AMES, Iowa (via Iowacyclones.com)  – Rocco Becht got the 50^th season at Jack Trice Stadium off to a rousing start, Saturday. Becht completed a 54-yard pass on the game’s first play, then lofted a 21-yard touchdown pass on the very next play to start the Cyclones on their way to a 21-3 victory over North Dakota on a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon.

Coming off a redshirt freshman season in which he threw for 3,120 yards, Becht also threw a second TD pass and scored once himself as Iowa State won its fourth-straight season opener on the turf at MidAmerican Energy Field. Becht finished 20-of-26 for 267 yards, with eight of those completions going to Jaylin Noel, who passed Charlie Kolar to move into fifth place on ISU’s career receiving list with 173. Noel compiled 135 receiving yards and is just three catches behind fourth-place Todd Blythe.

The Cyclones needed Becht’s sharp performance to turn back their feisty FCS opponent. North Dakota, 22^nd in the preseason FCS rankings, made the playoffs last year and caused the Iowa State defense some problems with its ball-control offense, running 72 plays to 48 for ISU. But the ISU defense came up with enough stops, including Beau Freyler’s interception, to keep the Fighting Hawks out of the end zone. They got their only points on C.J. Elrichs’ 26-yard field goal, which came on the 23^rd play of a drive that started at the North Dakota 3 and took up almost all of the second quarter.

Becht went deep to his favorite target on the first play, Noel catching the ball in stride between two defenders for a 54-yard gain to the North Dakota 21. On the next snap, Becht hit Jayden Higgins on a fade in the left corner of the end zone, and the Cyclones were up 7-0 just 38 seconds into the game. It was Iowa State’s first scoring drive to open the season since the Cyclones went 85 yards in eight plays the first time they had the ball in a 42-10 win over Southeast Missouri in the 2022 opener. After Elrichs’ field goal with 3 minutes left in the first half, the Cyclones answered quickly, driving 65 yards in seven plays for Becht’s 14-yard strike to Noel in the middle of the end zone for a 14-3 halftime lead.

The Cyclones marched 96 yards for their final touchdown after North Dakota punter Luke Silvernale dropped the snap but somehow got off a 49-yard bouncing kick that was downed at the ISU 4. Becht went 7-for-7 for 73 yards on the drive, which he finished with a 2-yard sneak. He had hit Higgins on a beautifully thrown ball for a 21-yard touchdown five plays earlier, but it was nullified by an illegal formation penalty.

Higgins finished with five catches for 75 yards. He and Noel were targeted a combined 13 times and they caught all 13 balls. North Dakota State transfer Eli Green also was a major contributor in the passing game, catching four passes for 44 yards.

Iowa State hits the road next Saturday for its annual Cy-Hawk matchup with Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. CBS will televise the game which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. KJAN will carry the game beginning at 12:30-p.m., next Saturday.