Iowa State’s Rocco Becht has stress-free debut

AMES — When Rocco Becht took his first snap as Iowa State’s starting quarterback, he already was ahead.

That’s because Cyclone safety Jeremiah Cooper had jumped a route on Northern Iowa’s opening drive Saturday and jetted 58 yards to the end zone to give his team a 7-0 lead.

Relief merged with excitement for Becht, allowing him to relax into his initial start — a 30-9 college football win over the Panthers that was never close.

“You know, we’re up by 7,” the former Wiregrass Ranch (Fla.) High School star said. “So there’s a little more (room) for mistakes.”

Except Becht didn’t need any. He efficiently completed 10 of 13 passes (77 percent) while sharing a few series with true freshman and four-star early enrollee J.J. Kohl. He rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter, and later threw a pair of touchdown passes to tight ends Tyler Moore and Ben Brahmer.

Any mistakes Becht made were cosmetic and inconsequential as he ably offered what ISU Coach Matt Campbell commands from his quarterbacks: Leadership and ball control.

So call it a strong starting debut and/or significant building block for Becht as he prepares for his likely first Cy-Hawk Series start against Iowa at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.

“He made a couple of great throws,” Campbell said. “Maybe a hair off on a couple other ones, but I just thought great efficiency. Used his legs when he got an opportunity to, too.”

But Becht — like several teammates — cramped up in the second half as the effects of playing in the third-hottest game in Jack Trice Stadium history hit. That affected his second-half performance, yet didn’t lead to costly miscues as the Cyclones coasted to their fourth consecutive win over the Panthers.

“I think it’s just being relaxed and being calm in the moment,” Becht said. “Being present. That’s probably the biggest thing and, you know, Just breathing and playing play by play. That’s probably the biggest thing that helped me.”

Depth in the tight ends room also bolstered Becht’s spirit and overall performance. Senior Easton Dean led his group in receptions with three for 21 yards — and two came on third-down situations. Former Cedar Rapids Prairie star Gabe Burkle also made an acrobatic grab of a Kohl throw that spanned 5 yards, so four ISU tight ends combined to hoard half of the quarterbacks’ completions (7 of 14).

“I do think this is one of the deepest rooms we’ve ever had and we’ve had some really good tight ends rooms,” Campbell said. “(So) to say that is a lot, but I think you saw a little bit of that (Saturday).”

The Cyclones also saw a bit of production from the running game they sorely lacked last season. ISU averaged 5.0 yards per carry. And while its rushing total of 134 yards might not seem like much, it still represents significant improvement considering the Cyclones failed to eclipse 100 yards on the ground in six of their nine Big 12 games in 2022.

“I think that group’s got a chance to be terrific,” Campbell said. “It’s just got to keep growing forward.”

Sophomore Cartevious Norton led ISU with 49 yards on 11 carries and true freshman Abu Sama dazzled the crowd with a juke-filled 26-yard run that set up Becht’s 14-yard touchdown strike to Moore in the second quarter.

“It was electric watching him run down the sideline,” Norton said. “It gave me a confidence boost, actually, and it gave the whole team a confidence boost because we were in a dry spell right there. So, I mean, he gave us some flavor — and everybody went behind him, and we got back in our groove.”

That “groove” doesn’t run remotely deep yet, but could add another layer if Becht and Kohl continue to embody efficiency at quarterback this weekend against the Hawkeyes.

“They gave us great opportunity to have success and I think they’ll just keep growing,” Campbell said. “What a huge day for them to be able to get out there in this environment against a good defense and just go play football.”

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com