Iowa State 14, No. 4 TCU 7: Matt Campbell knows the recipe for success, and it’s working

AMES – Iowa State football played harder for longer.

That's what coach Matt Campbell said was the key to Iowa State's 14-7 upset over No. 4 TCU on Saturday afternoon at Jack Trice Stadium.

When TCU had the ball on the three-yard line in the fourth quarter, coach Gary Patterson called a timeout.

'It's first and three on the three, and they call a timeout,” Campbell said. 'The team comes into the huddle and I said, ‘Listen, just keep playing.' I think that's the niche and the mantra of this team. Just keep playing”

The Cyclones (6-2, 4-1) stuffed a run on first down. On second down, TCU ran a play action but defensive end JaQuan Bailey got to TCU (7-1, 4-1) quarterback Kenny Hill and stripped him. Fellow defensive end J.D. Waggoner recovered the ball.

That was the second turnover Iowa State forced inside the 10-yard line.

The first was an interception by cornerback Brian Peavy in the end zone.

All turnovers are important, but the three that the Cyclones got Saturday won the game.

'They are huge momentum swings,” defensive end Waggoner said of the turnovers. 'It's something you try to do in practice, a ‘balls to the wall' attitude and bend, not break attitude. If they drive down the field, you have to get a stop. Either force a field goal or get a turnover. We were fortunate enough to get two turnovers today and they didn't score a single point on offense and that's our goal.”

It was a whole defensive effort that allowed Iowa State to have success and win the game.

TCU was first in the conference in third down conversions, converting more than 56 percent of its opportunities. The Cyclones defense stopped the Horned Frogs in their tracks.

TCU only converted four of its 14 third-down attempts against Iowa State. The Horned Frogs had their opportunities with a couple of third-and-one opportunities, but the 'bend don't break” style worked to near perfection.

'There were some big wins in the running game,” Campbell said of his defense on third down. 'A couple third and mediums, third and shorts where they tried to run the ball and a lot of the credit has to go to the defensive line.”

Iowa State sits tied for first place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma State and TCU. The Cyclones are 6-2 and already guaranteed to go to a bowl game. But they aren't satisfied and they know this isn't the end.

'We're not done here,” linebacker Joel Lanning said. 'We have other games that we're going to try and win. We want to win championships here and change this program around.”

Campbell has said the key to success for this Iowa State team is the little things, like turnover margin. The Cyclones have to get the little things right.

'You're either going to be that team that steps on the pedestal and has a chance to do it or you're not,” Campbell said. 'For us, we know what our recipe for success is, which is rewarding to know that. Now, can we stay the course and can we continue to do those things?”

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