Iowa State football rebounds with big Week 4 win vs. UL-Monroe

After a disappointing finish against Iowa in Week 3, the Cyclones came out and dominated UL-Monroe. What did we learn from Iowa State football’s win?

Iowa State came out on Saturday afternoon and slowly but surely exerted their will on UL-Monroe. The Cyclones were motivated to put together a strong rebound after their heartbreaking loss against Iowa in Week 3, and Matt Campbell’s team did just that in a 72-20 takedown of the Warhawks at Jack Trice Stadium.

Up 14-0 after one quarter, Iowa State pushed the lead to 21-0 on the first play of the second quarter. Brock Purdy hit Tarique Milton with a quick strike and the receiver took the ball the last 60 yards for a 73-yard touchdown and a three-score lead.

But the Warhawks finally woke up, and the Cyclones were pushed a bit in the second quarter as UL-Monroe matched the hosts score for score. By halftime, the margin remained locked at 14 points as Iowa State went into the locker room with a 27-13 lead.

Purdy pulled off more magic in the second half, rushing for a 13-yard touchdown to cap Iowa State’s opening drive of the third quarter and efficiently leading the Cyclones offense. On the second series for the home side, Purdy found Deshaunte Jones for an 84-yard touchdown that put Iowa State up 41-13. At that point the rout was on in full force.

The quarterback finished the game with 435 yards through the air and three touchdowns on 21-of-27 passing, and added 75 yards and three rushing touchdowns on nine carries for good measure.

The rest of the ground game struggled in the first half but broke out in the second half to finish with 270 total rushing yards. Re-al Mitchell was the best of the platoon, finishing with an average of 16.3 yards per carry and one touchdown on his four touches.

Iowa State’s defense came up big in the second half, holding the Warhawks to 174 yards on 35 plays after halftime. After a shaky second quarter the Cyclones stiffened, and that made the difference as they ran away with the ballgame. Only able to score one final touchdown in the third quarter, the Warhawks were shut out the rest of the way.

With the resounding win at home, Iowa State has the potential to climb back up into the AP Top 25 this week depending on what happens around the country with teams ranked between No. 18 and No. 25. As they dive headlong into Big 12 play, the Cyclones will have a chance to push back up into the rankings as their degree of difficulty increases.