PRIMER: Iowa State vs. Cincinnati - Iowa State Athletics

Saturday, November 14

Ames, Iowa

11:00 AM

Iowa State

Cincinnati

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11.10.2026 | Football

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AMES, Iowa - Iowa State returns home to host Cincinnati in another tough Big 12 Conference showdown Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on TNT.

The Cyclones are 4-1 at home this season with the only loss to now-No. 2 Utah.

Who: Iowa State (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) vs. Cincinnati (5-4, 2-4 Big 12)
Where: MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium (61,500) – Ames, Iowa
When: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 – 11 a.m. (CT)
PURCHASE TICKETS | PURCHASE PARKING

The Links
WATCH: TNT
PxP: J.B. Long; Analyst: Mike Golic, Jr.; Reporter: Allie LaForce
LISTEN: Cyclone Radio Network – Varsity App, TuneIn Radio or Radio Affiliates
PxP: John Walters; Analyst: Eric Heft; Sideline: Ryan Harklau
GAME NOTES: ISU // UC
LIVE STATS
2026 CYCLONE FOOTBALL YEARBOOK
MEDIA CENTER

INSIDE THE SERIES
4th Meeting
Overall: 2-1
Home: 1-0
Road: 1-1
Neutral: 0-0
Rogers vs. UC: 0-0
Last Meeting: 10/4/2025 (ISU 30, UC 38)

CYCLONES vs. BEARCATS
Iowa State and Cincinnati will tangle for the fourth time in the programs' history with the Cyclones owning a 2-1 edge in the all-time series. ISU won the only other contest at Jack Trice Stadium, defeating the Bearcats 34-17 in 2024.

The Bearcats took last year's meeting 38-30 in Cincinnati. UC jumped all over the Cyclones in that game, leading 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and 31-15 at the half. Of ISU's 470 yards of total offense in that game, it returns just 22 yards, all by wide receiver Dominic Overby (3 rec., 22 yards), who is out for the season with a knee injury.

In the 2024 meeting with Cincinnati during his true freshman season, Aiden Flora had three carries for 16 yards.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
There are several notable changes to Cyclone football gameday in and around Jack Trice Stadium this season.

Fans are encouraged to check their email for detailed information and check out Cyclones.com for all gameday policies and procedures.

Cyclone fans, get in your seats before kickoff as there will be a flyover prior to the game. Two T-38s from the 13^th Bomb Squadron based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri.

ISU vs. Cincinnati Gameday Timeline

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Cincinnati, coached by Scott Satterfield, is 5-4 on the season and is looking to secure bowl eligibility for the second consecutive season. The Bearcats are coming off a 31-24 loss at No. 17 Houston last weekend, the last of three straight ranked opponents.

Cincinnati's rushing offense has led the way and ranks tenth nationally at 221.9 yards per game. Running back Cole Tabb leads the country in yards per carry (8.92). With 14 touchdowns on the season (10 rush, 4 rec), few running backs have found the end zone more than Tabb, who is tied for fifth among all running backs in the country in scoring. Quarterback JC French IV is dangerous on the ground as well, rushing for eight touchdowns on the season. Through the air, French is completing 67 percent of his passes for 1,990 yards and 15 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He opened the season with 175 pass attempts before throwing his first interception in Cincinnati's seventh game of the season.

Defensively, the Bearcats are allowing 29.4 points and 445.3 yards per game this season, both of which rank outside the top-100 nationally. Senior linebacker Antwan Peek Jr. leads the defense with 68 tackles on the season and has forced three fumbles. Patrick Bauer has a team-high 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. MJ Cannon leads the squad with three interceptions on the season.

STAT COMPARISON
ISU		UC
29.2	Scoring (PPG)	33.0
181.0	Rushing Yards Per Game	221.9
4.9	Rushing Yards Per Carry	5.8
16	Rush TDs	24
200.3	Passing Yards Per Game	225.0
145-245-5	Comp-Att-Int	170-251-3
14	Passing TDs	15
381.3	Total Yards Per Game	446.9
6-3	Fumbles-Lost	12-4
52-452	Penalties-Yards	64-532

FLORA'S 1,000-YARD SEASON
Aiden Flora is having an impressive season toting the rock for the Cyclones. Last week at Baylor, he surpassed 1,000 yards rushing on the season, the first Cyclone to do so since Breece Hall in 2021. He currently ranks among the nation's Top 10 in rushing yards (1,119, fifth), rushing yards per game (124.3, fifth) and rushing yards per carry (7.13, fourth).

The Adel, Iowa native is the only player in the country with four games of 180-plus rushing yards this season and he has five rushing touchdowns of 40-plus yards, the most in FBS.

Flora is a national semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.

TOP SINGLE-GAME RUSHING PERFORMANCES, BIG 12, 2026
Aiden Flora (ISU)	221 vs. Oklahoma State
Aiden Flora (ISU)	212 vs. West Virginia
Aiden Flora (ISU)	194 vs. Bowling Green
Caleb Hawkins (OSU)	194 vs. Iowa State
Cam Cook (WVU)	194 vs. Oklahoma State
Aiden Flora (ISU)	182 vs. Baylor

Aiden Flora vs. Baylor (2026)

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG
Iowa State has been bit by the injury bug among players they expected to be starters or key contributors. Through eight games, ISU has lost double-digit players for the season: Salahadin Allah (RB), Braden Awls (S), Jordyn Bailey (WR), Keaton Roskop (TE), Drake DeBaun (TE), Cash Hayden (TE), Caden Maas (OL), Evan Boyd (WR), Carter Pabst (WR), Dominic Overby (WR), Cody Jackson (WR).

The Cyclones are down five of their expected top seven receivers heading into fall camp.

Due to the injuries, ISU has had 18 first-time collegiate starters this season, the second-most nationally.

OTHER KEY STORYLINES

Last time out, Iowa State fell 42-31 at Baylor last weekend. The Cyclones were hot to start, jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. After the Cyclones made it 17-7 on a 50-yard TD pass from Jaylen Raynor to Cameron Pettaway, Baylor rattled off 28-straight points. ISU outgained the Bears, 472-423, falling for the first time this season when outgaining its opponent (4-1).
The Cyclones are 3-1 this season when coming off of a loss.
Since 2018, Iowa State is 41-16 (.719) at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones are 4-1 at home this season.
Iowa State has played one of the nation's toughest schedules. Its opponents own a .685 winning percentage which is tied for third-best nationally, while ISU's five ranked opponents (at kickoff) are the second-most nationally behind only Ole Miss (6). ISU's losses have come to teams with a combined record of 36-9 (.800).
The Cyclones are 100 percent in the red zone this season, scoring touchdowns on 16-of-25 possessions (64%). They are the only FBS team that is perfect in the red zone this season.
Kyle Konrardy made a 57-yard field goal last week at Baylor, breaking the McLane Stadium record. It was his seventh-career make from 50-plus yards, the most in school history.
Jaylen Raynor has 18 TD passes and five rushing touchdowns in his last 11 games. He has a TD pass in nine of his last 10 games.
Cyclone linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen is third among Big 12 players with 9.3 tackles per game. He enters this week with 84 tackles as he trends toward being the first Cyclone with 100 tackles in a season since Beau Freyler (2023).
Carson Willich has a career-best 7.0 tackles for loss.
Tight end Vince Benetti has four TDs on 11 receptions this season.
Omari Hayes has a catch in all nine games and leads the Cyclones with 24 receptions.
Makai Sat has started the previous three games at left guard, the first action of his career.
Freshman Jamal Polite Jr. has a catch in eight-straight games to begin his career. He is averaging 18.9 yards per reception, a top-20 mark nationally.
Running back Cameron Pettaway has a 40-plus yard TD reception in back-to-back games.
Punter Jonah DuPont is on the Ray Guy Award Midseason Watch List. He is averaging 44.1 yards per punt this season, a top-30 mark nationally and the fourth-best in the Big 12.

SOUNDING THE SIREN
Sounding the siren before Saturday's game will be ISU Athletics Hall of Famer Merv Krakau. Krakau was an All-American, a six-year NFL veteran and member of ISU's first bowl team in 1971.

Merv Krakau - ISU Football