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Game thread: Iowa State football versus No. 8 BYU

Iowa State’s dynamic offense will look to continue its momentum after Aiden Flora’s standout week, where he earned Big 12 and AP National Offensive Player of the Week honors with 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score against West Virginia. The Cyclones will lean on Flora’s explosiveness alongside Jaylen Raynor, who has thrown for 803 yards and six touchdowns while adding three rushing scores in five games, and tight end Vince Benetti, who has already scored twice this season.

BYU, meanwhile, will test Iowa State’s defense with dual-threat quarterback Bear Bachmeier, the 2025 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, who has thrown for 704 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 130 yards and four scores. The Cougars’ offensive firepower extends to true freshman Isaiah Glasker, who became the first Big 12 receiver with multiple rushing and receiving touchdowns in three games and averages 19.93 yards per catch, a threat Iowa State’s defense will need to contain early.

On defense, Iowa State’s Sullivan Schlimgen leads the team with 46 tackles, averaging 9.2 stops per game, while Isaac Terrell earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 1 with 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble. BYU’s pass-rushing duo, Tausili Akana and Cade Uluave, will pose a challenge, with Akana leading the defense in tackles for loss (6.0) and sacks (3.5) while Uluave has already recorded an interception.

Both teams enter the matchup with key absences, including Iowa State’s Drew Surges, Rylan Barnes, Caden Crawford, and Ka’Mori Moore, while BYU’s Raider Damuni, LJ Martin, and Isaiah Glasker (despite his offensive impact) are also out, with Cannon DeVries listed as doubtful.

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