Rocco Becht threw for 277 yards and two scores to lead No. 16 Iowa State to a 43-21 victory over Baylor

AMES, Iowa – Rocco Becht threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 16 Iowa State to a 43-21 victory over Baylor on Saturday night.

The Cyclones (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) erased an early deficit and another in the third quarter to get off to their best start since 1980. Baylor (2-4, 0-3) lost its third straight game.

“I think it’s the mental toughness that everyone has and the ability to stay consistent,” Becht said. “The ability to keep your head down and keep going no matter what the score or the record.”

Becht's TD passes were 10 yards to Benjamin Brahmer and 11 yards to Jayden Higgins, who extended his streak of games with a touchdown reception to seven. Becht was 16 of 25 for 277 yards.

“I can’t emphasize enough what this kid has done for us,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “He’s playing as well as anyone at the moment and I’m really proud of what he’s done.”

Jaylon Jackson led the Cyclones' rushing attack with 107 yards and his first two touchdowns for Iowa State since transferring from Eastern Michigan.

“It felt great,” Jackson said. “Kudos to the offensive line and all my teammates and coaches who made this possible.”

The Cyclones ran for 265 yards, their third straight game over 200, and finished the game with 542 total yards, their most in two seasons.

Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. His TD passes were 4 yards to Josh Cameron, 8 yards to Michael Trigg and 25 yards to Ketron Jackson Jr.

“We started fast and with a lot of energy and good execution, but at times we missed some executions,” Baylor head coach Dava Aranda said.

Baylor: Coming into the game with two straight narrow losses, the Bears opened the game with two long touchdown drives and another early in the second half. Then the offensive stalled. The Bears managed just 63 yards on their final four possessions, including an interception and three three-and-outs.

Iowa State: Becht continues to be a force to be reckoned with and the emergence of Jackson has upgraded the running game.

Iowa State is poised to move up a spot or two following losses from the teams ahead of it.

Iowa State's blocked punt for a touchdown in the second quarter was its first since 2004 against Northern Illinois. Myles Mendeszoon got the block and Caden Matson ran it back 25 yards.

Baylor: visits Texas Tech next Saturday.

Iowa State: Visits West Virginia next Saturday.

___

Get AP Top 25 poll alerts and updates throughout the season. Sign up here. AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football