AMES, Iowa — For a program that hasn’t won a conference championship since 1912, waiting past midnight for confirmation seems like a small sacrifice when it comes to history this year.

No. 18 Iowa State took care of business on the field Saturday night by defeating No. 24 Kansas State 29-21 in a rivalry now known as Farmageddon. With a school-record 10th game win, Iowa State (10-2) will face Arizona State (10-2) next Saturday in Arlington, Texas, for the Big 12 championship and a shot at the College Football Playoff.

With freezing temperatures and single-digit wind chills at Jack Trice Stadium, the Cyclones weathered the elements and persevered. With 34 seconds left, quarterback Rocco Becht knelt and the stands emptied onto the hard turf field. Security officials tried to keep fans away from the playing field and cordoned off part of the field, but fans streamed toward midfield and pushed the players. “Sweet Caroline” blared from the speakers and fans sang the chorus in unison as strands of confetti blew in the wind.

“It’s an amazing experience to see all the joy and passion that all these fans and the community have for this team,” Iowa State safety Beau Freyler said. “I will never forget moments like that.”

Long ignored and rarely successful, Iowa State’s football history is so sparse that a tenth win is a legitimate reason to celebrate. The program had won nine games just three times before, the last time coming during the 2020 COVID season. Iowa State’s last conference title came 112 years ago, when the Cyclones went 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

But the Cyclones have shown that history doesn’t define the present, especially under coach Matt Campbell. Now in his ninth season and as the winningest coach in Iowa State history, Campbell took over a program that had exactly one winning Big 12 season in the conference’s first 20 years. Over the last eight seasons, Campbell’s Cyclones have posted seven winning Big 12 seasons.

With quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Breece Hall and tight end Charlie Kolar, Ames almost won the elusive conference crown in 2020. Iowa State secured a berth in the Big 12 title game for the first time, defeated Oklahoma at home in the regular season for the first time since 1960, and posted its best regular season record. But in a rematch with the Sooners, Oklahoma prevailed 27-21 and robbed Iowa State of its championship.

“I would just tell you,” Campbell said, “I know what it’s like to win the outright championship outright and then get punched in the gut when you’re 31 yards short in the championship game.”

This year there’s the same championship chase, but a different feel for the Cyclones. Last time, Campbell and his team may have been naive when they took on the challenge. Despite the loss to Oklahoma, the Cyclones won their first major bowl of the year at the Fiesta, defeating Oregon 34-17. The following year, most of Iowa State’s top players returned, including Purdy and Hall, but the team slipped to 7-6. When those talented players moved on to the NFL the following year, Iowa State bottomed out at 4-8 overall and 1-8 in the Big 12. Campbell, once considered the hottest coaching prospect in the country, instead had to deal with rumors about his future in Ames.

In 2023, a gambling investigation wiped out seven starters, including his first-team quarterback, running back, left tackle and tight end. But when the going got tough, Campbell showed he was more than just a one-term leader. Any good coach can lead an outstanding group of players to peak performance. But can this person make it in a development program with a completely different group? That’s the difference between good and excellent. It may also be more rewarding for the trainer.

“This means a lot to me personally,” said Campbell, 45 The athletic one after the game. “It’s not easy and every few years you may have to take a step back before taking a step forward. If we’re talking about season 21, suddenly you’re losing all these NFL players. I think it was a great learning lesson for me. I don’t think I did a great job as head coach in 1921, and I think that probably carried through a little bit in 1922.”

The FG is blocked by @CycloneFB 💪❌ pic.twitter.com/E75sdjB4Re

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 1, 2024

Campbell shuffled his staff after the 2022 season by firing offensive coordinator Tom Manning, offensive line coach Jeff Myers and strength coach David Andrews. In 2023, Campbell found a quarterback in Rocco Becht who displayed a similar mindset and toughness to Purdy. They solved some problems as a team, but they did it together with Campbell at the helm.

“Those were difficult times and difficult situations,” Campbell said. “I think the reality was that in 1922 you had to do a team realignment and a culture realignment. Because in this place the only chance of success is if everyone pulls together. There can be no silos in the football program. Everyone must be united. And it was heartbreaking at times.”

Those tough days paid off for the Cyclones against Kansas State. Every time the Wildcats responded with a score or a drive, Iowa State prevailed. The Cyclones won at the rim with better field position, nearly 11 minutes more time of possession and plus-two in turnover margin. In the freezing temperatures, neither team was able to successfully pass, and the Cyclones’ outstanding second-half performance sealed the victory.

“Tonight wasn’t the prettiest,” said Becht, who completed just 13 passes but threw two touchdowns. “But everyone will have these games.”

Rocco Becht with a DIME to Jaylin Noel for the TD 🎯@Cyclonefb expands his lead 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/BwED9fIbkO

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 1, 2024

Campbell’s leadership through adversity gave his players direction, culminating in another Big 12 title win. Iowa State rarely takes top-ranked prospects, and since 2003 the Cyclones have finished in the top 40 of 247Sports’ composite recruiting rankings just once. In a saturated region with few ready-made football players, development is essential to success at Iowa State. But this goes beyond just physical growth; It’s about shaping a message that everyone follows.

For his current players, many of whom accompanied Campbell through the high points of the Purdy Hall era and the low points of 2022, Campbell stayed true to his principles but also made program tweaks when necessary.

“He’s the driving force of everything,” said sixth-year cornerback Darien Porter, who moved from receiver after three seasons. “The players, all of our coaches, everyone who touches this program have the utmost respect for him. It doesn’t happen without a great head coach and a great leader. He has done a lot for this program. He also did so much for me. I am forever grateful to him.”

“He’s a man developer,” receiver Jaylin Noel said. “He does everything in his power to make you a great man not only on the field but off the field as well. He just wants to get the best out of everyone.”

At 12:45 a.m. Iowa time sharp on Sunday, as dim stadium lights glowed above Jack Trice Stadium and sprinklers watered the frozen turf, BYU edged Houston 30-18 and officially sent Iowa State back to the Big-12 -Title game. Campbell still has one more step to achieve ultimate triumph, but he said that won’t determine how he judges this season’s success.

Process driven from the top down, the coach and his players objectively criticized their performance just minutes after receiving hugs and wishes for an unprecedented performance.

“I don’t think we played our best game yet,” said Becht. “Hopefully we’ll save that for next week.”

(Photo: Reese Strickland / Imagn Images)