Iowa State starts a three-game homestand on Saturday when it hosts Bowling Green in its final nonconference game before Big 12 play begins next weekend. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU at MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames.
The game matters because Iowa State is 1-1 and Bowling Green is 0-2, but the bigger marker is the calendar. This is the last chance for the Cyclones to clean up details before league play starts, and it comes with a nationally televised kickoff at home.
There is some history behind the matchup, too. Iowa State and Bowling Green are meeting for the third time overall and first time since Sept. 15, 1979, when the Cyclones won 38-10 at Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa State also beat Bowling Green 35-21 in Bowling Green in 1977, so the Cyclones enter with a 2-0 edge in the series.
The game also brings a small twist from the offseason. Cameron Pettaway transferred from Bowling Green to Iowa State after winning MAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2025 and earning FWAA Freshman All-American recognition that same year. Keyon Washington also moved from Bowling Green to Iowa State, and he played in 10 games with seven starts for the Falcons last season.
That background sits alongside a defense and run game that have already given Iowa State a base to lean on. The Cyclones have held their first two opponents to 13.0 points per game and 80 rushing yards per game, they have not allowed 100 rushing yards to their last three opponents, and they have rushed for at least 100 yards in 19 straight games, a sixth-longest streak nationally. But they are also coming off a 16-13 loss at No. 21 Iowa last Saturday in Iowa City, sealed by a 42-yard field goal with 0:15 left after Vince Benetti caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jaylen Raynor and Kyle Konrardy added a 51-yard field goal.
John Walters, Eric Heft and Ryan Harklau already previewed Bowling Green on Cycast with the Cyclone Radio Crew, but the questions now are on the field. Iowa State gets its last nonconference test at home, and by Saturday afternoon the answer will matter less as a preview than as a bridge to Big 12 play.
