Summer Schedule Preview: Oklahoma State to End 2025 Season with a Visit from Iowa State

The Cowboys will finish their 2025 season with a visit from Iowa State.

Let’s put a bow on our Summer Schedule Preview series with Oklahoma State’s season finale against Iowa State.

Be sure to catch up on our previous previews: Noncon | Baylor | Arizona | Houston | Cincinnati | Texas Tech | Kansas | Kansas State | UCF

Week 14: Iowa State | Nov. 29 | Stillwater, Okla.

Series history: 34-21-3

Last meeting: ISU 34, OSU 27 (2023)

In its 2023 Big 12 opener, a 1-2 Iowa State hosted an OSU team that had just dropped a game to South Alabama. The Cyclones had a new starting QB and a lot of questions, but they answered several of them. Rocco Becht, a redshirt freshman, went nuclear on the Pokes, slinging it for 348 yards and three TDs and the Cyclones beat what would become a 10-win team. It was OSU’s first game outside of the three-quarterback rotation the Cowboys started the year with. OSU rebounded from this loss by winning its next five games to get into Big 12 title contention.

Iowa State in 2024: The Cyclones’ turnaround was impressive. After a 7-6 season in 2023 (following a 4-8 finish in 2022), Iowa State turned in its best year in program history, finishing 11-3 with a Big 12 Championship berth and a bowl win over Miami. It sets up for even bigger expectations in 2025, but it won’t be easy for the ‘Clones to get over the hump.

Iowa State’s Offense in 2025: The Cyclones return Becht for his third year as QB1, but he’ll be without his two 1,000-yard receivers from last year. Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins are now teammates on the Houston Texans. Becht will have tight end Gabe Burkle back, and ISU’s two leading running backs return from last year in Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III.

All four of them are juniors, so there’s a chance the band sticks together heading into 2026. As we’ll address below, there’s reason to think that might happen. The Cyclones brought in transfers to replace those two top wideouts, namely East Carolina’s Chase Sowell and UCF’s Xavier Townsend, and have some hole-filling to do along the offensive line, but they should be formidable on offense.

Iowa State’s Defense in 2025: The Cyclones probably have more questions on defense. After losing quite a bit of production up front, especially at defensive end, incorporating transfers Vontroy Malone (Tulsa) and Tamatoa McDonough (Yale) could be key — especially since pass defense was their strength last year. ISU led the nation in passing yards allowed per game (165.5). They did, however, rank ahead of only Oklahoma State in rushing defense (188.4). To save your summer mood, I’ll omit the Cowboys’ average. Google it at your own risk.

Of note: In the age of NIL and mass roster exoduses, you have to hand it to Matt Campbell and his Cyclones. According to the 10th-year head coach, more than 20 players on the roster took less money to try to run it back. Those include Becht, Burkle and Cooper. The Big 12 has a handful of teams that could make it to Arlington again this year, but if their new pieces can gel quickly, the Cyclones have about as good a chance as any at building off last year’s success.