninth season leading the program, the third-longest tenured coach in ISU history and tied for the third-longest active tenure in the Big 12 Conference ... in school history, only McCarney (1995-2006) and Clay Stapleton (1958-67) enjoyed longer tenures ... Campbell owns 50.6 percent of ISU's all-time Big 12 wins (45-of-89).
- Iowa State placed five players on the All-Big 12 First and Second Teams ... senior Jaylin Noel was named Co-Special Teams Player of the year and a first-team selection at that position ... on the second team, ISU was represented by Stevo Klotz (FB), Jayden Higgins (WR), Jontez Williams (DB) and Malik Verdon (DB).
- Rocco Becht cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks at the FBS level ... he has thrown a TD pass in 18-straight games ... he's just the fifth QB in school history to pass for 6,000 career yards ... Becht has led the Cyclones to 18 wins the last two seasons, the best two-year stretch in school history.
- Becht tossed 25 touchdown passes, the second-most in a single season at ISU, and now owns two of the top three single-season marks in school history ... only Brock Purdy's 2019 season topped Becht's stats for passing touchdowns, passing yards (3,505), total offense (3,823) and TDs responsible for (33).
- Becht had one of college football's best wide receiving duos at his disposal in Higgins and Noel ... they became the first duo in school history and one of two pairs nationally with 1,000 yards each this season ... in eight of 14 games they combined for at least 10 catches, 175 yards and a score ... Higgins was an Associated Press Third-Team All-American, becoming ISU's 14th All-American since 2017 after the school had just three All-Americans from 1997-2016
- ISU's defense, under Jon Heacock's direction, battled significant injuries at the linebacker position this season but allowed just 22.9 points per contest, the eighth-straight season yielding less than 26.0 points per game ... ISU's defense is one of 11 nationally to allow fewer than 26.0 ppg the last eight seasons ... the Cyclones went 6-0 this season when giving up fewer than 20 points ... the six games was tied for the second-most games in the Big 12 allowing fewer than 20 points.
- Iowa State won in the margins and it resulted in the Cyclones being one of just three Big 12 teams to win 11 games in 2024 ... ISU was one of the nation's least penalized teams with an average of 3.8 penalties per game (fourth nationally) ... its 28.0 penalty yards per game were the fewest nationally and the least by a Cyclone team since 1962 ... ISU had a +9 turnover margin, ranking among the nation's Top 20 ... the Cyclones picked off 15 passes and are one of just six teams nationally to intercept 15+ passes in each of the last two seasons.

A SEASON TO REMEMBER
- Iowa State started the season with a workmanlike 21-3 win against North Dakota as it opened the 50th season at Jack Trice Stadium.
- The Cyclones earned a thrilling 20-19 come-from-behind win at Iowa as freshman Kyle Konrardy permanently etched his name in the series, connecting on a 54-yard field goal in the game's waning seconds as ISU came back from a 13-0 halftime deficit to get the win.

𝐂𝐲-𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩

🌪️🚨🌪️ pic.twitter.com/ZLdetuBS6I
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) September 12, 2024

- In the season's fourth game, head coach Matt Campbell became the school's winningest coach with his 57th victory leading the Cyclones ... ISU earned a shutout win at Houston, beating the Cougars 20-0 in its first road conference shutout since 1971.
- ISU started the season 7-0, matching the best start in school history.
- The Cyclones win against Kansas State in November clinched the program's first 10 win season and earned the team a spot in the Big 12 Championship game for just the second time.
- Iowa State beat Miami, 42-41, in the Pop-Tarts Bowl as Rocco Becht led the Cyclones down the field for the fourth-game winning drive of the season (Iowa, UCF, Utah, Miami).

ALL-AMERICAN
Jayden Higgins became an All-American, earning a spot on the Associated Press' Third Team ... Higgins finished the season with 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games.

Higgins, Jayden_Baylor_2024_1

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Beau Freyler capped a magnificant career by being named the program's second student-athlete to earn CSC First-Team Academic All-America honors ... Freyler was also a finalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Award.

To read the complete release, click here.

Players Mentioned

Rocco Becht

Beau Freyler

Jayden Higgins

Stevo Klotz

Kyle Konrardy

Jaylin Noel

Malik Verdon

Jontez Williams

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics