In one of most pivotal games in the new-look Big 12, No. 22 Iowa State overpowered No. 17 Kansas State 24-21 in Dublin, Ireland, to kick off the 2025 college football season.
A sloppy first half mixed with turnovers amid the pouring rain gave way to an explosive second half filled with points and precision.
After a 7-7 tie at halftime, the teams combined for 31 points and neither had a turnover in the final two quarters. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson connected on touchdown passes of 37 and 65 yards in the fourth quarter, while Iowa State’s Rocco Becht threw two touchdown passes and rushed for one.
THE FIRST TD OF THE 2025-26 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UybModUyEl
— ESPN (@espn) August 23, 2025
But two pivotal fourth-down calls determined the outcome of the 109th edition of a rivalry dubbed Farmageddon.
With Iowa State leading 17-14, Kansas State opted to go for it on fourth-and-2 from its 29. Iowa State safety Jamison Patton drilled quarterback Avery Johnson who fell just inches shy of a first down to give the Cyclones the ball at the K-State 30-yard line with 8:19 left to play. Becht scored on a rush from the 7-yard line four plays later to push the Cyclones ahead 24-14.
After K-State trimmed its deficit to 24-21, the Cyclones faced fourth-and-3 at the Wildcats’ 16 with 2:26 left. Instead of attempting a field goal, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell went for the first down. Becht hit running back Carson Hansen with a swing pass for 15 yards. Iowa State took three knees from the 1-yard line to clinch the victory.
The game showed why both programs are considered among the league favorites. It also showcased why Iowa State has become one of the Big 12’s most consistent programs under Matt Campbell, who won his 100th game as a head coach.
The Cyclones now have beaten the Wildcats in three years in a row and in five of the last six matchups. Each of the teams’ last two meetings had Big 12 Championship Games stakes when they met in the season finale. Last year, Iowa State’s 29-21 victory in Ames, Iowa, sealed the Cyclones spot in the league title game. The previous year, Iowa State’s 42-35 upset in the snow at Manhattan, Kan., prevented Kansas State from reaching a tiebreaker for a championship spot.
Kansas State gave up its home game to play in Ireland. It’s possible they could meet again for the Big 12 Championship.
In an aberration for these two programs, Kansas State and Iowa State each lost two first-half fumbles. The teams combined for 11 lost fumbles in 27 games combined in 2024. Following the Cyclones’ first drive, Kansas State punt returner Dylan Edwards muffed a punt, and Iowa State recovered at the K-State 8. The Cyclones reached the 1-yard line, then Becht’s high pitch bounced off Hansen’s facemask, and the Wildcats recovered to thwart the scoring attempt.
Becht’s leadership proves pivotal
After a school-record 11 victories last year, Iowa State entered 2025 with a few question marks after losing top receiving tandem Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to the NFL Draft. That part of the Cyclones’ offense remains a question mark for another week. But Becht provided his own answers with his response to those departures.
Victimized by drops early, Becht responded to complete 14 of 28 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. He also shook off four early sacks and ran for the 7-yard go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. But in the play of the day, Becht’s poise to find Hansen on fourth down tipped the game in Iowa State’s favor.
When asked why he had the confidence to call that fourth-down pass, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell told ESPN’s Taylor McGregor, “Our quarterback gives me a lot of confidence, and he’s a great football player.”
The Cyclones’ toughness was apparent last year with a 5-1 record in one-score games. With Becht’s leadership, Iowa State will remain a tough out this season. — Scott Dochterman, college football writer
Welcome to the scene, Dominic Overby and Brett Eskildsen
The loss of Noel and Higgins, both of whom topped 1,110 yards last season, hit hard at Iowa State. They are rookie teammates this year with the Houston Texans.
How would the Cyclones fill the holes? Becht introduced a national audience on Saturday to Dominic Overby and Brett Eskildsen, second-year pass catchers who caught their first career touchdowns in the season opener.
First career TD catch for @EskildsenBrett was a beauty 🤩
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/iVEs78gTWA
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) August 23, 2025
Overby scored from 23 yards out as rain fell in the first quarter. Eskildsen caught a 24-yard TD late in the third quarter. And when facing pressure in the fourth quarter to keep possession, Becht connected with tight end Gabe Burkle on third-and-1 and on fourth-and-3 with his running back Hansen to ice victory.
Becht threw for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns a year ago. But any talk about the demise of his options in the passing game was seemingly exaggerated. The junior threw for 183 yards on 14-of-28 passing, a solid start, considering the sloppy field. — Mitch Sherman, college football writer
The dubious Dublin weather
Did poor playing conditions factor in the early injury sustained by Dylan Edwards, one half of the dynamic backfield for Kansas State that includes Johnson?
Rain in Dublin washed away the paint that marked yard lines. The wet field appeared to impact footing. And ESPN’s Dave Pasch, on the play-by-play call, mentioned that smoke from pregame fireworks may have lingered in the view of Edwards as he attempted to field a punt after Iowa State’s opening possession.
Regardless, Edwards did not return after muff. Trainers tended to a lower-body injury before the K-State running back left for the locker room. Coach Chris Klieman told ESPN sideline reporter Taylor McGregor in a halftime interview that Edwards was done for the day. The Wildcats cannot afford to lose him long term.
The transfer from Colorado rushed for 564 yards and scored eight touchdowns last year. In his absence, sophomore Joe Jackson handled a heavier load, but he lacks the play-making ability of Edwards. — Sherman
(Photo: Brendan Moran / Sportsfile via Getty Images)
