Iowa football fans will tell you that this is still the Hawkeye state. But it sure felt like it was hit by a Cyclone this year. Iowa State capped off an amazing 2020 season by defeating #25 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl 34-17. And this team may just be getting started.

The Gazette reports that sophomore running back Breece Hall carried the ball 34 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa State. That performance put the cap on the best season a running back has had in Ames since Troy Davis. It also put a cap on the possibly the best season in Iowa State history. The Cyclones will finish among the top ten teams in college football.

Their nine wins in 2020 matches the most wins in a season in school history. But this year was capped by the Cyclone's first appearance in a New Year's Six bowl game. Winning a high profile bowl game like the Fiesta Bowl can take your program to new heights. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell thinks the Cyclones can fly even higher.

And why not? Quarterback Brock Purdy will be back. All American running back Breece Hall will be back. After the Fiesta Bowl win, Hall said,"We got a taste of it. But we always want to reach a new level." Could that next level have them knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff?

One this is for sure. Matt Campbell is one hell of a football coach. The Gazette reports that when Campbell took over in 2016, the team went 3-9. Now, after a 9-3 2020 season, the Cyclones have four winning seasons, four bowl appearances, and 2 bowl wins. These Cyclones could be here to stay.

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