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

2. Breece Hall struggled to pick up slack

If there was one bright spot for the Iowa State offense, it was the hard running of Breece Hall out of the backfield. Finishing the game in triple digits for the fifth time in his young career, the sophomore offered Cyclones fans at least some sliver of hope — at least in the first half of what proved to be a lopsided loss.

The running back from Wichita went off for 84 yards and a touchdown in the first half of the contest, allowing Iowa State to build up a slim lead by the intermission. He nearly scored a second touchdown early in the second quarter, fumbling at the goal line after already getting tackled to the turf. The Cyclones punched in their first score on the ensuing play, but it was Kene Nwangwu who did the honors.

After halftime, however, Hall succumbed to the same doldrums that seemed to entomb the rest of the Iowa State roster. Unable to break free from a Ragin’ Cajuns defense that grew increasingly confident as the second half progressed, Hall managed just 19 net yards after the break. He did add three catches for 15 yards over the course of the game, but it was ultimately a disappointing effort despite topping 100 yards on the ground.