Matt Campbell could feel the game slipping away.
The Iowa State coach had come oh-so-close so many times against in-state rival Iowa only to come up short all but once. In Campbell’s last three losses to Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa, the total combined margin was 18 points.
Down 19-7 in the third quarter, Campbell felt his team teetering on the edge. One more mistake, one more missed opportunity and that might be all it’d take to push the Cyclones over. Campbell’s own frustration eventually teetered over the edge as he raged against an assistant for a special teams miscue.
But Iowa State never fell off the edge.
Instead, the Cyclones scored the next 13 points to stun No. 21 Iowa 20-19 on a successful 54-yard Kyle Konrardy field goal with six seconds left in the game. Quarterback Rocco Becht came up huge late and jumpstarted the team’s comeback efforts with a 75-yard touchdown pass.
“Quite honestly, our kids’ poise was probably better than their head coach’s poise at times,” Campbell said after the game. “Our kids’ poise and mentality to just stay in there and keep playing was incredible.”
The Cy-Hawk game had been a House of Horrors for Campbell. Finally beating Iowa gives Campbell the marquee win he desperately needed to make both himself and his program nationally relevant again. Campbell had already proven he could elevate Iowa State beyond its perceived place in the college football pecking order, but the program had slipped in recent years as the reality of how challenging it is to consistently win in Ames, Iowa, became clear. An 11-14 record in his two previous seasons knocked Campbell from his perch as one of the nation’s top names to consider for prominent job openings.
Don’t be surprised to see a win over Iowa propel Campbell…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/iowa-states-matt-campbell-poised-to-reemerge-as-hot-coaching-commodity-after-comeback-win-over-iowa/
Author : John Talty
Publish date : 2024-09-08 16:06:56
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