Iowa State Football: 3 takeaways from Cyclones win in Fiesta Bowl

Iowa State football capped one of the best seasons in its history with a 34-17 win and here are three takeaways for the Cyclones.

For Iowa State football, the formula all year has been pretty simple: play good fundamental football, don’t beat yourself and hand the football to Breece Hall.

And in the biggest bowl game Iowa State football has ever played, that’s exactly what the Cyclones did and it worked to perfection as they capped probably the best season in program history with a win in the Fiesta Bowl.

Iowa State outgained Oregon 384 yards to 312, but the biggest difference came in the turnover battle as the Cyclones didn’t give the ball away once, while forcing Oregon to do it four times.

In the grand scheme of things, it was a huge victory for Iowa State. The Cyclones will finish up at 9-3 and after making the Big 12 title game, they will finish in the top 10 of the final AP poll.

And with a lot of key pieces back for the Cyclones, the 2021 season could be just as a memorable and here are three takeaways from their win in the Fiesta Bowl.

The defense has always been underrated

One reason why some expected Oregon to have a shot to win this game was its high-powered offense but  many underestimated the Iowa State defense.

Oregon was limited to just 86 yards rushing and Mike Rose, one of the best defenders many don’t know, had an interception that sealed the win with another clutch effort by him.

The running game was solid and Brock Purdy was efficient but the defense was as big a factor as any in the win.