Despite starting 32 minutes later than anticipated due to lightning in the area, Saturday saw Jaylen Raynor pass for two touchdowns and run for a pair as Iowa State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) opened the Jimmy Rogers era with a 38-10 win over SEMO (1-1, 0-0 OVC).
Even though the first two plays from scrimmage by Aiden Flora gained 22 yards on the ground – a rush of 17 yards and a rush of five yards – a pair of incompletions brought out Jonah DuPont who punted 39 yards to the Redhawks’ 14-yard line.
The ensuing
SEMO drive was a three-and-out, but, notably for the Cyclones defense Isaac “Bobby” Terrell picked up the first of his three sacks on the day. Iowa State finished with six sacks to the Redhawks’ one.
The Cyclones struck quickly on their second possession of the day, starting with a 45 yard reception by Dominic Overby. Three plays later, the first touchdown of ISU’s 2026 season came from the feet of Raynor.
SEMO’s second drive began on their own 25-yard line with a self-inflicted five-yard delay of game penalty. Though Khyair Spain and Braylen Ragland scratched out consecutive one-yard rushes, a deep third-down incompletion brought out Teagan Cobb. His 44-yard punt was muffed by Aiden Flora and recovered by Cooper Falconite at the Iowa State 31-yard line, gifting the Redhawks an immediate second chance in Cyclone territory.
Capitalizing on the short field, the Redhawks’ third drive nonetheless sputtered. An incomplete shot to Demetrius Pearce was followed by a short five-yard completion to Jobe Bryant. On third down, Jack Janikowski burst through the line to sack Ragland for an eight-yard loss, forcing a 52-yard field goal attempt by Justin Keller that sailed wide right.
Iowa State’s third possession showed early promise when Omari Hayes rushed left for an eight-yard gain and a first down. However, the drive stalled as Jaylen Raynor threw three incomplete passes on the next four plays, forcing Ethan Gurney to execute a 39-yard punt to pin SEMO at their own 10-yard line.
The Redhawks’ fourth drive yielded short-lived momentum when Ragland completed a seven-yard pass to Khylen Harris-Norman. Two plays later, a fierce sack by Sullivan Schlimgen dropped Ragland for an eight-yard loss on third down. Cobb’s 45-yard punt was fielded by Flora, who redeemed his earlier mistake with a stellar 36-yard return back to the SEMO 24-yard line.
On the ensuing two-play Cyclone drive, Flora was stopped for no gain, but Raynor responded on the next play by dropping a perfect 24-yard touchdown strike into the hands of tight end Vince Benetti, putting Iowa State up 14-0.
The Redhawks’ fifth possession turned into a grueling 11-play, 75-yard march that consumed nearly seven minutes and bridged the first and second quarters. Ragland engineered the drive with a 12-yard strike to Anthony Westervelt, a six-yard scramble, and a massive 40-yard completion to John Anthony on third-and-11. Chancellor Wilson punctuated the drive with a seven-yard scoring plunge, trimming the lead to 14-7.
Iowa State’s fifth drive was a brief three-and-out. Raynor found Tyler Fortenberry for a six-yard gain, but a short keeper and an incomplete pass to Benetti brought out Jonah DuPont, whose 39-yard punt ended at the SEMO 41-yard line.
SEMO’s sixth drive threatened to tie the game after Spain rushed for nine yards on two plays. But on fourth-and-one at the midfield stripe, Terrell broke through to sack Ragland for a 10-yard loss, forcing a crucial turnover on downs.
Starting at the Redhawks’ 40-yard line, the sixth Cyclone possession struck with clinical efficiency. Raynor set up the scoring opportunity with a 20-yard pass to Hayes, and four plays later, Flora gashed the defense for an 11-yard touchdown run to make it 21-7.
Hoping to answer, SEMO’s seventh drive was cut short after just two plays. A brief two-yard Spain run was followed by a deep Ragland pass that was intercepted by Beni Ngoyi at the ISU 45-yard line.
Iowa State’s seventh possession quickly turned the turnover into points. After a SEMO holding penalty awarded the Cyclones a first down, Raynor delivered a 34-yard beauty to Hayes. On the very next play, Raynor fired a quick 10-yard strike to Easton Miller for a touchdown, extending the lead to 28-7.
The Redhawks’ eighth possession was a messy seven-play drive that yielded only 11 yards. Despite an early first-down run by Spain, Terrell blew up the drive by sacking Ragland for a 22-yard loss and forcing a fumble that Spain managed to recover. Cobb’s eventual 51-yard punt pinned Iowa State deep at their own 13-yard line.
With only 32 seconds remaining in the half, Iowa State’s eighth drive was a simple, conservative handoff to Cameron Pettaway for two yards as the Cyclones happily took a 28-7 lead into the locker room.
SEMO received the second-half kickoff to start their ninth possession. A roughing the passer penalty on the defense gave them a fresh set of downs, but a subsequent eight-yard sack by Jace Gilbert halted the drive, resulting in a 45-yard Cobb punt.
Iowa State’s ninth possession appeared to open with an electrifying 85-yard touchdown run by Pettaway, but the score was nullified by a holding penalty. Stalled by the penalty, Raynor was sacked for a two-yard loss by LJ Minner Jr., forcing a 41-yard DuPont punt.
The Redhawks’ tenth drive began at the Cyclone 42-yard line. Ragland connected with Harris-Norman for 16 yards to enter the red zone. However, the drive came to a sudden halt on the next play when Bryant caught a short pass but was stripped of the football by Drew Surges, with Beau Goodwin recovering the fumble for Iowa State.
The tenth Iowa State possession turned into a methodical nine-play, 30-yard drive that featured tough running from Pettaway and Raynor. Though the offense stalled inside the red zone, Kyle Konrardy finished the march by splitting the uprights with a 33-yard field goal to extend the lead to 31-7.
SEMO’s eleventh drive spanned the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters. The march was ignited by a spectacular 44-yard run by Spain. However, the drive stalled inside the red zone after Harris-Norman was dropped for a four-yard loss on a reception. Keller salvaged the drive with a 40-yard field goal to trim the score to 31-10.
The Cyclones answered with an authoritative eleventh drive. Raynor hit Overby for a huge 40-yard gain to cross midfield and then scrambled for 14 yards to convert a crucial third down. Raynor capped off the seven-play, 75-yard possession by powering in for a seven-yard touchdown run—his second of the afternoon—to extend the lead to 38-10.
The Redhawks’ twelfth possession was a marathon ten-play march dominated by Chancellor Wilson’s rushing attempts. After gaining 25 yards and grinding deep into Iowa State territory, Wilson fumbled a keeper on third down, which was recovered by Kaleb Bilal-Jones at the SEMO 50-yard line.
With the game well in hand, Iowa State’s twelfth possession saw backup quarterback Connor Moberly take the field. After a short loss on a keeper and an 11-yard completion to Carson Robbins, Gurney punted 31 yards to SEMO.
The Redhawks’ final possession of the afternoon featured J. Weber under center. A series of rushes by Tyrell Reed Jr., including a 10-yard gain, allowed SEMO to run out the remaining clock – securing the season-opening victory for Iowa State.
