Three Things We Learned: TCU

Breece Hall made history

All that Breece Hall needed to break an NCAA record that has stood for over 50 years was one touchdown. Well, he got three, in dominant fashion. Hall had a career day with four touchdowns (one receiving) and 281 all-purpose yards. He looked like an NFL player playing against Ottumwa High School, seriously, go watch TCU try and tackle him on his touchdowns.

Hall will now be in the record books forever with 24 (25 pending a bowl game) consecutive games with a rushing touchdown, also known as the most EVER. It is so cool that someone who wore cardinal and gold is now in the NCAA record books forever. If that was the last time that Breece Hall ever finds the endzone at Jack Trice, then it was an honor to get to watch him do it. Retire #28 tomorrow for the best running back in school history.

The last four years were a blessing

Brock Purdy, Charlie Kolar and Mike Rose went 16-1 in conference play at Jack Trice Stadium in their career. Read that again. Let that sink in. Imagine telling yourself that as Paul Rhoads was wearing a hardhat in his final game of a 3-9 season. Imagine telling yourself that as Matt Campbell started off his career 0-2, with losses to UNI and Iowa in brutal fashion.

I don’t think it hit me until I was the last person in the upper deck at Jack Trice Stadium watching the seniors hang out on the field with their families one last time. Seriously, I sat there for 30 minutes and tried to process that I would never see Purdy run out of the tunnel in a black uniform ever again. It finally soaked in how blessed we were as Cyclone fans to get to witness this senior class. These young men completely changed the culture of Iowa State football, forever. They set a standard of winning every big game at Jack Trice Stadium, they went to a Big 12 Championship and they won the dang Fiesta Bowl.

But most importantly, this group never ever gave up. Not once. Down double digits in the fourth quarter in Norman twice, yet it still came down to the final play. Their senior year didn’t go the way they wanted? Well, they still played to every whistle in a semi-meaningless game against TCU.

This group has impacted my life and Cyclone nation forever, and I will always be eternally thankful for every single one of them. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Send them out with a bang

By taking care of business against TCU and Texas upsetting K-State, Iowa State has a decent shot at playing in the Cheez-it Bowl against Clemson. In my opinion, with the current circumstances and a 7-5 season, a win over Clemson would be the perfect ending to this era of Cyclone football. Most think bowl games are utterly meaningless, but I disagree. I hope Cyclone fans show up and turn out to whatever bowl game the team is in to watch this team give us one final hoorah.