The 2025 college football season kicked off with a bang Saturday afternoon as No. 22 Iowa State held off No. 17 Kansas State 24-21 in the Aer Lingus Classic in Dublin, Ireland. The game was tied 14-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Cyclones outscored the Wildcats 10-7 in the final 15 minutes to steal the win.
A controversial play occurred with just over eight minutes remaining in the game, while the score was still 17-14 in favor of Iowa State. Kansas State was faced with a 4th & 1 at its own 30-yard line and decided to attempt the fourth-down conversion. Quarterback Avery Johnson kept it himself and rolled out left, but was tackled a half-yard short of the first-down line.
Iowa State took over at the Kansas State 30-yard line and scored just four plays later, making it 24-14 Cyclones. Wildcat head coach Chris Klieman defended the decision to attempt the fourth-down conversion postgame.
HUGE 4TH DOWN STOP FOR THE CYCLONES.
pic.twitter.com/hBBsTlVKVB
— College Football Alerts (@CFBAlerts_) August 23, 2025
“I would do the same thing again, based on how the game was going with us struggling to slow those guys,” Klieman said via Kellis Robinett of the Kansas City Star.
Kansas State scored on its next offensive play courtesy of a 65-yard passing touchdown from Avery Johnson to Jerand Bradley, making it a 24-21 game. Iowa State however successfully ran the clock out to secure the season-opening Big 12 win.
Iowa State starting 1-0 in Big 12 play is massive for conference title hopes
The Wildcats’ inability to secure the fourth-down conversion did not quite come back to cost them the game, but it certainly was extremely instrumental. It appeared as if Johnson may have actually churned enough to reach the yard to gain, but the referees ruled in favor of the Cyclones.
Following the loss, Kansas State opens the season 0-1 for the first time since 2020 (lost to Arkansas State in season opener). Even more importantly however, it already finds itself one game back in the race for the Big 12 crown. The Wildcats were the odds on favorite to win the conference heading into the season.
Iowa State opens the season 1-0 and continues its winning ways under head coach Matt Campbell. The win would have come by 10 points, but Cyclone running back Carson Hansen fell a half-yard short of the touchdown with 2:18 remaining. They then kneeled the final two minutes away, securing the massive win in Dublin.