Peterson: Iowa State's football turning point was a product of the practice field

ARLINGTON, Texas — Just what was the “Oh wow” moment when you knew the once-lowly Iowa State football program was taking a firm and distinct move toward being better?

That’s the question I posed to Iowa State football players and coach at the Big 12 Media Days on Thursday inside spacious AT&T Stadium, where just two seasons ago the Cyclones played for the conference championship.

“The first time I realized we’d done it was when I was a freshman in the program,” four-year starting linebacker O’Rien Vance said. “It was the the game against Oklahoma — with Allan Lazard going up and snatching that ball.”

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That 38-31 victory at third-ranked Oklahoma in 2017 was clinched when Lazard caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Kempt with 2 minutes to play. That’s the game Kempt became the sudden starter after regular passer Jacob Park didn’t make the trip.

The victory was the Cyclones' first over the Sooners in Norman since 1990. Iowa State rallied from a 14-0 deficit. Quarterback-linebacker Joel Lanning was second on the team in tackles. His first career fumble recovery was a turning point, as was his late-game sack.

Oh by the way, he was 2-for-3 as a passer. He rushed nine times for 35 yards. He sacked Baker Mayfield.

Iowa State football officially was relevant.

“Winning on the road at Oklahoma — that was an extreme turning tide of what Iowa State football could be,” Vance said. “I knew we were there when we beat (sixth-ranked) West Virginia the following year in Ames.

“Winning those games proved that the hard work we put in and the culture of the program was right where coach Campbell wanted it to be.”

Veteran lineman Trevor Downing put it this way:

“I'm sure that Oklahoma game was kind of the turning point in our program's history,” he said. “To go into Norman and get a get a win out there — we weren't even really on the map, to be honest, so I mean that kind of opened the doors to what the potential this was.”

What convinced Campbell and others that Iowa State football was headed to places the program had never been happened a few games later — the Liberty Bowl against Memphis.

Lazard set a bowl record with 10 receptions. He was the game’s offensive MVP.

“Lanning, Lazard, J.D. Waggoner — those kinds of guys drew a line in the sand and said 'Enough’s enough,'” Campbell said. “It was like they said, 'Man, we have the ability to have success here. We can do this. We can have success.'”

For some, the turning point was a game. For others, such as veteran offensive lineman Trevor Downing, the switch flipped on during practice.

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“I think back to spring ball,” he said, referring to a few seasons ago. “Our defense used to beat up on the offense every time.”

Then the two sides of the ball became more competitive. First-teamers against first-teamers was can’t-miss viewing.

“The offense had some really good days, the defense had some really good days, but I mean, it was competitive every day. Everyone on this team was hungry. There's no egos or anything like, that. We all came to work with the same mindset every day to get better.

“Right then, I knew that yep, we're a team. I think we’ve got this.”

Now the goal is to keep it going after slipping to 7-6 a season ago. Four 2021 stars were 2022 NFL draft picks. Quarterback Hunter Dekkers backed up record-setting Brock Purdy last season. Dekkers’ backups have no college experience.

That position, to me, is the key. How Dekkers goes won’t necessarily define how Iowa State goes, but he must play well.

“There’s not a ball that he can’t throw," Hutchinson said during the spring. “He walks like he’s a quarterback. He has that superstar in him.

“Right now, the only thing that we’re really trying to do is get on the same page at the same time. That takes time and it takes work ethic, but I wouldn’t want to go through it with anybody else than Hunter.”

Three months later, Hutchinson isn’t backing off that assessment.

“He’s done amazing,” Hutchinson said Thursday. “I’ve seen tremendous growth out of him from spring ball to summer. It’s only going to get better and better as he gets more reps.

“He can put the ball anywhere he wants to. It’s about him believing in himself, really.”

It’s also about work habits and recruiting to enable Iowa State to continue a team that’s always in the postseason bowl lineup.

“I look back in the locker room after that Memphis game,” Campbell said. “I point back to that’s when this program turned, and we really had a chance to build on something.

“That was not just a hype and talk. It was now official proof that we can have success and win here at Iowa State.”

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson embarked on his 50th year of writing sports for the Des Moines Register in December 2021. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State's football turning point happened at Oklahoma or Memphis