Iowa State QB Rocco Becht vows to ‘get better’ in advance of big game against Kansas

AMES — Rocco Becht is in elite company.

He’s thrown at least one touchdown pass in his first eight starts as Iowa State’s quarterback — a feat matched only by Kyle Kempt in 2017. But even though Becht helped guide the Cyclones (5-3, 4-1 Big 12) to a convincing, 30-18, win at Baylor on Saturday, the redshirt freshman provided a blunt assessment of what he found lacking in his performance.

“All the receivers and tight ends, they made plays (Saturday),” Becht said on the Cyclone Radio Network after the game. “I’ve gotta be better, though. Honestly, I felt like this was one of my worst games, accuracy-wise. So I’ve gotta get back in the lab, get better and help this team out.”

Becht’s helped plenty despite his self-criticism. ISU wouldn’t be ensconced in a five-way tie atop the league standings without his typically efficient and clean play as a first-year starter.

He’ll seek to be even better Saturday when No. 22 Kansas — riding high off a 38-33 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma — rolls into Jack Trice Stadium to face the Cyclones under the lights at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and will mark ISU’s third-ever prime-time Saturday night appearance on the flagship network.

A win over the Jayhawks (6-2, 3-2) would ensure the Cyclones return to bowl eligibility after enduring their first losing season in six years in 2022.

“(We’ve) been this way since January,” ISU head coach Matt Campbell said when asked about his team’s “spirit” after the win at Baylor. “We kind of came back after a hard season and a lot of us had to look at ourselves in the mirror and you could have folded your tent or you could have responded.

“And I feel like the one thing our program’s been able to do over the course of the last eight years, is when our back’s against the wall, (we’re) able to respond.”

Cue Becht, who has thrown nine touchdown passes to just three interceptions since Big 12 play began. One of those picks came late in the first half Saturday, helping set up a Bears touchdown that cut the Cyclones’ lead to 11, at 17-6.

But Becht led ISU on consecutive scoring drives to start the second half to essentially put the game away. He finished 19 of 31 for 238 yards and one touchdown to go with the interception. The Cyclone defense also forced two turnovers to boost their season takeaway total to 14.

“We made critical plays in critical moments to win the game,” Campbell said.

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