Matt Campbell gives postgame update on Iowa State linebacker Caleb Bacon
Here’s what Matt Campbell said about Iowa State linebacker Caleb Bacon, after he left the North Dakota game with an injury in the first quarter.
AMES — The good (a win), the bad (a potentially serious Caleb Bacob injury) and the ugly (some issues on both sides of the ball.
Iowa State walked away with a 21-3 win over North Dakota on Saturday, but it wasn’t everything the Cyclones expected out of their performance.
“I think you look at the stat sheet, and you’re pretty solid of what just occurred,” head coach Matt Campbell said postgame. “I thought we played really good football. There’s some things in the first game that you wanna clean up.
“I thought, all in all with the things that were against us today with some of the injuries, I thought some kids stepped up and played really good football.”
Win number one: Check.
On to game number two.
Here are five numbers that tell the story of Iowa State’s win over North Dakota.
More: Hines: Iowa State football gives a mixed performance in Cyclones’ win over North Dakota
38 … as in how many seconds it took for Iowa State to score a touchdown
The Cyclones made a statement early.
Rocco Becht completed a 54-yard pass to Jaylin Noel on the first play of the game. On the second, he found Jayden Higgins on a 21-yard touchdown pass less than a minute into the game.
It seemed like a tone-setting moment, but the Cyclones failed to muster up much more. It’s not that Iowa State didn’t score enough points. It’s that, with a start like the one they against North Dakota, fans could reasonably expect a higher-scoring contest.
In the grand scheme of this game, all that matters is that it put Iowa State up early and that lead never wavered.
26 … as in the jersey number of linebacker Caleb Bacon, who left the game in the first quarter with an apparent leg injury
Expectations were high for Bacon entering this season, and for good reason. He’d worked his way from walk-on, special teams contributor to a linebacker in the starting lineup.
Iowa State’s coaching staff expected him to be a major piece of the Cyclones defense.
But just five minutes into the first quarter, Cyclones fans watched Bacon go down and stay down while on punt coverage. He was helped off the field, and then carted back to the locker room with his left knee wrapped.
More: Caleb Bacon injury update: Iowa State football LB injures leg in game vs North Dakota
Zach Lovett took over in Bacon’s absence, and it was evident that Iowa State’s defense felt the loss. Not all of the Cyclones’ defensive struggles can be attributed to Bacon’s injury. But it certainly would’ve helped Iowa State to have had him on the field.
“We don’t know a lot about Caleb right now,” Campbell said postgame. “Obviously, we’re hoping it’s nothing significant.”
174 … as in North Dakota’s total rushing yards
Ten of the Fighting Hawks’ 20 first downs came on the ground. Four players on North Dakota’s roster rushed for 36 or more yards, with longs of 11, 16 and 18 from three separate players.
Sure, the Cyclones made stops when needed. But their opponents aren’t getting easier from here on out, and North Dakota’s running backs exposed some weaknesses in Iowa State’s defense.
“Until you watch the video, you can’t say what went well or what didn’t go well,” Campbell said. “We definitely need to be better in third-down defense. And at times, we’ve gotta be better on first down in the run game.”
11 … as in Jontez Williams’ total tackles against the Fighting Hawks
Williams led the Cyclones with 11 total tackles, including six solo takedowns. He had one tackle for loss, and one pass broken up.
He entered the season opener with six career tackles.
Not only was that an impressive performance for Williams, but he emerged as a player Iowa State could lean on…especially if injuries persist on the defensive side of the Cyclones’ roster.
“Jontez’s consistency, work ethic – since January – he is an elite performer,” Campbell said. “That’s how he played today. I’m really proud of Jontez, I thought he had a great game. I think he’ll only continue to improve.”
3 … as in North Dakota’s total number of points
Was this the performance that Iowa State hoped to put together in its season opener against an FCS opponent?
No, Campbell shared postgame that his team did not have as dominant a start to the season as he hoped. But holding North Dakota to three points can, and should, be considered an accomplishment.
Iowa State is the first team to hold the Fighting Hawks to fewer than 10 points since Northern Iowa shut out North Dakota, 27-0, last season. The Cyclones held their opponent to fewer total offensive yards than its season average from last season.
Holding North Dakota to three points in the season opener is a starting point.
Now, Iowa State needs to grow from here.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
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Publish date : 2024-09-01 00:05:00
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