No. 22 Iowa State survived a late comeback from No. 17 Kansas State to win a 24-21 slugfest and capture the first victory of the 2025 season at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. The Cyclones converted on a critical fourth-and-3 to win a third straight game against Kansas State. Instead of punching it in at the goal line, the Cyclones took three knees to end the game.
Running back Carson Hanson took over in the fourth quarter, rushing for 59 physical yards and nabbing a critical 15-yard reception on fourth down to all but end the game. The Cyclones turned to ther their bruising running back to ice the game after he posted only 12 yards in the first three quarters.
Kansas State connected on a handful of big plays, including touchdown throws of 65 and 37 yards in the fourth quarter. However, the Wildcats struggled to put together consistent offense in short-game situations, including three turnovers on downs as the staff did not rely on a first-year kicker.
The matchup was defined by sloppiness in the early going as rain fell on a long grass field in Ireland. The teams combined for four fumbles, including a muffed punt deep in the red zone and a whiffed toss on the goal line.
The win is the fifth in six years for Campbell against Kansas State, flipping the trend established under former KSU coach Bill Snyder. The Wildcats had previously won eight consecutive games against Iowa State.
Quick hitters
- 4 of 5 Aer Lingus College Football Classics have been decided by 3 pts
- ISU: 4-1 in last 5 games vs AP-ranked teams (had lost previous 9)
- ISU: Improves to 5-1 vs Kansas St since 2020
- Matt Campbell (ISU): 100th career win as FBS head coach
- ISU: 17 pts, 212 total yds in 2nd half (7 pts, 101 total yds in 1st half)
- ISU: 3-game win streak vs KSU for 1st time since winning 5-straight from 1985-89
- KSU: Outgained ISU for 3rd consecutive meeting (Lost all 3 games)
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