DUBLIN, Ireland — The 2025 season opener for both #18 Kansas State and #25 Iowa State was anything but ordinary, as the Big 12 rivals took their “Farmageddon” feud across the Atlantic to Aviva Stadium. In a game marked by slick turf, timely defensive stops, and a dramatic finish, Iowa State held off a late Kansas State rally to claim a 24-21 victory, making an early statement in the conference race.
The Cyclones struck first midway through the opening quarter when Rocco Becht found Dominic Overby on a 23-yard touchdown strike. Kansas State answered in the second, with Avery Johnson keeping on a read-option and slicing through the middle for a 10-yard score. Both defenses tightened as the half wore on, forcing punts and capitalizing on the wet conditions to keep the score locked at 7-7 heading into the break.
Iowa State regained the lead late in the third quarter when Becht connected with Brett Eskildsen for a 24-yard touchdown. Kansas State responded early in the fourth, as Johnson hit Jayce Brown on a 37-yard strike to tie the game at 14-14. But a failed fourth-down conversion deep in their own territory gave Iowa State a short field, and Becht made them pay with a 7-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 24-14.
Johnson wasn’t done — on the next drive, he launched a 65-yard bomb to Jerand Bradley, cutting the deficit to three. But Iowa State’s offense never surrendered the ball again. Facing 4th-and-3 at the Kansas State 16, Becht hit Carson Hansen for 15 yards to seal the win, sending the Cyclone faithful into celebration and leaving the Wildcats to rue missed opportunities.
Top Performers
Iowa State Cyclones
Rocco Becht (QB): 14/28, 183 YDS, 2 TD; 7 RUSH, 21 YDS, 1 TD
Carson Hansen (RB): 16 RUSH, 71 YDS; 1 REC, 15 YDS
Dominic Overby (WR): 3 REC, 45 YDS, 1 TD
Brett Eskildsen (WR): 2 REC, 31 YDS, 1 TD
Caleb Bacon (LB): 7 TKL, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 SACK
Kansas State Wildcats
Avery Johnson (QB): 18/31, 273 YDS, 2 TD; 12 RUSH, 38 YDS, 1 TD
Jerand Bradley (WR): 4 REC, 98 YDS, 1 TD
Jayce Brown (WR): 3 REC, 52 YDS, 1 TD
Joe Jackson (RB): 12 RUSH, 51 YDS
Austin Romaine (LB): 9 TKL, 1.0 TFL
(photo courtesy of weareiowa.com)