Rocco Becht throws for 267 yards and two touchdowns to lead Iowa State over North Dakota 21-3

STADIUM, ��vlog IOWA’S SPORTS LEADER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SHANNON, FOR IOWA STATE, IT WAS A QUIET OFF SEASON. AND AFTER THE LAST OFF SEASON THEY HAD CYCLONE. FANS WILL TAKE IT ALL. THE FOCUS IS ON THIS TEAM WITH SOME OF THE HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM WE’VE SEEN IN THE LAST DECADE. CYCLONES PLAYING HOST TO FCS NORTH DAKOTA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. AND ALL IT TOOK WAS TWO PLAYS TO FIND THE END ZONE AND HAVE IOWA STATE FANS SAYING, OKAY, MAYBE THE EXPECTATIONS ARE WARRANTED. HOW ABOUT THIS CATCH FROM JALEN NOLL? MY GOODNESS, DOUBLE COVERAGE. SOMEHOW BRINGS THAT DOWN. THAT WILL BE ON THE GREAT EIGHT ON MONDAY. MARK MY WORDS VERY NEXT PLAY ROCCO TO THE CORNER JAYDEN HIGGINS TWO PLAYS 75 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN. AND JACK TRICE STADIUM WAS GOING BANANAS. THE DEFENSE SOLID AS WELL. NORTH DAKOTA ON A NICE DRIVE. AND THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A COVERAGE SACK. SECONDARY PLAYING SO WELL THAT THE ONLY RESULT IS A SACK. IT’S J.R SINGLETON COMING UP BIG. IOWA STATE WOULD FORCE A FIELD GOAL AT SEVEN THREE IN THE SECOND QUARTER. GREAT DRIVE HERE BY THE CYCLONES. CAPPED OFF ROCCO TO JALEN KNOLL IN THE BACK OF THE END ZONE. CYCLONES WOULD TAKE A 14 THREE LEAD INTO THE HALF. SECOND HALF MORE IOWA STATE DEFENSE SIMON RENFRO DRILLED AS HE THROWS THE BALL. BEAU FREYLER THE INTERCEPTION. FREYLER ACTUALLY HAD A PICK OVERTURNED EARLIER IN THE GAME, SO GETS THAT ONE FOR GOOD MEASURE. IOWA STATE HAD ONE TOUCHDOWN IN THE SECOND HALF. IT COMES RIGHT HERE A LITTLE QUARTERBACK SNEAK FROM ROCCO BECKWITH 21 THREE IOWA STATE. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE ALL SHE WROTE. CYCLONES TAKE IT BY THAT SCORE 20 TO 26 PASSING FOR ROCCO 267 YARDS. HAD A COUPLE OF TOUCHDOWNS THROUGH THE AIR. AS YOU SEE THERE. ONE ON THE GROUND. CYCLONES ALLOWED 295 YARDS. WE’LL HEAR FROM BO FREYLER IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. SOME GOOD, SOME BAD. BUT THEY’RE IN THE WIN COLUMN. SCOTT REISTER FROM AMES HAS MORE ON THE OFFENSE. HAD SOME BIG PLAYS PUTTING UP 353 TOTAL YARDS AND THREE TRIPS TO THE END ZONE. THE DEFENSE ALSO HELD A GOOD NORTH DAKOTA TEAM TO JUST THREE POINTS. YOU LOOK AT THE STAT SHEET AND YOU’RE LIKE, MAN, YOU’RE PRETTY, PRETTY SOLID OF WHAT JUST OCCURRED. YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT WE PLAYED REALLY GOOD FOOTBALL. THERE’S SOME THINGS IN THE FIRST GAME YOU WANT TO CLEAN UP. YOU KNOW WE WANT TO BE A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON THIRD DOWN ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE FOOTBALL. WE HAD A COUPLE PENALTIES IN THE RED ZONE THAT MAYBE PROHIBITED A CHANCE TO SCORE, BUT MAN, I THOUGHT ALL IN ALL, YOU KNOW WITH THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT KIND OF WERE AGAINST US A LITTLE BIT TODAY WITH SOME OF THE INJURIES, I THOUGHT SOME KIDS STEPPED UP AND PLAYED REALLY GOOD FOOTBALL. IOWA STATE WON ITS FOURTH STRAIGHT SEASON OPENER. ROCCO BEECH, 267 YARDS, TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND NOT AFRAID TO THROW DEEP. OUR PLAN BEFORE THE GAME WAS TO BE AGGRESSIVE. AND YOU KNOW OUR THOUGHT WAS TO SCORE ON THE FIRST PLAY. AND SO IF THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN, WE WERE GOING TO SCORE ON THE NEXT. SO CALEB BACON LEFT THIS GAME EARLY WITH A LEG INJURY. WE’RE NOT SURE OF HIS STATUS. AND WITH ADAM, THAT UNIT ALLOWED NORTH DAKOTA TO CONVERT ON THIRD DOWN 11 OF 20 TIMES. THE FIGHTING HAWKS HAD THE BALL FOR NEARLY 38 MINUTES. I DON’T THINK WE PLAYED UP TO OUR STANDARD. I THINK WE CAN BE A LOT BETTER AND AND FIX SOME THINGS. IT’S WEEK ONE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO HAVE URGENCY TO GET BETTER FOR SURE. THERE WAS A LOT TO LIKE 21 THREE THERE IN THE WIN COLUMN. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW THEY WANT TO DO EVEN BETTER AND THEY’LL HAVE TO NEXT SATU

Rocco Becht threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another in Iowa State's 21-3 win over North Dakota on Saturday.Becht had no trouble spreading the ball to his receivers as he completed a pass to six different receivers. His top target was Jaylin Noel, who finished with 135 yards and a touchdown.This duo was also methodical in Iowa State's first drive of the game. The two connected for a 54-yard completion that was followed by a 21-yard TD pass to wide receiver Jayden Higgins."It kind of reminded me of Baylor last year, when we scored with three plays against them," Becht said. "But with this at home, you can't beat that."Becht also threw a 14-yard TD pass to Noel, and his 2-yard run in the fourth quarter finished the scoring."(Becht) is a leader and poised," Noel said. "He kept the whole offense poised and even when we had drives that didn't end how we wanted them to, he kept the guys ready to go."The opening drive touchdown showed that the Cyclones' offense wanted to come out aggressive, which earned new offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser praise."I think he did a great job," coach Matt Campbell said. "I thought there was great balance to what we wanted to do."North Dakota's Simon Romfo, making his first career start after being a backup to the now-Michigan State quarterback Tommy Schuster, was 17 of 30 for 121 yards."I thought he competed really hard today," coach Bubba Schweigert said. "He made some plays on his feet and threw the ball well."Romfo led a North Dakota offense that ran for 174 yards and held a nearly 16-minute advantage in time of possession.The Fighting Hawks' longest drive came late in the first quarter. They went on a 23-play, 88-yard drive that resulted in a field goal by C.J. Elrichs. The drive lasted 12:24 and the 23 plays were the most in a Bowl Subdivision game since at least 2014, according to SportRadar."I thought it showed a lot of heart and desire," Schweigert said. "We feel like our running backs really run hard and we know we want to run the football to be a good football team."THE TAKEAWAYNorth Dakota: The Fighting Hawks showed they can slowly drive down the field but need to be able to finish those drives with points.Iowa State: The Cyclones will look to clean up the rushing defense before traveling to Iowa City to take on No. 25 Iowa next Saturday.UP NEXTNorth Dakota: hosts Montana next Saturday.Iowa State: visits No. 25 Iowa next Saturday.

AMES, Iowa (AP) —

Rocco Becht threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another in Iowa State's 21-3 win over North Dakota on Saturday.

Becht had no trouble spreading the ball to his receivers as he completed a pass to six different receivers. His top target was Jaylin Noel, who finished with 135 yards and a touchdown.

This duo was also methodical in Iowa State's first drive of the game. The two connected for a 54-yard completion that was followed by a 21-yard TD pass to wide receiver Jayden Higgins.

"It kind of reminded me of Baylor last year, when we scored with three plays against them," Becht said. "But with this at home, you can't beat that."

Becht also threw a 14-yard TD pass to Noel, and his 2-yard run in the fourth quarter finished the scoring.

"(Becht) is a leader and poised," Noel said. "He kept the whole offense poised and even when we had drives that didn't end how we wanted them to, he kept the guys ready to go."

The opening drive touchdown showed that the Cyclones' offense wanted to come out aggressive, which earned new offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser praise.

"I think he did a great job," coach Matt Campbell said. "I thought there was great balance to what we wanted to do."

North Dakota's Simon Romfo, making his first career start after being a backup to the now-Michigan State quarterback Tommy Schuster, was 17 of 30 for 121 yards.

"I thought he competed really hard today," coach Bubba Schweigert said. "He made some plays on his feet and threw the ball well."

Romfo led a North Dakota offense that ran for 174 yards and held a nearly 16-minute advantage in time of possession.

The Fighting Hawks' longest drive came late in the first quarter. They went on a 23-play, 88-yard drive that resulted in a field goal by C.J. Elrichs. The drive lasted 12:24 and the 23 plays were the most in a Bowl Subdivision game since at least 2014, according to SportRadar.

"I thought it showed a lot of heart and desire," Schweigert said. "We feel like our running backs really run hard and we know we want to run the football to be a good football team."

THE TAKEAWAY

North Dakota: The Fighting Hawks showed they can slowly drive down the field but need to be able to finish those drives with points.

Iowa State: The Cyclones will look to clean up the rushing defense before traveling to Iowa City to take on No. 25 Iowa next Saturday.

UP NEXT

North Dakota: hosts Montana next Saturday.

Iowa State: visits No. 25 Iowa next Saturday.

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