FERG: Five takeaways from Iowa State's 52-7 win over Arkansas State – CycloneFanatic.com

Iowa State Cyclones running back Carson Hansen (26) battles for a few yards as Arkansas State Red Wolves safety Websley Etienne (12) gets a tackle in the first quarter of NCAA football Week 4 at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State made short work of Arkansas State on Saturday, dispatching the Red Wolves of Ames 52-7. Here are some of my key takeaways.

Aggressive play

Unlike what fans saw in the season opener at Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State gave its strategy a little more wiggle room against Arkansas State.

In the opening series, before the fourth and two inches on their own 34, the Cyclones lined up under the middle and let quarterback Rocco Becht sneak across the finish line.

The offense executed three under-center quarterback sneaks in the first quarter before faking a sneak in the second quarter where tight end Ben Brahmer races through the middle of the field.

“It's been on the cards all week,” Brahmer said. “We set it up beforehand with some sneaks, and it was a good throw from (Rocco) … I knew it was going to happen at some point, so that was pretty exciting.”

This fooled Arkansas State's defense and Brahmer saved Becht with a one-handed pike catch on the field.

In addition, there were a number of different attack situations and Darien Porter got his hands on a punt.

The special unit in Ames

There hasn't been much talk about the special teams this season, aside from the Konrardy kick – and that should be seen as a positive thing.

However, the group looked strong against Arkansas State.

Jaylin Noel was able to return significant yards on three punts and finished the game with an average of 20 yards per return. His longest return was 34 yards.

There were a couple of kicks in the fourth quarter that didn't look great long after the game was already decided, but between the punt blocked by Porter and a solid looking punt return, it was a big win for the Cyclones with this unit this season.

Plus, Kyle Conrady was perfect that day, scoring 7-7 extra points and a field goal.

The defense devoured Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor

Iowa State’s defense never let up Jaylen Raynor make yourself comfortable.

The young unit laid siege to the backfield, sacking Raynor and his backup Timmy McClain four times during the game.

“That was just preparation – being able to prepare for someone who can run and throw,” Malik Verdon, who caught his first interception of the year, said: “We just had to make sure we respected him for who he is.”

Raynor stalled and Arkansas State couldn't maintain its momentum.

The dual-threat quarterback finished the game with 5-16, 68 yards and two interceptions before being replaced by a backup player. Timmy McClain.

“I wouldn't say we've reached our best performance yet, but our best performance is yet to come,” Verdon said of the defense. “It was nice that we were able to play offense and defense at the same time. We have to be able to continue that.”

Carson Hansen makes optimal use of the additional running time

The second-year running back had his most productive game as a Cyclone on Saturday, scoring two touchdowns and 58 yards on nine carries.

“There are a lot of guys in the backfield who played well today,” said coach Matt Campbell said. “There's a lot of competition back there and I think we're really lucky that the guys push each other so hard.”

Abu-Sama finished with 30 yards, while Jaylon Jackson ran for 53 – the first time Iowa State had five rushing touchdowns since its 66-10 win over Texas Tech in 2016.

“Carson was really hurt for most of last football season,” Campbell said. “To finally have him healthy again is really something we're proud of. It's exciting to watch him continue to develop and I think he's going to be a key player for our football team if we want to play at the level we're capable of playing at.”

Connor Moberly as QB2

For the second time this season, true freshman Connor Moberly entered the game as Iowa State's backup quarterback.

Moberly entered the game on Iowa State's second drive of the third quarter and looked good on his first real plays at the position – he only handed the ball off when he was on the field against North Dakota.

“I thought it was a positive,” Campbell said. “Obviously you have to take care of the football and we didn't do that as well as we should have, but I thought he handled the offense and got a lot of experience. That's part of playing quarterback – getting that experience. And it was great to put him in a situation where he could maneuver the team.”

The former SE Polk star was 5'7″, had an aerial rushing rate of 49 yards and ran for 36 yards on four attempts during the game.

It is now safe to say that Moberly is the second best quarterback in the rankings.

“We're lucky,” Campbell said. “We have some really good quarterbacks here. We have JJ (Kohl), we have 'Mobes' and we have a lot of young guys that are really talented. It's a constant challenge and a constant 'gotta come to practice' and earn the right to play on Saturday. Connor is certainly doing that right now.”