No. 8 BYU vs. Iowa State: Cyclones’ visit is another reminder of how far Cougars have come in the Big 12

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The headlines told the story back then in what was Kalani Sitake’s 100th game as Big 12 newcomer BYU’s head football coach.

“BYU again shows it isn’t ready for Power Five football,” noted the Deseret News.

“Embrace the nightmare: Iowa State embarrasses BYU 45-13 in Provo,” screamed the Daily Universe.

“Cougars have questions after getting manhandled by Iowa State,” wrote The Salt Lake Tribune.

After blowout losses on the road at West Virginia and Texas, BYU returned home on Nov. 11, 2023, hoping to right the ship and revive its fading hopes of making it to a bowl game in its first season in the Big 12.

“What makes this thing go is the running back, No. 21. I think that dude is as good of a running back as there is in the country. He’s special, just with the speed that he plays with and the power that he has as well. … We have our hands full to stop that guy.”

BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga on Cyclone running back Aiden Flora

Instead, BYU fumbled the opening kickoff, gave up 234 yards on the ground and 443 overall, and were blown out by 32 points by an Iowa State team that was mediocre, at best.

Flash forward to Friday night. The Cougars (4-0, 2-0) dropped their next two games in 2023 — almost upsetting nationally ranked Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in consecutive weekends — but have emerged as one of the Big 12’s best football programs since then as they prepare for the Friday night special.

Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. MDT and the game will be televised by ESPN.

BYU is a remarkable 27-4 since the 2024 season began, while Iowa State (3-2, 1-1) is trying to recover from the sudden departure of coach Matt Campbell to Penn State, after having lost to Utah and defeated West Virginia the past two weeks.

Talk about a turnaround for BYU.

Even as BYU’s offense faces uncertainty after star running back LJ Martin was reported to be out of action for at least a month with a lower leg injury, the Cougars are in a good place — a far cry from where they were on that cold, cloudless night in November 2023.

“What (Sitake) has been able to turn BYU into over the years has been incredible to see,” said first-year ISU coach Jimmy Rogers. “They’ve got a lot of skill, and they’re big up front.”

BYU’s injury status — star linebacker Isaiah Glasker is also out and star defensive back/punt returner Cannon DeVries is doubtful — has emerged as one of the primary storylines. Another is the fact that BYU plays host to No. 3 Notre Dame on Oct. 17, and if both teams take care of business this weekend, ESPN’s “College GameDay” will almost certainly come to Provo for the showdown of unbeatens.

“No, just Iowa State,” said BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier on Tuesday, refusing to take the bait when reminded that last March he said the Notre Dame game was the one he was most looking forward to in 2026.

Obviously, the Cougars know that Iowa State has plenty of firepower on offense, after the Cyclones put 45 points on West Virginia and gave No. 12 Utah a good test in Ames. Sophomore running back Aiden Flora was sensational against the Mountaineers, running for three touchdowns and passing for two others.

“What makes this thing go is the running back, No. 21,” said BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga. “I think that dude is as good of a running back as there is in the country. He’s special, just with the speed that he plays with and the power that he has as well. … We have our hands full to stop that guy.”

This is probably the BYU defense’s biggest test of the season, and the Cougars have had one fewer day than usual to prepare for Flora and the Cyclones.

“They have had the same amount of time to prepare as us, but whoever prepares the best and is the most intentional this week will come out victorious,” said BYU edge linebacker Nusi Taumoepeau. “So that’s our plan for this week. Nothing changes. Our mindset is the same. We are ready to attack.”

Iowa State’s defense has shown flashes of competency, such as when the Cyclones held then-No. 21 Iowa to one touchdown in a 16-13 loss on Sept. 12.

“Lots of respect for this coaching staff at Iowa State,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. “Their players play hard, and they’re tough, very physical guys who are well-coached.”

Martin isn’t the only key offensive piece who is out for BYU. The Cougars were forced to play a freshman on the offensive line, Bott Mulitalo, after veteran right tackle Andrew Gentry sustained a season-ending injury against Colorado State.

Starting guard Sonny Makasini said it won’t be hard to focus on the Cyclones with the long-awaited Notre Dame game just around the corner. The Irish are a 37.5-point favorite to beat Stanford in South Bend on Saturday.

“In the offensive line room, we call it ‘process driven, not results driven,’” Makasini said. “Every week is a new matchup, and you have to prepare the same way. You can’t be up here or down here based on performance.

“We have a standard of how we practice and how we play the game of football, and I think every day we have to show up and play like that, regardless of who the opponent is,” Makasini continued. “So yeah, Notre Dame is a good team, but Iowa State also is, and that’s who we’re focused on this week.”

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