Big 12 Football: Week 1 Power Rankings

Sep 5, 2015; Ames, IA, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers quarterback Eli Dunne (14) is sacked by Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Reggan Northrup (9) and defensive lineman Pierre Aka (91) at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones beat the Panthers 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Rhoads and the Cyclones looked pretty good Saturday night against the UNI Panthers.

They won the game 31-7 and played well on defense. The influx of transfers and veteran play has clearly improved this defense from last season. Defensive end Pierson had the best game of his career and his teammate Kamari Cotton-Moya performed well too.

Iowa State played in front of a sell-out crowd at Jack Trice Stadium. The school and the fan base are clearly behind this team, which has to be encouraging for the players and coaches.

After an absolutely terrible year in 2014, there’s nowhere to go but up for the Cyclones.

Most of Iowa State’s success rests upon the shoulders of quarterback Sam Richardson. He played well against UNI; Richardson threw for 233 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, the most important stat for Richardson is 1-0. He’ll need to sustain that success as the Cyclones move into the Big 12 portion of their schedule.

The only issue Iowa State had was on the offensive line. Richardson was sacked 4 times playing against an unspectacular defensive line. The big guys up front will need to do a better job protecting their quarterback as the year goes on.

UNI isn’t the toughest opponent, but Iowa State took care of business at home like they’re supposed to. I’m still a bit skeptical, but they could have a chance to win 6 games and qualify for a bowl.

Next: Texas