Iowa State football: 3 takeaways from season opening upset loss to Louisiana

Iowa State football dropped their season opener against Sun Belt contender Louisiana. Here are three takeaways from Iowa State’s Week 2 loss.

The stands were eerily silent at Jack Trice Stadium, as Iowa State opened its 2020 season at home against Louisiana. Had there been a full crowd in the stands, the stadium still would have been silent by the end of a 31-14 loss against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

After a slow start in the first quarter, Iowa State managed to build up a 14-10 lead by halftime. At that point, it looked as though the Cyclones had managed to shake off the cobwebs and settle down against a tough Sun Belt opponent. Then halftime came, and the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of the game manifested itself completely.

Coming out of the locker room for the second half, Louisiana had all the answers. Iowa State’s defense was solid if unspectacular, holding the Ragin’ Cajuns under 300 total yards of offense. The Cyclones, though, were betrayed in the other phases of the game as the Group of Five visitors ran away with a statement win over a Big 12 opponent.

What should Cyclones fans take away from a sobering, disappointing defeat to start what looked to be a promising year?

Let’s look at three big storylines that emerged from the heartbreaking rout by a 13-point underdog.