Iowa State's running back room looks to continue its recent success as the conference season progresses – Iowa State Daily

AMES – After a thrilling 20-19 victory over Iowa in the annual Cy-Hawk matchup, Iowa State struggled to find ways to integrate the running game into the Cyclones' offense.

Through the first two weeks of the 2024 season, Iowa State failed to muster 200 yards on the ground as its running backs combined to complete 50 carries for 175 yards: an average of 3.5 yards per rushing attempt.

Needless to say, this was not the expected outcome of a running back room led by sophomore Abu Sama III, whose surge as a freshman earned him the starting spot in a crowded running back room.

In those two games, Sama carried the ball 22 times and only managed 94 yards. Granted, he faced a tough Hawkeyes defense in one of those games and suffered a minor injury in the other. It was still unusual to see a player like Sama struggle to begin his second year of college football.

Along with Sama, sophomore running back Carson Hansen and Eastern Michigan native Jaylon Jackson also had the same difficulty finding success in the rushing attack, combining for just 61 yards on 17 carries.

But as the Cyclones began their matchup against Arkansas State to wrap up non-conference play, something clicked in this underperforming running back room.

Led by Hansen, Iowa State totaled a season-high 237 yards on the ground on 48 attempts. Although some of that performance came from quarterbacks Rocco Becht and Connor Moberly, the running back room still found a way to become an integral part of Iowa State's offense.

Not to mention the five touchdowns the Cyclones rushing attack scored against the Red Wolves. These were the first five touchdowns scored during the ground game at this point in the season.

Hansen, along with freshman running backs Dylan Lee and Aiden Flora, were able to score their first college touchdowns while also playing key snaps for Iowa State.

After the Cyclones' 52-7 loss, they traveled to Houston, Texas to face the Cougars and begin Big 12 play on Saturday. Once again, the rushing attack proved crucial in Iowa State's 20-0 shutout win over Houston, as the Cyclones totaled 240 yards on the ground on 38 carries.

Unlike the previous game, Iowa State was led by the long-awaited breakout of Sama, who rushed for 101 yards on 11 carries and a 77-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Although Sama stole the show on Saturday, Jackson managed to make a huge impact, nearly breaking the 100-yard mark with 96 yards on 14 carries, his longest run being a 50-yard rush.

Based on the recent success of the running back room, Becht is confident that the guys behind him are capable of taking the pressure off the passing game, especially when it matters as the conference progresses.

“There’s a lot of depth in this room,” Becht said. “They feed off each other, so having those guys there takes a little bit of pressure off of me in the passing game.”

Another big reason for the rushing attack's recent breakout is new running backs coach Tyler Roehl. After former running backs coach Jordan Langs' sudden career change, the position became available for Roehl, which he was finally able to fill.

After being named assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Tennessee State in January, Roehl decided to forgo that opportunity and join the Cyclones as assistant head coach/running backs coach.

Although he didn't have the success he wanted in the first two weeks of the season, Roehl was able to turn that space into an effective weapon that head coach Matt Campbell can use as the season progresses.

“Coach Roehl deserves a lot of credit,” Campbell said. “I think he did a great job in a really great group with a lot of potential.”

As Iowa State prepares to host its first conference game of the season this Saturday against Baylor, the running back room will look to continue the momentum it has built over the last two games to help the Cyclones reach new heights.

“Our goal is to get better every week,” Jackson said. “We haven’t played our best ball yet and we’re all striving to get to that point.”