The Iowa State Cyclones fell to the BYU Cougars 24-10 on Friday, dropping to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 action. The Cyclones have done some things well but need to make some major adjustments heading into their bye week.

So if you're new here, we list three things (the do's) from the game that the Cyclones should continue to do for the remainder of the season and three things (the don'ts) that don't need to appear again.

Here we go. 

Weaponize Aiden Flora: Flora was one of the few positive contributions the offense made in the game against BYU, ending with 86 yards from 17 carries (5.1 yards per carry) and a big run of 21 yards. The fact that he is able to create opportunities when he has space offers a clear example of how the run attack can get going in the future.

Protect the football: The Cyclones were able to have good ball security throughout the game, not turning over the ball despite facing a top-10 team with a physical and opportunistic defense that has forced seven total turnovers across their first four games of the season.

Use elite special teams to your advantage: Jonah DuPont had a great night punting. He kicked six punts for a total of 303 yards, averaging 50.5 yards per punt. His longest kick went 60 yards and pinned BYU inside their own 20-yard line. This special teams unit has been great all season; look for it to continue.

Don’t let the offense become one-dimensional: This offense has struggled all season in the passing game. We thought we were seeing a change after Jaylen Raynor’s season-high 264-yard, one-touchdown performance against West Virginia, but the struggles returned against BYU, with Raynor only throwing for 98 yards. The inability to pass the ball has made Iowa State too one-dimensional on multiple occasions this season, and that needs to change if the Cyclones want to see any success this season.

Don’t allow explosive plays: The secondary has struggled over the past three weeks with explosive plays. Against BYU, the Cyclones allowed BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier to pick them apart and make some explosive plays in the air. The secondary has to play with more discipline. 

Don’t let quarterbacks run all over you: Over the past three weeks, the Cyclone defense has struggled against the run and is really struggling against mobile quarterbacks. In the past two weeks, they have allowed over 150 rushing yards to quarterbacks. This is something that must be fixed if the Cyclone want to contend for a bowl game in 2026. 

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