Matt Campbell Day

quote:

---

In 2020, Campbell led the Cyclones to a first-place finish in the final Big 12 regular-season standings, a spot in the Big 12 Championship game and a New Year’s Six bowl game, all program firsts.

Campbell’s recent four-year run at ISU has caught the nation’s attention with its drastic improvement, placing Iowa State football into the national rankings and the college football spotlight. Iowa State has appeared in the College Football Playoff Rankings in each of the last four seasons, earning its highest ranking in school history at No. 6 in 2020.

Campbell, who has fostered a player-driven atmosphere with his contagious personality, owns 34.6 percent of Iowa State’s all-time victories over ranked teams, defeating nine opponents ranked in the nation’s top-25 since 2017, tying for ninth nationally during that span.

Records have been shattered in the Campbell era on offense and defense, including total offense (444.3 in 2019) and sacks (33 in 2018). His teams play with precision on both sides of the ball, boasting a defense ranked in the top-three in the Big 12 in scoring defense in each of the last four seasons and two of the top-three scoring offenses in school history in 2019 (32.2) and 2020 (32.9).

Campbell is the first and only coach in Iowa State history to defeat every team in the league at least once during his Cyclone tenure and produced four of Iowa State’s five winning seasons in Big 12 Conference history (1996-present).

Iowa State has finished third or better in the Big 12 in each of the last three seasons.

The Cyclones played as a ranked team for a school-record 10 times in 2020 and Campbell recorded his 26th victory vs. Big 12 competition, already ranking second all-time in school history.

Since 2017, Iowa State has recorded 24 Big 12 wins, the second-best total in the league during that span.

---