Iowa State Cyclones College Football Pregame Quote, 10/07/2025

On RB Abu Sama, Carson Hansen, who has a concussion

Yeah, I think that’s probably the start of the Abu and talking about Carson. I think the great thing about having, I think, a lot of talent in our backfield is we feel like there’s great consistency.

And obviously Abu is, on an equal platform is what you feel like with Carson in terms of the type of player he is and what he can bring to our football team. And I thought he got better as the game went on, which was really awesome to see.

From Carson’s standpoint, probably questionable right now is still the status that it’s probably right to say. But, he’s a tough kid, really trying to get himself back. And we’ll see if he’s, where he is by Wednesday, Thursday and see if he’s available for us. But again, I feel really confident in that.

On how Rocco Becht is feeling after Saturday’s game

Rocco, feeling probably ticked, and I think a little bit of soreness on Sunday, Monday, but he was back on the practice field today. So, again, you’re talking about the character that he’s built on and his toughness and it shows up. But, yeah, for him to be back on the practice field today is pretty impressive.

So, yeah, he’s done a great job and got himself a lot of recovery here the last 48 hours.

On how Iowa State manages keeping Becht healthy while also allowing him to play in his own style after taking a big hit

Yeah, yeah, I mean, that’s tough. I mean, I think we’re trying to manage it, quite honestly, really the whole game, even going into it.

He comes back in out of the tent and he runs in for a touchdown. I mean, and it’s like, I just, that’s who the kid is.

You can’t take away what he is and he’s a competitor. He’s an elite competitor and he’s really tough. And so, I think what we always have to do is be mindful of physically where is he and making sure that we’re giving him everything he needs to be his best on Saturday.

You don’t want to put somebody in that could get himself hurt worse. And I think we always have to be smart on that.

What Rocco is, I think he’s really indicative of kind of, I think our team is taking his character. He’s tough, he’s resilient, and he’s going to keep playing. And, I really appreciate that.

So it is a fine balance sometimes because I think it’s one of those things you want to be mindful of. Man, the guy’s named up. But, sometimes when you watch that guy pull the ball down and go run, he’s going to keep competiting until there’s no time left on the clock.

On playing at high altitude

Yeah, I think the biggest thing is we’ve tried not to make a big deal about it, to be honest with you. I think the effects that we found are really post that game that can be a real challenge is the, being in that altitude.

I think all the simple things of hydration and how you kind of prep are all still very real. And we’ve got to do a great job of that at least otherwise.

Yeah, I think the biggest thing is how you recover post that game from the altitude is maybe the biggest thing. But we’ll have to be ready for it. I know it will be a little bit of a factor for sure.

On decision to go for two at the end of the second quarter and then kick at PAT after early third quarter TD at Cincinnati

Yeah, well, I think the first one was, we were chasing points, and I felt like if we could get to 15, it was a two-score game, right? We were at 16, I think, at that point.

And, we scored so fast in the third quarter coming out that I didn’t feel like we needed to chase at that point, it felt like, man, if we got seven and could win the game with a field goal, we were still in a really great position.

If it was probably a little bit later in the football game, I probably would have considered going for two. But I just felt like, man, there was so much time left in the game that, we had a lot of really good momentum, and I didn’t want to put us behind the sticks. I felt like, man, the point where we could win the game on a field goal at that point was still right in front of us.

On how he feels Iowa State’s CBs Quentin Taylor and Tre Bell played and how Iowa State planned to help them

Well, we didn’t cheat over and help them Saturday. We put them on an island all game, and those guys stood up and made some great plays. And so, again, I think that’s injuries are going to happen.

It stinks. I think the biggest thing we lost with, Coop and Tez is their leadership, and yet those guys have been unbelievable in our building. And, both have gotten surgery and both are back around helping those guys.

But from a talent standpoint, we feel really confident in what those guys can do. I thought, what you saw Saturday, I mean, boy, those guys made play after play after play Saturday. We’re great at the moment against a great quarterback with some really skilled receivers.

And, again, we’ll get tested again there this week just because you’re playing another really good quarterback with another group of really talented receivers. But, yeah, I think from our end of it, it certainly allows us to have confidence. I think that could only grow and continue to get better.

But I don’t feel like it made us feel any other way other than we kind of felt like those guys were pretty good players waiting for their opportunity. And that’s the fun thing about football is when you get your shot, you’re going to be ready for your moment. And I think we’ve continued to show that we’ve got guys when they get their opportunity, they’re ready to play.

And I thought Quentin did a great job of that Saturday for sure.

On the injury status of safeties Cam Smith, Khijohn Cummings-Coleman

Yeah, I think both of them have a chance to be available, which obviously both guys are huge for our football team. So, both guys were at least on the practice field today.

So, again, I would say the word is questionable in whatever area we are right now in that area. But the hope, we would all hope that we could get those guys back. And I think those guys certainly help us immensely and give us a little bit of depth and rotational depth with it.

On what Chase Sowell has to do to maintain focus while going back to play at Colorado, where he started his career

Yeah, I think we talked about that a little bit just today. I mean, he’s worked so hard on himself and I think anytime you get into those environments where there’s a storyline outside our walls, sometimes you can get lost in that coaches can get lost in it, players can get lost in it. And the reality of it for Chase is you just got to play football.

I mean, what you’ve seen in the last two weeks is that guy just continue to really come on. I mean, he’s made significant strides as a football player. I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now.

And I think putting any time, effort and energy, worrying about, man, whatever happened in his past or whatever relationship there is in the past, what a mistake, because that’s the past. This is the present. And the present is, his ability to grow and take another huge step for our football team and for him.

So I think those are the big things you got to worry about here and now. I think anytime you get, things just go so fast, I think you start worrying about things that you can’t control or things that have happened in the past. I think you get, man, you ruin the present.

And so I think Chase is a really smart. Chase, he’s a young man that I think is really on a mission for his health and for this team to keep growing forward.

On how he has seen Sama handle expectations

Yeah, I think great question. I think for Abu, and I always have to remind everybody, Abu played cornerback. He didn’t even hardly play tailback until his senior year in high school football. And so, I still think when you watch Abu, even at that point, he was a true freshman. Incredible talent and incredible skill. Putting all the tools together to not just be a great runner, but be a complete football player. Those things are growing. And what I love about Abu is he’s been an incredible teammate.

Maybe when it hasn’t gone well, he’s really went to work on his craft. His process daily of what it takes from nutrition to strength and conditioning to the playbook, to all the things that great players do. And I really have seen, really in the last couple of weeks, there’s just this maturity about Abu that you would hope a junior year program has. And he’s done a great job of that. And that’s why there was no shock to me how he played Saturday.

He’d been waiting for kind of his moment. And I thought it was a really impressive game for him. And I think he’ll only continue to grow forward. But, again, I think he went to work on his process and understood, man, this is a journey.

That was a one-game moment. And you’re right, there’s a lot thrown on him. And that happens in our sport. You have one of those one-game moments. The next thing you know there’s the expectation to go sky high. But I think he has sky high expectations for himself.

And he’s really worked to put a great process around those expectations.

On if Kyle Konrardy will be back for Saturday’s game at Colorado or if the home game vs. BYU is a more likely timeline

Yeah, I think that’s probably really right. I mean, I think we’re kind of hoping that, the time has been good.

I do know he has started kicking again, which is, I think, those things are at least positive that that’s trending in the right direction. Will not be available again this week. So, that is real.

But, we hope with, you get a bye and maybe the opportunity that he’s healthy enough coming out of it that you have a chance to get him back. So, yeah, we’re excited for him. He’s doing a great job in terms of his process.