AMES — As Jack Trice Stadium began to fill with fans dressed in all-white, they prepared to watch No. 16 Iowa State host Baylor for its first home Big 12 conference game this season.

Led by the rushing abilities of senior running back Jaylon Jackson and a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown, the Cyclones found a way to overcome their early 14-3 deficit and take down the Bears 43-21 to continue their historic start to the season.

Jaylon Jackson leads the way for Iowa State in 43-point rout

When Jackson first committed to Iowa State, he looked to make his impact felt on a bigger scale after spending the first four years of his collegiate career at Lamar University and Eastern Michigan.

But coming into this program meant he had to work for the opportunity he had yearned for at the next level. He would enter a crowded running back room that had players such as sophomores Abu Sama III and Carson Hansen, who had previous experience with this program the year prior.

That didn’t stop Jackson from making his impact felt on this Cyclones team, as he came into Saturday night’s matchup being a key running back amongst the returning sophomores. 

Against Baylor, Jackson had his best game yet as a member of this Iowa State team, as he rushed for 107 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns.

“[Jackson] has been pretty consistent for the whole season,” head coach Matt Campbell said. “He’s continued to grow in the offense and it’s been really positive to see him.”

The two scores were his first with the Cyclones. He felt that there would be no better way to have his first two scores with Iowa State than at the sold out crowd of Jack Trice Stadium.

“For the first one to come in the Jack, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Jackson said. “Shoutout to the offensive line and all my teammates and coaches that allowed it to happen.”

Even despite the successes that the Cyclones had through the air tonight with 277 passing yards, quarterback Rocco Becht still praises Jackson for his ability to make an impact while having a unique skill set.

“He brings a spark,” Becht said. “His shiftiness and his ability to get vertical quickly, he’s the only one in the running back room to have that.”

Blocked punt shifts momentum toward the Cyclones

After a rough start led to Baylor holding a 14-3 lead over Iowa State, they yearned for a switch of momentum wherever it had come from.

A 38-yard field goal by redshirt freshman kicker Kyle Konrardy brought the score back to within eight points of the Bears lead, but it wasn’t enough to fully change the momentum of the game in the Cyclones favor.

Following the first punt forced by the Iowa State defense, the Cyclones marched down the field in five plays for a 10-yard touchdown from Becht to tight end Benjamin Brahmer. It brought the game within two points.

At that point, Iowa State had begun to build that momentum that they had sought, but one play officially leaned the scales in the Cyclones favor that would be carried throughout the rest of the game.

That play would come after Iowa State forced the Bears to punt for the second consecutive drive, where defensive end Myles Mendeszoon blocked the punt that led to the ball landing in the hands of redshirt sophomore defensive back Caden Matson, where he would return the ball for a 25-yard touchdown.

This score would put the Cyclones up 19-14 in the first half and it would become one of the most influential plays that Iowa State used to its advantage throughout the rest of the game.

For a player like Matson to have this opportunity after he had seen the majority of his time on the special teams unit meant nothing but the world to him.

“It’s incredible,” Matson said. “All I can think about was getting to the goalline and once I did, it was insane.” 

Campbell credited Matson for the amount of time and effort he has put into this program, and thought there was no one better to have scored their first collegiate touchdown.

“The who is what’s even more rewarding,” Campbell said. “Matson has been a warrior for this program and has been a kid who keeps showing up.”

Matson praised senior defensive back Darien Porter for the leader he has become in the special teams unit that helped him achieve this feat on such a big day.

“[Porter] is phenomenal,” Matson said. “He’s going to go down as one of, if not the best special teams player to come out of Iowa State. Having his knowledge and him as an asset is great.”

First 5-0 start since 1980 has Iowa State eager to move forward 

Now that the Cyclones have officially defeated Baylor, this means that Iowa State has won five consecutive games without a loss this season.

The last time this feat was achieved was back in 1980, when the Cyclones would go on to finish their 11-game season 6-5 after starting out 5-0.

But this is a way different team than the one from 44 years ago, as Iowa State has found ways to convincingly set itself apart from its competitors and get itself where they are today.

Campbell praised his team for its ability to play the way that they have played in the five games thus far and is looking forward to reaching new heights this season.

“It’s fun to watch young people that demand to do things the right way that continue to buy in during the process that it takes to be successful,” Campbell said.

But for some, this record only means the start of something bigger. This 5-0 start has the Cyclones looking at potentially making the Big 12 championship game in December.

Strides have started to make that dream become a reality.

“It’s cool, but 5-0 isn’t our goal,” Becht said. “Our goal is to win a Big 12 championship no matter how that works. We go into each and every week continuing to dominate at our precision and detail and play like we’re 0-0.”

In the end, it’s all about the next-game mentality, as Iowa State focuses on traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia, to take on the Mountaineers next Saturday, in hopes of reaching six consecutive wins without a loss.

“It’s huge,” linebacker Kooper Ebel said. “It feels great but it’s always on to the next [game]. We are already thinking about tomorrow and how we can get our bodies right for West Virginia.”