IOWA STATE NOTES:
No. 16 Iowa State makes its second appearance in the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship game Saturday when it faces No. 12 Arizona State for the first time. The Cyclones, winners of three straight, and Sun Devils are set to kick off at AT&T Stadium at 11 a.m. on ABC.
Iowa State has reached 10 wins for the first time in the program’s 133-year history when it defeated Kansas State at home last weekend … the Cyclones are looking to win their first conference championship since 1912, one of two conference titles in school history (the other being 1911). J The Cyclones are bowl eligible for the seventh time in nine seasons under Matt Campbell. J Campbell became ISU’s winningest football coach earlier this season, surpassing Dan McCarney’s previous mark … he is in his ninth season leading the program, the third-longest tenured coach in ISU history and tied for the third-longest active tenure in the Big 12 Conference … in school history, only McCarney (1995-2006) and Clay Stapleton (1958-67) enjoyed longer tenures … Campbell owns 50.6 percent of ISU’s all-time Big 12 wins (45-of-89). J Rocco Becht has thrown a TD pass in 16-straight games … he’s just the fifth QB in school history to pass for 6,000 career yards … Becht has led the Cyclones to 17 wins the last two seasons, the best two-year stretch in school history. J Becht has one of the best wide receiving duos in college football at his disposal in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel … they are the first duo in school history and the only pair nationally with 1,000 yards each this season … in eight of 12 games they have combined for at least 10 catches, 175 yards and a score, the most nationally by a set of teammates. J First-year offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has the offense clicking … ISU is averaging 31.2 points (fifth-most in school history) and topped 30 points in five of nine Big 12 games … with Becht finding Higgins and Noel at a record clip, ISU is averaging 258.0 passing yards. J ISU’s defense, under Jon Heacock’s direction, is first in the Big 12 and ranks 18th nationally allowing just 19.6 points per game … it is the fewest points allowed by a Cyclone defense since 2005 … its passing defense has been stout, yielding just 156.9 yards per game (third nationally) … ISU has held a nation’s best four opponents to under 100 yards passing … in seven games, opponents have had less than 100 yards either rushing or passing. J The Cyclone defense has a +9 turnover margin, which ranks among the top 20 nationally … seven different Cyclones have combined for 14 interceptions to rank among the nation’s top 20.
LAST TIME OUT J Iowa State defeated Kansas State for the second-straight season and clinched a berth in the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship with a 29-21 victory against the Wildcats last weekend at Jack Trice Stadium. J The Cyclones had two fumble recoveries, a safety and a blocked field goal attempt in the win, while committing no turnovers and just four penalties. J ISU, which was outgained 364-324 in the game, got production from its two dangerous wide receiving threats: Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins … in their final home game, Higgins caught a 15-yard TD pass and Noel had a 9-yard TD reception … Noel went over 1,000 receiving yards for the season, joining Higgins as the first Big 12 duo to do so since Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Hollywood Brown in 2018. J The Cyclone defense held K-State’s offense to just one yard of total offense in the fourth quarter, while milking away the quarter with a workmanlike 7:00 drive that resulted in a 20-yard field goal to put the Cyclones up by eight points. J ISU reached 29+ points in four-straight conference games for the first time since a four-game streak in 2005. J Becht went just 13-for-35 in the game and the Cyclones became the first FBS team to win a conference game with so few completions while having at least 36 attempts as a team since East Carolina vs. TCU in 2002. J Kyle Konrardy finished 2-for-3 on field goals, connecting from 41 and 20 yards, but missing from 37 yards out in the fourth quarter … it was his first miss from inside 40 yards this season. J Defensively, Iowa State was without safety Malik Verdon (injury) … Ta’Shawn James had perhaps his best game as a Cyclone, finishing with eight tackles and a forced fumble. J LB Jacob Ellis was credited with his first career sack when he chased down Avery Johnson in the end zone and forced a grounding call in the end zone, resulting in a safety. J Senior DB Darien Porter blocked his fifth career kick, this one a 20-yard FG attempt by K-State … it was Porter’s fifth career blocked kick (four punts, one FG), tying him as the nation’s active leader. J Joey Petersen recovered his second career fumble.
CYCLONES BY THE NUMBERS 300-yard passing games for Rocco Becht. He is one of five players in school history to have four 300-yard passing games. Straight seasons ranked among the Big 12’s top three in scoring defense. NFL Draft picks the last three seasons, including cornerback T.J. Tampa in 2024. Tampa was a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens. Offensive drives that resulted in a score for the 2024 Cyclones in less than 1:00 (8 TDs, 2 FGs). All-Americans since 2017. ISU had just three All-Americans from 1997-2016. ISU has just 14 players in their final year of eligibility, the third-fewest in FBS behind only Troy and Illinois. Rocco Becht has 43 career touchdown passes, the fourth-most in school history and just two behind No. 3 Sam Richardson. Big 12 victories since 2017, the league’s most during that stretch. Consecutive games with a reception for Jaylin Noel, ISU’s longest active streak and second-longest in school history. League victories under Coach Campbell, which ranks first in school history among Cyclone coaches. 2024 is the 50th season in Jack Trice Stadium. The stadium opened in 1975 and has hosted more than 300 games. Wins by Matt Campbell as ISU’s head coach, the most in school history after breaking Dan McCarney’s record with a win against Houston. Consecutive games at Jack Trice Stadium with more than 50,000 fans in attendance, a streak dating back to 2011.
ARIZONA STATE NOTES:
THE GAME – #12 (AP) Sun Devil Football will look for its first outright conference championship and first 11-win season since 1996 this weekend at the team heads to Arlington and AT&T Stadium to take on #16 Iowa State for the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship on Saturday, Dec. 7. Scheduled for a 10 a.m. AZT/11 a.m. local kickoff, the contest will be broadcast nationally on ABC (Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George). The game will also be available over the local airwaves in Arizona on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn). ON IOWA STATE/BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP – This will be the first meeting between the Sun Devils and Iowa State, marking the fourth time this season ASU has played an opponent for the first time in its history. Iowa State comes into the game having reached 10 wins for the first time in program history. This is the second conference championship game ASU has participated in, also competing in the 2013 Pac-12 Championship. Iowa State is making its second Big 12 Championship appearance KICKING OFF » ASU’s 10-2 record already marks a seven-win improvement – at minimum – over the team’s 3-9 record a season ago. The seven-win improvement is already two games better than the previous best turnarounds in program history and trails only Indiana’s eight-win improvement this season among FBS programs. » The Sun Devils are just the 8th Power 4/5 team since 2012 to increase their win total by 7 games from one season to another (8 – TCU, ‘21-22, Indiana ‘23-24/7 – Mizzou ‘12-13, Syracuse ‘17-18, USC ‘21-22, UW ‘21-22, Northwestern ‘22-23). » With ASU vacating its wins in the 2021 season, the 10 wins this season surpasses the team’s combined win tally from 2020-2023 (8 wins). » ASU was one of only 13 teams to go undefeated in the month of November (5-0). Of those 13 teams, only 7 are from a Power 4 conference (including Notre Dame). ASU was one of only four teams the FBS to go 5-0 in the month of November. » Since Week 6, no FBS wide receiver has as many yards as Jordyn Tyson’s 749 – second behind only Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr.. His 481 receiving yards in the month of November leads all FBS players. » Among players with at least 500 snaps, redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt is the nation’s highest graded freshman player on offense OR defense with his overall offense grade of 89.4 (min. 500 snaps) – 5.2 points higher than South Alabama’s Gio Lopez (84.2) who is in second. He is 11.9 points ahead of Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava for the highest freshman grade among Power 4 freshmen quarterbacks (77.5). » Leavitt’s 89.4 grade for the season is tied for the seventh-best among all FBS freshman quarterbacks in the PFF era since 2015 (min. 500 snaps played). Of the seven players tied or ahead of him, six have started an NFL game this season (Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, C.J. Stroud and Spencer Rattler). » ASU is 5-0 in games decided by a seven points or less and 6-1 in games decided by one score (8 points or less). The 5-0 record is second behind Arkansas State’s 6-0 mark in games of seven points or less and the six wins are tied for second behind only Syracuse (7) for most wins in one-score game. » Cam Skattebo ran for three touchdowns in the first half of each of the last two games. He is the first Big 12 player to rush for 3+ touchdowns in consecutive first halves since Taurean Henderson (Texas Tech) did it on Sept. 17 and Sept. 24 of 2005 but the only Big 12 player to ever do it against BFS teams. He is only the seventh FBS player to accomplish the feat since 2008, joining an exclusive list Malik Cunningham, Louisville 09/24/2022 – 10/01/2022, Tavion Thomas, Utah 10/30/2021 – 11/05/2021, Lamar Jackson, Louisville 09/09/2016 – 09/17/2016, Melvin Gordon III, Wisconsin 10/11/2014 – 10/25/2014, Zach Line, SMU 09/17/2011 – 09/24/2011 LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh 10/18/2008 – 10/25/2008.
AN ASU VICTORY WOULD… • Be the program’s first outright conference championship since 1996 (cochampion in 2007). • Give ASU 11 wins in a season for the first time since 1996 (11-1) and just the sixth time in program history (Frank Kush four times, Bruce Snyder once). • Mark the Sun Devils as one of just three Power 4/5 teams since 2012 to increase their win total by eight games from one season to the next (TCU ‘21-22, Indiana ‘23-24) • Improve ASU to 4-0 against AP-ranked opponents this season. It would match ASU’s most wins against Top-25 teams since 2014 (4) and be tied for the second-most single season AP wins in program history (5 in 1986). MILESTONE WATCH • Cam Skattebo needs 134 scrimmage yards to reach 2,000 for the season (currently at 1,866). He would become just the 100th player in FBS history to accomplish that feat. • Skattebo needs just 40 yards to set ASU’s school record for most scrimmage yards (Eno Benjamin, 1,905). • Currently at 17, Skattebo needs three rushing touchdowns to set ASU’s school record in the cateogry (Woody Green, 19, 1972). • Currently at 19, Skattebo needs just four TOTAL touchdowns to set ASU’s school record in the category (22, Wilford White, 1950). • Skattebo needs 245 rushing yards to break Eno Benjamin’s school record of 1,642 rushing yards in a single season (currently at 1,398). • Sam Leavitt needs 66 passing yards to reach 2,500 for the season (currently at 2,444) and become the first Sun Devil to reach the mark since Jayden Daniels in 2019 (2,943). • Keyshaun Elliott needs 9 tackles to reach 200 for this career (currently at 191). • Myles Rowser needs 6 tackles to reach 200 for his career (currently at 194). • Shamari Simmons needs 7 tackles to reach 250 for his career (currently at 243). MAKING THE GRADE (NOTABLE PFF GRADES) • Sam Leavitt is the nation’s highest-graded freshman player on offense OR defense with his overall offense grade of 89.4 (min. 500 snaps) – 5.2 points higher than South Alabama’s Gio Lopez (84.2) who is in second. He is 11.9 points ahead of Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava for the highest freshman grade among Power 4 freshmen quarterbacks (77.5). • Leavitt is the 15th-highest graded quarterback in the nation, regardless of eligibility. • Cam Skattebo (90.1) is the fourth-highest graded running back on overall offense this season and 24th-highest offensive player at any position in the FBS. • Leif Fautanu is the highest-graded center in the Big 12 and fourth-highest graded center in the FBS on pass blocking with a mark of 88.0. • Xavion Alford is the nation’s 29th-highest graded safety overall (81.2), 18th in coverage (88.3) and 20th in tackling (84.3). He ranks fourth, third and first, respectively, in those categories among Big 12 safeties. • Caleb McCullough is the second-highest graded Big 12 linebacker on run defense (84.1) and 30th-highest graded linebacker in the FBS in the category. • Jordyn Tyson was the highest graded offensive player in the Big 12 in Week 14 following the Territorial Cup (91.4). It was the second-highest grade for any wide receiver in the FBS and the ninth-best grade for any offensive player in the FBS, regardless of position. • Emmit Bohle (91.2) was the second-highest graded offensive player in the Big 12 behind Tyson in Week 14 an the second-highest graded tackle in the FBS for the week. It was the 11th-best grade of ANY offensive player in the country for the week.