Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Rocco Becht threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Carson Hansen rushed for two scores as No. 20 Iowa State rolled to a 52-7 win over Arkansas State on Saturday.

Ninth-year coach Matt Campbell won his 56th game at Iowa State, tying him with Dan McCarney for most in program history.

“Really important still in this world today is team,” Campbell said. “This is not about any individual. To be able to be at one place with so many great people for as long as I have, I’m just grateful for that. We have great coaches, great players, obviously great administration at the president’s level. That’s what has made it a joy to be here.”

Becht scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and his TD passes of 10 yards to Tyler Moore and 16 yards to Jayden Higgins put the Cyclones (3-0) up 31-0 at half.

Hansen, who struggled to find playing time during his freshman year, rushed for 58 yards on nine carries and forced a fumble following an interception thrown by ISU backup quarterback Connor Moberly late in the third quarter.

Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins (9) reaches for an incomplete pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game Arkansas State, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Hansen scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard run, and he added a 3-yard TD in the third quarter.

“It’s something you dream of,” Hansen said. “Credit to the offensive line because they blocked great this week.”

The Cyclones rushed for 237 yards and finished with 490 yards of total offense, their most since 2021.

The Cyclones entered the game with a total of 175 yards rushing on 50 carries in their wins against North Dakota and Iowa.

Iowa State held the Red Wolves (2-2) scoreless until late in the fourth quarter and allowed just 182 yards.

Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State running back Jaylon Jackson (12) runs from Arkansas State safety Dontay Joyner (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor struggled against a ranked opponent for a second straight week. He completed 5 of 16 passes for 68 yards with two interceptions. He threw for 140 yards and was intercepted in last week’s loss at Michigan.

“(Raynor) just needs to work on his consistency in performing,” Arkansas State coach Butch Jones said. “He was still a great teammate out there, but I just thought we needed a spark.”

Timmy McClain threw a 27-yard pass to Hunter Summers for the Red Wolves’ only score.

The Takeaway

Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell watches from the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas State, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Arkansas State: The Red Wolves struggled in all facets against a second straight ranked power-conference opponent and committed four turnovers.

Iowa State: The Cyclones finally got their running game going, put up their most points since 2021, and the defense recorded four sacks in a dominating performance.

Poll Implications

Iowa State looks to move up following an easy win.

Up next

Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State tight end Tyler Moore (82) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas State, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Arkansas State: hosts South Alabama next Saturday.

Iowa State: visits Houston next Saturday.

Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State defensive back Malik Verdon, center, runs up field after intercepting a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game Arkansas State, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa State, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State running back Abu Sama III (24) tries to break a tackle by Arkansas State cornerback Justin Hodges (0) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Arkansas State quarterback Timmy McClain (6) is sacked by Iowa State defensive end Joey Petersen (52) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel (13) tries to break a tackle by Arkansas State safety Brandon Greil (15) after catching a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Rocco Becht has hand in 3 TDs, No. 20 Cyclones run off to a 52-7 win over Arkansas St. | iNFOnews.ca
Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins (9) catches a pass over Arkansas State cornerback Justin Hodges (0) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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