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    Cyclones show maturity in 5-0 start

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    AMES – There was no panic when Iowa State fell behind 13-0 in Iowa. No one lost their nerve during a listless start in Houston.

    So a 14-3 home deficit against a struggling Baylor team did little to deter the Cyclones on Saturday. At most it might have caused a yawn.

    It seems that the cyclones are not rattling.

    Iowa State’s undefeated march to start the season continued with a 43-21 win over the Bears to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1980.

    We’re talking about the Carter administration. We’re talking Captain & Tenille, Bette Midler and Olivia Newton-John topping the charts. We’re talking ‘Dallas’ and ‘M*A*S*H’ dominating the airwaves.

    It’s been a long time since Iowa State football got off to such a good start.

    There is obviously a lot of talent that makes it possible for the Cyclones. You can’t reach 5-0 without really good players. But it’s more than talent. It’s the grit, maturity and sense of calm this team plays with, no matter the circumstances.

    These cyclones don’t rattle.

    They didn’t hesitate as Baylor (2-4, 0-3) covered 84 yards in less than 3 minutes and scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game. They didn’t stumble as the Bears backed that up with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the next possession.

    When Rocco Becht threw a gruesome interception to end the half, as Baylor then scored to regain the lead on the first drive of the second half, Iowa State remained untroubled.

    These cyclones don’t rattle.

    Even when injuries forced the Cyclones to play guys who might have been outside their top-10 linebackers this spring, the Cyclones held on. When top defensive tackles Dom Orange and JR Singleton were temporarily sidelined due to injury, the Cyclones remained determined.

    Sure, Baylor isn’t the Baylor that won the Big 12 three years ago, and the Bears are certainly moving further away from that schedule each week, but they came onto the field at Jack Trice Stadium as a team with something to prove. Probably as much for themselves as anything.

    When that first punch landed squarely on the Cyclones’ jaw, they could have been staggered.

    But these cyclones don’t rattle.

    Coach Matt Campbell’s team has shown a remarkable show of maturity all season, especially considering this team is still relatively young. They are quite successful, and there are only a few players left who have even achieved a bowl victory at Iowa State (Fiesta Bowl 2020).

    And yet they are cool, calm and capable in the face of adversity. During the commotion. In difficult times.

    There are many reasons for Iowa State’s start to the season, but the Cyclones’ resilience remains near the top of the list. They haven’t found a place bad enough to stop yet. They have not yet encountered a situation that they cannot shake off.

    If anyone looks at this score Sunday morning, it looks like an Iowa State loss. A top-25 bulldozing an unranked opponent at home. An everyday outburst.

    But everyone watching knows the truth.

    These cyclones aren’t rattling, but they are certainly on a roll.

    Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered cyclones for the Des Moines Register and the Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at [email protected] or (515) 284-8000. FFollow him on X at @TravisHines21.

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