One of my favorite movie lines of all time is from the movie Forrest Gump. It’s when Forrest is sitting on the bench talking to a lady and says, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.”
As corny as that may sound to some, it’s true, and whether it’s at work or home or even in the game of football, you just never know. The same could be said about the 2024 Iowa State football team.
Coming into the season, the Cyclones were picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll. They didn’t receive a single first-place vote, and very few people thought that they would do much in 2024.
Last year, Iowa State finished with a 7-5 record during the regular season, and while that may not seem like much, it was a considerable improvement from the 4-8 season the year before. Back in 2022, the Cyclones were fresh off trying to replace their best senior class in the history of the program. Gone were the likes of Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, and Charlie Kolar. That 4-8 record turned out to be the worst season under Matt Campbell since his first year back in 2016.
But last year, Iowa State found something. Quarterback Rocco Becht stepped up and had a big season, while receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins emerged as the best receiver duo in the Big 12. Yet people still doubted this team coming into 2024.
It turned out that those people were dead wrong. Iowa State got off to a 7-0 start, which was their best start to a season since 1938. Things eventually took a turn for the worst as the Cyclones lost back-to-back games against Texas Tech and Kansas. Once again, people wrote this team off.
And how did this team respond? They responded by winning their final three games of the regular season. Even with their injuries this year, which was more than enough for some teams to give up and say it’s not our year, this team never quit. Instead, they picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and had a next-man-up mentality. That is what helped this team get to Arlington.
Back in 2020, people thought that Iowa State was lucky to be playing in the Big 12 championship game. Some thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal, but those people don’t know Matt Campbell and the culture he created at Iowa State.
As disappointing as Saturday was for the Cyclones, this team should be proud of what they have accomplished this season. They won ten games for the first time in school history and made it all the way to the Big 12 championship game. Matt Campbell said it best after the loss. “What this group has done is historic at Iowa State, and nothing can be taken away from them.” No matter how people feel about the result of what happened on Saturday, there is no denying what he said because it’s 100% true.
What is clear to me is that this program is going in the right direction because of Matt Campbell. Over the last three seasons, this team has gotten better, and their record will show that.
People wondered what he would do after all those star players left three years ago. He did the same thing, which was continuing to build a five-star culture. “A couple of years ago, the deck was stacked against us, and we could have imploded, and these guys refused to let it happen.,” Campbell said.
As long as Matt Campbell is coaching in Ames, Iowa, that will always be the case. The loss on Saturday only added more fuel to his fire. “You remember the losses way more than the wins, especially when you don’t play your best.,” Campbell said. “Those things are what haunt you, and those things wake you up every day and make you want to work even harder.”
The only difference between what happened in 2020 and what is happening now is expectations. People should no longer be surprised to see this program playing for Big 12 titles under Matt Campbell. And who knows, maybe the next Iowa State team that comes to Jerry World will make some history of their own. Could it be next year? Quarterback Rocco Becht thinks so. After the loss, he said, “We will be back in this game. I am 100% confident in that.”
