Iowa football: 3 takeaways from CyHawk win over Iowa State

3. Did Matt Campbell miss his window?

Just a few years ago, Matt Campbell was one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel. His tenure with Iowa State peaked in 2020 with a 9-3 record and a Fiesta Bowl victory.

Since then, things have gotten tough in Ames. In 2021, the Cyclones finished 7-6, and last year a disappointing 4-8. Virtually all of the momentum he had has gone up in smoke. Saturday’s performance only underlined that trend.

Campbell’s background is in offense, yet his offense struggled mightily. Rocco Becht completed only 23 of his 44 passing attempts for 203 yards, just 4.6 yards per attempt.

Things weren’t any better on the ground. The Cyclones gained just 87 rushing yards on 31 attempts. The longest run of the entire game was 11 yards.

A significant lull has set in for this program, and it’s undoubtedly affected Campbell’s job prospects. A coach who once had his name thrown around for extremely prestigious jobs is now struggling to inspire confidence in a lower-tier Big 12 program.

If there’s ever an example of a coach who needed to strike while the iron was hot, it’s Campbell. Instead, he now faces an uphill battle of injecting life back into the Cyclones.