Social media reacts to Matt Campbell’s gutsy 4th-and-3 call late in Iowa State’s win over Kansas State
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Iowa State is 1-0 after a 24-21 win over Kansas State at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
But it just as easily could have gone the other way.
With just under 2 and a half minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Cyclones had a 3-point lead and the ball at the K-State 16. That would have been prime time for the Cyclones to kick a field goal and go up by 6, right?
Not in this case. Knowing that a field goal would have kept it a one-possession game and given the Wildcats plenty of time to mount a possible game-tying or game-winning drive — even with no time outs remaining — Campbell instead elected to keep the ball in the hands of quarterback Rocco Becht.
And it paid off: Becht’s found Carson Hansen for 15 yards, with the Cyclones running back being ruled down just short of the goal line. Iowa State was able to run out the remaining time and hold on for a win.
Becht wasn’t at his best in this one. He was 14-of-28 for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns. But his game-sealing play means that the Cyclones’ trip back to Ames will be a happy one.
Here’s reaction across social media to Campbell’s play call:
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
