Iowa State’s Jirehl Brock rushes for 104 yards in first career season-opening start

AMES — Iowa State’s new starting tailback Jirehl Brock spun through, trampled, and broke free from several would-be tacklers.

The redshirt junior simply did what any self-respecting running back would do: Refuse to go down without a defiant dose of resistance in the Cyclones’ 42-10 season-opening rout of Southeast Missouri State Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.

“I go out there with the mentality to not get tackled,” said Brock, who rushed for 99 of his career-high 104 yards and a touchdown in the second half. “Any way that I can maneuver out of a tackle, if i have to spin out of it, if I have to run somebody over, I’m gonna try to do it.”

Mission accomplished against the Redhawks.

Brock’s best run of the day spanned 23 yards, but he finally went down just short of the goal line.

No matter. Brock surged into the end zone one play later for his second career touchdown after backing up two-time consensus first team All-American Breece Hall the past three seasons.

“I feel bad, man,” said ISU wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who caught three of new starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers’ four touchdown passes. “I said he was a north-south runner, but today he looked like — I don’t know. I ain’t seem some of those moves he did.”

Teammates and fans alike haven’t seen much of Brock because of Hall’s record-setting career. But he’s not the only one who turned heads out of the backfield in Saturday’s blowout win.

True freshman Cartevious Norton totaled 21 yards on three carries before leaving the game with what is hoped to have been merely leg cramps.

“I think it was more cramping than it was hamstring, but we’ll figure that out as we see through the week,” Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell said.

Redshirt freshman Eli Sanders compiled 38 yards rushing and receiving and sophomore Deon Silas powered into the end zone for ISU’s final touchdown, showing that Brock won’t necessarily have to shoulder an extra-heavy load even as he stakes his claim as the primary ball carrier.

“We have four really good running backs,” said linebacker Colby Reeder, who matched Beau Freyler and Myles Mendeszoon with a team-best five tackles while recording two pass breakups. “Honestly, I think it’s helped my tacking and our linebacker tackling a lot. But, yeah, I saw (Brock) take a guy’s ankles. I think they’re still out on the field.”

Etc.

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