Iowa State football's offense a no-show again in third-straight loss
AMES — The Iowa State football season has reached a point of re-evaluation.
What began as a story of optimism has devolved into something more difficult and complicated as Iowa State lost its third-straight game Saturday 10-9 to No. 25 Kansas State.
The Cyclones began the season 3-0, but have now dropped three-straight Big 12 games to open conference play for the first time since coach Matt Campbell took helm of the program in 2016.
Iowa State, once looking like an interesting Big 12 threat, now looks like a team on the wrong side of bowl eligibility.
After a week in which the special teams faltered in a loss to Kansas, this loss lands squarely on the offense.
The Cyclones (3-3, 0-3) did not manage to score a touchdown while accumulating just 276 yards of total offense. Iowa State averaged just 3.3 yards per carry while quarterback Hunter Dekkers was 22 of 38 (57.9) for 198 yards.
Iowa State kicker Jace Gilbert did his best to atone for a difficult outing last week against Kansas, in which he went 1 of 4 and missed the potential game-tying field goal with 30 seconds to play. The true freshman provided all the scoring for the Cyclones against the Wildcats, going 3 of 3 with a long of 44.
The Cyclone defense allowed just two scores — a touchdown on Kansas State’s first possession of the game and a second-half field goal — to keep Iowa State within striking distance the entire evening despite the offense’s complete lack of firepower.
Starting running back Jirehl Brock, battling an ankle injury, rushed 13 times for 33 yards (2.5 yards per carry). Xavier Hutchinson had 100 yards on eight catches, but his attempt to reel one in on fourth-and-7 on the sideline late in the fourth quarter fell incomplete to end Iowa State’s chance at taking the lead.
Iowa State has now managed just one touchdown over its last two games.
The Cyclones will now travel to Austin where Texas, which just defeated Oklahoma 49-0, awaits.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football's offense a no-show again in third-straight loss
