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    • The Cyclones’ first losses sting, but focus on the future
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    The Cyclones’ first losses sting, but focus on the future

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    AMES − Some time had passed since the final whistle cemented Texas Tech’s 23-22 win over No. 10 Iowa State Football, but senior Myles Purchase was still dressed in full uniform as he addressed reporters after the game .

    The stinging loss weighed heavily on the Cyclones’ minds as they thought about what-could-have-beens and their next chance to put things right: next practice and next Saturday’s game against Kansas.

    The Cyclones were saddled with dealing with the immediate aftermath — a bundle of shock, disappointment and frustration — as they suffered their first loss of the year thanks to Texas Tech’s game-winning touchdown with 20 seconds left.

    Iowa State (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) had been coming off exciting last-minute victories all year, but it came to a fractured end on Saturday night.

    “It felt like we were always trying to find a real rhythm in the game,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “… There were several times where the defense responded. On the other hand, we had opportunities offensively to really get some momentum, and we didn’t. The reality is that’s the moral of the story.

    “We never played the game at the tempo, and basically the way we needed to play to win the football game. A lot of that falls on me. It’s my responsibility to get us into a good rhythm and play the way we have to play.” play.”

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    Iowa State defensive back Myles Purchases discusses the Cyclones loss

    Iowa State defensive back Myles Purchases discusses the Cyclones’ loss to Texas Tech

    More: Hines: Iowa State Football loses its identity with loss to Texas Tech

    While Iowa State’s defense has been a catalyst for the Cyclones through their first eight games of the season, making timely stops and turnovers to keep Iowa State within reach in Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech, the detail-oriented unit felt frustrated in allowing an opening. -drive touchdown for the fourth straight game.

    “It’s frankly unacceptable to us as a defense,” Purchase said. “We delay the ball (after the toss) to get stops. If we don’t manage that, it puts a strain on our defense and our mentality. We have to get on the field better and stop them right away.” .”

    The Cyclones had to fight from behind again to start.

    Iowa State struggled to get into a groove offensively early. The Cyclones grabbed the lead entering halftime with a touchdown in the final second and second quarter, and they rallied another scoring drive in the final minutes of the game before Texas Tech regained the lead with 20 seconds left.

    Despite the Cyclones defeating Texas Tech, 432-366, they were unable to finish key drives, settling for four field goal attempts and converting on just five of 17 third down attempts.

    “I just feel like we as an offense, or rather I, just didn’t play the game we needed to today,” Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht said. “You can probably see that in the last few games of ours we haven’t put together great football for four quarters. If you are stopped on the goal line, you turn the ball over on the ten-yard line, or If you make a choice in their part of the field, you shouldn’t do that. I think we deserve that defeat because we didn’t play to our standards.”

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    Two minutes with Joey Petersen after Iowa State’s loss to Texas Tech

    Iowa State Football’s Joey Petersen breaks down the Cyclones’ loss to Texas Tech.

    More: Iowa State football: 5 numbers that stood out in the Cyclones’ 23-22 loss to Texas Tech

    The slow start isn’t intentional, and the Cyclones have tried to find an answer.

    “I feel like we’re not getting into a rhythm early in a football game and that’s something we need to be better at,” Campbell said. “It’s something that we haven’t been at our best all football season. It caught up with us a little bit tonight, that’s for sure.”

    Defensive end Joey Petersen said during postgame interviews that the Cyclones had no opportunity to process or assess Texas Tech’s game-winning drive, but it undoubtedly hurt.

    “Really disappointed,” Petersen said. “Everything is still ahead of us, but it’s hard to lose. You never want to feel it.”

    Iowa State is still in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 title game, but the margin for error has only gotten smaller.

    The Cyclones will probably have to win. They’ll be back in action next Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT, FS1) with a game in Kansas City vs. Kansas (2-6, 1-4 Big 12 Conference). The Jayhawks had a bye this week, but recently gave Top 25-ranked Kansas State a scare in a 29-27 loss on Oct. 26.

    Next up, Iowa State has Cincinnati (Nov. 16), a road game at Utah (Nov. 23) and the regular-season finale against Kansas State (Nov. 30).

    “If we’ve won these games – we’ve been on the other side of some of these games – the reality is it’s the same message,” Campbell said. “It doesn’t really change. We will be defined by who we are after the season ends. This match will not define us in any way, shape or form. How we respond to it and the team we become as a result is what will truly define the 2024 Iowa State Cyclones football team.

    “For the first time, this gives us a big opportunity to now have to respond to the setback of a loss. What does that look like? How do we grow from that?”

    Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.

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