PRIMER: Iowa State vs. No. 15 Utah

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State opens Big 12 Conference play Saturday in Jack Trice Stadium when it plays host to No. 15 Utah for its White Out game. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on FOX.

Who: Iowa State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) vs. No. 15 Utah (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Where: MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium (61,500) – Ames, Iowa
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 – 2:30 p.m. (CT)
PURCHASE TICKETS | PURCHASE PARKING

The Links
WATCH: FOX
PxP: Tim Brando; Analyst: Devin Gardner; Reporter: Josh Sims
LISTEN: Cyclone Radio Network – Varsity App, TuneIn Radio or Radio Affiliates
PxP: John Walters; Analyst: Eric Heft; Sideline: Ryan Harklau
GAME NOTES: ISU // UTAH
LIVE STATS
2026 CYCLONE FOOTBALL YEARBOOK
MEDIA CENTER

INSIDE THE SERIES
7th Meeting
Overall: 5-1
Home: 2-1
Road: 3-0
Neutral: 0-0
Rogers vs. UTAH: 0-0
Last Meeting: 11/23/2024 (ISU 31, UTAH 28)

CYCLONES vs. UTES
The Cyclones and Utes will meet on the gridiron for the seventh time in history and for the second time as Big 12 Conference foes.

The last meeting between the teams came in 2024, a 31-28 win for the Cyclones in Salt Lake City. Iowa State eked out the win despite throwing an interception that was returned 87 yards for a touchdown and having a punt blocked that was recovered in the end zone. ISU got a late touchdown from Carson Hansen to take the lead with 1:31 left in the game. Utah had a chance to tie but missed a 54-yard field goal with 0:08 remaining.

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.

SCOUTING THE UTES
Utah, led by first-year head coach Morgan Scalley, is ranked No. 15 nationally in the AP Poll. Statistically speaking, the Utes are one of the nation's most well-rounded teams on both sides of the ball ranking in the top-10 nationally in both scoring offense (47.3; 9th) and scoring defense (8.0; 6th).

Offensively, Utah utilizes a two-quarterback system and will occasionally have both on the field at the same time in certain personnel groups. A dual-threat signal caller, Devon Dampier has completed 72 percent of his passes for 690 yards and seven TDs while also rushing for 114 yards and two scores through three games. Byrd Ficklin has thrown for two TDs and rushed for another. In the run game, Utah returned its top two rushers from last season in Dampier and Wayshawn Parker who finished just 19 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark last season.

On the other side of the ball, Utah's front seven is certainly a strength of its defense. The Utes enter Saturday's contest allowing just 75.0 rushing yards per game, a top-15 mark nationally and second in the Big 12. Against a Cyclone offense that wants to run the ball, this will be the matchup to watch come game time.

STAT COMPARISON
ISU		UTAH
35.3	Scoring (PPG)	47.3
203.7	Rushing Yards Per Game	232.7
5.5	Rushing Yards Per Carry	5.8
7	Rush TDs	10
151.3	Passing Yards Per Game	856
31-54-1	Comp-Att-Int	62-91-1
4	Passing TDs	9
355.0	Total Yards Per Game	518.0
2-1	Fumbles-Lost	4-1
14-140	Penalties-Yards	13-103

FLORA RUNNING WILD
Against Bowling Green, Aiden Flora put together a performance for the record book and the country noticed. He was named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll and the Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week after he accounted for for 296 all-purpose yards and three total TDs. Flora rushed for a career-high 194 yards and two touchdowns, returned a punt 66 yards for a TD and snared two receptions for 10 yards.

Flora is the first player in Big 12 history, and the fourth in FBS since 1995, with two rushing touchdowns, a punt return touchdown and 275 or more all-purpose yards in a game. A big-play threat, his three touchdowns came from distances of 66 (punt return), 61 (rush) and 42 yards (rush).

Flora's 296 all-purpose yards, which came in just two and a half quarters of football, are the seventh-most in a game in school history. His 194 rushing yards against BGSU were the eighth-most by an FBS player and the most by a Big 12 player in a game this season.

SPECIAL TEAMS, SPECIAL PLAYS, SPECIAL PLAYERS
Iowa State is the only FBS team to have a 50-plus yard field goal, kick return TD and a punt return TD this season. Only four teams did so last season (New Mexico, Iowa, Sam Houston, Wake Forest).

For the first time in program history, ISU had a punt return for a TD and a kick return for a TD in the same game. Along with Flora's 66-yard punt return TD, Cameron Pettaway housed a 100-yard kick return against BGSU. Iowa State is the first Big 12 team since 2023 to accomplish the feat. Kyle Konrardy hit a 51-yard field goal against Iowa two weekends ago and has a school-record six makes from 50-plus yards in his career.

UTAH CONNECTIONS
ISU has a pair of Utah natives on its roster in DE Isaac Terrell (Lehi, Utah) and WR Dominic Overby (West Jordan, Utah).

Defensive end Malaki Ta'ase has strong family ties to the University of Utah as both of his parents were athletes for the Utes. His late father Tunufa'i was a defensive end for the Utes, lettering in 1986 and 1987. His mother, Laurie Ta'ase (Meyer), played volleyball for Utah, finishing the 1988 season with 49 service aces, which is still tied for the fourth-most in a single season.

OTHER KEY STORYLINES

Since the start of the 2024 season, ISU owns a .724 winning percentage (21-8), tied for 18th nationally during that time and third among Big 12 teams.
Since 2018, Iowa State is 39-15 (.722) at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones are 2-0 in Jack Trice Stadium white-out games.
Since 2017, Iowa State has 14 wins vs. Top-25 teams, which ranks in the top-20 nationally during that span.
ISU's 611 rushing yards through three games are the third-most by any Cyclone team dating back to 2002 (2002- 630; 2009- 628).
Iowa State is outscoring opponents 35-7 in the first quarter. In the first and third quarters combined, ISU owns a 51-7 edge in scoring.
The defense has stood strong early this season, holding its first three opponents to just 11.0 points per game (13th nationally) and just 83.3 rushing yards per game (21st). Dating back to last season, the Cyclones have not allowed 100 rushing yards to their last four opponents, tied with Notre Dame for the longest streak nationally.
ISU is allowing just 226.3 yards of total offense, which ranks 12th nationally and second in the Big 12 Conference.
ISU has rushed for 100 or more yards in 20-straight games, the sixth-longest streak nationally (longest among Power-4 teams).
Aiden Flora has four career punt returns of 50-plus yards, the most among active FBS players.
Cyclone quarterback Jaylen Raynor is second nationally among active QBs with 39 career starts, winning 22 games. Raynor leads the nation's active signal callers with eight fourth quarter game-winning drives. He has four passing touchdowns, two rushing TDs and just one interception this season and is riding a streak of five-straight games with a TD pass, matching the longest stretch of his career.
Linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen is ISU's leading tackler with 7.7 stops per game. He recovered a fumble last weekend.

HALL OF FAME WEEKEND
Six distinguished Cyclones will be inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame Friday night.

At halftime of Saturday's game, Chris Baker (men's golf), Christina Hillman (women's track & field), Lawrence Hunt (football), Edward Kemboi (men's track & field/cross country), Georges Niang (men's basketball) and Jay Schindler (men's swimming & diving) will be recognized in front of Cyclone Nation as members of the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

2026 ISU Athletics Hall of Fame

WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Jimmy Rogers, Jesse Bobbit, Braden Smith, Arnold Barnes III, David Coffey and Beau Goodwin spoke to the media Tuesday. Watch their interviews below.

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Players Mentioned

Arnold Barnes III

David Coffey

Aiden Flora

Beau Goodwin

Carson Hansen

Kyle Konrardy

Dominic Overby

Cameron Pettaway

Jaylen Raynor

Sullivan Schlimgen

Braden Smith

Malaki Ta'ase

Isaac Terrell

Sponsors

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