Iowa State’s football team secured a dominant 20-0 victory over Houston on Saturday night, with Rocco Becht impressively throwing for 153 yards and a touchdown. Aba Sama III also contributed to the win by rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown. The Cyclones, now 4-0 for the first time since 2000, also saw their coach, Matt Campbell, become the school’s victory leader with 57 wins. On the other hand, Houston dropped to a 1-4 record, the first time they started a season this way since 2004.

The game’s turning points included Becht’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins in the third quarter and Sama’s 77-yard touchdown run in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Becht completed 17 of 28 passes, with Higgins making eight catches for 79 yards, Jaylon Jackson running for 96 yards, and Kyle Konrardy successfully making field goals from 23 and 34 yards.

The shutout marked a significant achievement for Iowa State, as they had not secured one since November 2020. Their defense has been particularly impressive, currently ranked ninth nationally for allowing only 9.7 points per game. The win on Saturday also marked the Cyclones’ first road conference shutout since 1971.

Houston, on the other hand, struggled to get ahead, with Donovan Smith completing 8 of 12 passes for 71 yards and an interception and Stacy Sneed rushing for 79 yards. The Cougars, facing their first consecutive shutouts since 1994, must regroup for their upcoming games. Despite their defensive performance, Houston’s offensive struggles were evident, as they converted only 1 of 10 third downs and committed seven penalties for 77 yards.

Iowa State will now gear up to host Baylor in their next game, while Houston will face TCU on Friday night. The Cyclones are expected to maintain their favorable position in the polls following this commanding victory. Fans can keep up with the latest AP Top 25 college football updates throughout the season by signing up on the AP website.