Matt Campbell

• For the third time in school history, Iowa State won at least eight games in consecutive seasons (1976-78 and 2017-18).
• Iowa State won eight games for just the 13^th time in the program’s 134 seasons and the fifth time doing so under Campbell.
• ISU finished Big 12 play 5-4, earning a winning record for the eighth time in 10 seasons under Campbell. Prior to his arrival in Ames, ISU had just one winning conference season in 20 years.
• Entering this weekend’s games, the Cyclones rank second in the Big 12 in fourth down conversions (67.9; 15th nationally) and third in yards per completion (12.6).
• Defensively, Iowa State is third in fourth down percentage defense (45,8; 32nd), fewest in first downs allowed (211; 25th), fifth in scoring defense (20.2; 27th).
• As a special teams unit, ISU is first in the Big 12 in punt return defense (2.1; 4th nationally) and punt return average, (17.8; 7th), and fifth in net punting (40.9; 37th).
• The Cyclones are one of the least penalized teams, ranking second in the Big 12 in fewest penalties per game (4.6; 16th nationally) and third in fewest penalty yards per game (40.0; 17th).

2024 

• For the first time in 133 seasons, Campbell led the Cyclones to a double-digit win total. 
• Iowa State won its first seven games of the season and went on to finish 11-3 overall, make the Big 12 Championship game and win the Pop-Tarts Bowl.  
• The Cyclones ended the season ranked No. 15 in the AP Top 25, the second-highest ranking in the final poll in ISU history.
• The Cyclones won a second-straight game at Iowa for the first time in a decade as ISU rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit to win, 20-19.
• The win against the Hurricanes in the Pop-Tarts Bowl was ISU’s sixth in a bowl game and the third under Campbell, the most by any Cyclone coach. 
• Behind quarterback Rocco Becht, Iowa State’s offense rode one of the nation’s best wide receiving duos in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. The pair combined for 167 receptions, more than 2,300 yards and 17 touchdowns, as both receivers eclipsed the 1,100-yard receiving mark.  
• Becht finished the season with 3,505 passing yards and 25 TD passes, while also rushing for eight touchdowns, posting one of the best seasons by a Cyclone QB in program history. 
• Despite multiple injuries on defense, ISU allowed just 22.9 points per game and had 15 interceptions to finish with a +9 turnover margin.  
• Fifteen different Cyclones earned All-Big 12 recognition from the league’s coaches, with Noel being named Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Year. Higgins was a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, becoming the third Cyclone wide receiver under Campbell to earn the honor.

2023 

• With one of the nation’s youngest rosters that consisted of just 10 scholarship seniors, the Cyclones bounced back from a 1-2 start to finish the season 7-6 overall and 6-3 in Big 12 play, earning a berth to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. 
• ISU won four-straight conference road games in the same season for the first time in school history, including a thrilling 42-35 snow game victory at Kansas State in the regular season finale. The win featured five Cyclone scoring plays of 50+ yards and marked back-to-back ISU wins in Manhattan, the first time since the 1920s. 
• Becht burst onto the scene and broke all of the ISU freshman passing records on his way to being named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.  
• The Cyclone defense finished the season with 16 interceptions, including five by sophomore Jeremiah Cooper and two by T.J. Tampa. The pair both earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team, while Tampa earned the 17th All-America honor by a Campbell-coached Cyclone. 
• Noel had a breakout season, pulling in 66 receptions and seven touchdowns as one of the nation’s most versatile players, to earn All-Big 12 Second-Team honors along with tight end Stevo Klotz. 
• Freyler became the first Cyclone since 2017 to notch 100 tackles in a season on his way to earning All-Big 12 Second-Team honors from the Associated Press. 

2022 

• The Cyclones led the Big 12 in total defense (285.6 yards per game), rushing defense (107.3), passing defense (178.2) and scoring defense (20.2 points), becoming just the third team in league history to lead in all four categories.  
• Iowa State held every opponent to fewer than 400 yards of total offense, running its streak to 15-straight games. The streak eventually reached 18 games before being snapped in 2023. 
• The Cyclones went into Kinnick Stadium and beat Iowa in a defensive slugfest, 10-7, as they started 3-0 for the first time since the 2012 season.
• Iowa State had a record-setting performer on both sides of the ball. Wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson was a Biletnikoff Award finalist and earned All-America honors after shattering his own school record and leading the Big 12 Conference with 107 receptions. He led the nation in receptions per game (8.9) and was also among the Top 10 in receiving yards (1,171) and receiving yards per game (97.6). 
• On defense, Will McDonald IV had five sacks and tied the Big 12 record with 34.0 in his career. McDonald IV joined Hutchinson as three-time first-team All-Big 12 honorees. 

2021 

• Iowa State qualified for a school-record fifth-straight bowl (Cheez-It Bowl) and registered a program-best fifth-straight winning season, tying for fourth in the Big 12 at 7-6 overall and 5-4 in league play. 
• A victory at Kansas State, ISU’s first in Manhattan since 2004, and a triumph over No. 8 Oklahoma State, Campbell’s 10th victory vs. a Top 25 team in his Cyclone tenure, gave him wins over every league team on the road and at home in his Cyclone career. He was the only coach in school history to accomplish that feat. 
• The Cyclone defense only allowed two teams to reach 350 yards of total offense, ranking ninth nationally in total defense at 310.5. ISU also tied a school record with 33 sacks, as first-team All-American McDonald IV led the league in sacks for the second-straight year with a school-record 11.5. 
• Behind consensus All-American Hall and four-time All-Big 12 QB Brock Purdy, who graduated with 32 school records, the Cyclones produced the fourth-best scoring average (31.3) in school history. ISU was second nationally in red zone offense (95.9%), converting on 47-of-49 trips. 
• Hall was second nationally in scoring (138) and broke the all-time NCAA FBS record by rushing for a touchdown in 24-consecutive games. 
• Cyclone tight end Kolar was the recipient of the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation’s best scholar-athlete football player and considered the Academic Heisman. 

2020 

• The 2020 campaign went down as one of the greatest in Iowa State football history. The Cyclones surged as the frontrunner for the Big 12 title with a 37-30 win over No. 18 Oklahoma in October, their first win over the Sooners in Ames in 60 years. 
• By season’s end, Iowa State was in sole possession of first place in the final regular-season conference standings (8-1) for the first time in school history, earning a rematch against No. 12 Oklahoma in its first-ever Big 12 Championship game. 
• The historic regular season earned the Cyclones their first New Year’s Six bowl berth, defeating No. 25 Oregon, 34-17, in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. 
• The victory over the Ducks, Campbell’s second bowl win at ISU, gave the Cyclones their ninth victory on the year, tying the school record for single-season wins (1906, 2000). 
• Campbell was honored as the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the third time in four years and was a finalist for national coach of the year by all four of the major coaching awards: Eddie Robinson, Bobby Dodd, Bear Bryant and George Munger. 
• Iowa State cracked the Top 10 in the AP poll for the first time since 2002 and achieved its highest ranking in school history at No. 6 in the fourth College Football Playoff rankings. 
• Iowa State, which played as a ranked team a school-record 10 times, ended the season ranked in the final AP poll (No. 9) for just the third time ever (1976, 2000). 
• Campbell continued his excellence against ranked opponents, knocking off a trio of ranked teams (Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon) for only the second time in school history. It marked the first time an Iowa State team defeated both Oklahoma and Texas in the same season. 
• Iowa State had incredible balance on offense and defense, ranking among the Big 12's top three in both scoring offense (32.9, 3rd) and scoring defense (21.4, 2nd).  
• The offense scored 30-plus points in seven of nine Big 12 games and set a school mark with 31 rushing touchdowns.  
• The defense was second in the league and 21st nationally in total defense (340.4) and first in the Big 12 and eighth nationally in rushing defense (103.1). 
• Iowa State players were rewarded for the breakout season with a school-record and Big 12-best nine players earning All-Big 12 first-team recognition. 
• The Cyclones also had a school-record four All-Americans in RB Hall, TE Kolar, DE JaQuan Bailey and LB Mike Rose. Hall, who was the nation’s leading rusher (1,572) and ranked second nationally in rushing touchdowns (21), was the first Cyclone unanimous All-American in school history, earning first-team All-America accolades from the AP, FWAA, AFCA, Walter Camp and Sporting News. 

2019 

• Iowa State’s 2019 offense was the most prolific in program history, helping the Cyclones finish tied for third in the Big 12 with a 7-6 overall record and a 5-4 league mark. 
• School records fell in the following offensive categories: total offense (5,776), passing offense (4,047), yards per play (6.45) and points scored (418).  
• A victory at No. 22 Texas (23-21) on a last-second, walk-off field goal was a signature win during the season, as the Cyclones appeared in the College Football Playoff rankings for the third-straight season. 
• The offense was led by All-Big 12 QB Purdy, who broke virtually every school passing record, including passing yards (3,982), total offense (4,231), completions (312) and passing touchdowns (27). 
• Kolar was his favorite target, earning second-team All-America honors by the FWAA and CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades. 

2018 

• Despite a 1-3 start to the season, Campbell kept the Cyclones on the right with a five-game win streak, tying the best single-season conference victory string in school history en route to earning Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year accolades.  
• Iowa State had six conference victories, second-best in school history, and also proved to be a tough out at home, ending the season on a six-game win streak on its own turf, tying the school record (six) for most season victories in the stadium. 
• ISU wrapped up its second-straight bowl berth with a spot in the Valero Alamo Bowl, ending the regular season with an 8-4 mark and tying for third in the Big 12 standings (6-3). 
• The Cyclones appeared in all six College Football Playoff rankings behind a stingy defense and Purdy as a true freshman signal-caller. 
• The Cyclones led the Big 12 in scoring defense (22.9) and rushing defense (115.0), holding all but two teams to below their season scoring average. 
• Purdy took over signal-calling duties in the season’s fifth game, promptly leading the Cyclones to five-straight victories and igniting the offense. Purdy had help from All-Americans David Montgomery (RB) and Hakeem Butler (WR), who both tallied over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, the first time in school history the Cyclones had a 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in the same season. 
• Butler shattered the school record for receiving yards in a season with 1,318 yards and was named a second-team All-American by The Athletic.   

2017 

• Picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 Conference, the Cyclones capped off the 2017 campaign with a victory in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl over No. 19 Memphis, just the fourth bowl win in program history. Campbell was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for his efforts.  
• Iowa State surged into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2005 thanks, going 4-0 in the month of October when it defeated two Top 5 teams in No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 TCU. 
• Prior to the season, Iowa State was 1-56-2 all-time vs. teams ranked in the Top 5 of the AP poll, tripling its all-time career total. 
• The victory over No. 3 Oklahoma (38-31) in Norman was Iowa State’s first win over a Top 5 opponent on the road. Iowa State followed up the OU win with a 14-7 victory over No. 4 TCU three weeks later, helping the Cyclones garner their first appearance in the College Football Playoff rankings. 
• Iowa State finished the 2017 season with an 8-5 overall record and an upper-half finish in the Big 12 at 5-4. 
• Three of ISU’s wins were against ranked opponents (Oklahoma, TCU, Memphis) and five were on the road, breaking or equaling school marks in both categories. 
• ISU scored over 40 points five times, tying the school record for most 40-point games in a season. 
• Iowa State broke school marks in fewest turnovers and fewest fumbles lost in a season, going nearly the entire year before losing its first fumble, tying the NCAA FBS all-time record along the way. 
• Defensively, the Cyclones ranked in the Top 30 nationally in scoring defense (26th, 20.9) and turnover margin (16th, +10).  

2016 

• Inheriting a program with depleted numbers on both sides of the ball, the Cyclones displayed gradual improvement throughout the season in Campbell’s first year. 
• Iowa State’s offense was balanced and efficient, boasting a 1,000-yard receiver in All-Big 12 performer Allen Lazard and a rushing attack which featured three players with 500+ yards on the ground, a first in school history. 

CAMPBELL AT TOLEDO 

• Campbell compiled a 35-15 record in four-plus seasons as the head coach at Toledo and led the Rockets to three nine-win seasons.  
• He coached the Rockets in three bowls and his 2015 squad played in the Boca Raton Bowl after being hired at Iowa State.  
• Campbell’s left Toledo with a .700 winning percentage, the third-best in school history, trailing only Nick Saban (.818, 1990) and Bill Orwig (.762, 1946-47). 
• He was named head coach in December 2011, becoming the youngest head coach in the FBS at the time by three years.  
• Only 16 days after his promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach, Campbell led the Rockets to a 42-41 win over Air Force in the Military Bowl.  
• Campbell’s first full season as head coach (2012) included an eight-game winning streak. The Rockets upset No. 18 Cincinnati during the win streak, moved into the nation’s Top 25 for the first time in more than a decade and were invited to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. 
• The 2013-14 seasons included 16 wins, shares of the MAC West Division championship both years and the establishment of a nationally respected power rushing attack.  
• Toledo ranked 14th and 12th nationally in rushing offense those seasons. The 2014 campaign ended with a 63-44 victory over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl as tailback Kareem Hunt returned from injury to rush for 271 yards and five TDs. 
• His 2015 Toledo team, which had to replace five offensive line starters, earned a 16-12 upset of 18th-ranked Arkansas. Following that win, the Rockets defeated Iowa State in overtime, their second Power 5 victory in a row.  
• The 2015 Rockets ranked 27th nationally in scoring offense and 28th in scoring defense. They ran the ball (213.2) and stopped the run (115.5) and UT earned the first College Football Playoff ranking in school history. 
• Campbell was honored as the 2015 MAC Coach of the Year. 

RISING UP THE RANKS 

• Campbell’s transition from the field to the sidelines began with a two-year term as a graduate assistant (working with the tight ends) at Bowling Green. Those Falcon teams won the 2003 Motor City Bowl and the 2004 GMAC Bowl. 
• Campbell returned to his alma mater as offensive coordinator and line coach (2005-06) and Mount Union won two more national titles and registered a 29-1 record. Six players earned All-American accolades under his tutelage, including future NFL receiver Pierre Garcon. 
• He returned to Division I football for two years (2007-08) as Bowling Green’s offensive line coach. Then, at the age of 29, he was named run game coordinator (2009) before promotion to offensive coordinator (2010-11) at Toledo. 
• The 2009 UT offense was 16th in the NCAA in total offense (437.9), 18th in passing yards (278.1) and first in fourth-down conversions (80%) despite losing its starting QB at mid-season. 
• The 2010 Toledo team featured a 1,000-yard rusher and a receiver with 99 catches. 
• The 2011 Rockets were eighth nationally in scoring (42.2), 10th in total offense (481.3), eighth in pass efficiency (160.4), 18th in rushing (213.6) and became the first team in school history to score at least 60 points in consecutive games. Eric Page caught 125 passes that season, second-most in the nation. 
• After Beckman left during bowl prep in 2011, Campbell was named interim head coach. Three days later, the interim label was dropped and his 50-game career as UT head coach was underway. 

PLAYING CAREER 

• Campbell was a defensive end at Mount Union (1999-2002), where he was an All-American and two-time conference defensive lineman of the year. 
• During his time with the Purple Raiders, his squad won four conference titles, three NCAA Division III national championships and went 54-1 in his four-year career. 
• He was inducted into the Mount Union Hall of Fame in 2018. 

PERSONAL 

• A native of Massillon, Ohio, Campbell graduated from Mount Union in 2002, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history.  
• Campbell and his wife, Eria, have four children, Katie, Izzy, Rudy and Rocco. 

HEAD COACHING RECORD 

Year	School	Record	Postseason
2011	Toledo	1-0	Military: Beat Air Force, 42-41
2012	Toledo	9-4	Famous Idaho Potato: Lost to Utah State, 41-15
2013	Toledo	7-5
2014	Toledo	9-4	GoDaddy: Beat Arkansas State, 63-44
2015	Toledo	9-2	Boca Raton: Beat Temple, 32-17  [did not coach bowl game]
2016	Iowa State	3-9
2017	Iowa State	8-5	AutoZone Liberty: Beat Memphis, 21-20
2018	Iowa State	8-5	Valero Alamo: Lost to Washington State, 28-26
2019	Iowa State	7-6	Camping World: Lost to Notre Dame, 33-9
2020	Iowa State	9-3	PlayStation Fiesta: Beat Oregon, 34-17
2021	Iowa State	7-6	Cheez-It: Lost to Clemson, 20-13
2022	Iowa State	4-8
2023	Iowa State	7-6	AutoZone Liberty: Lost to Memphis, 36-26
2024	Iowa State	11-3	Pop-Tarts: Beat Miami, 42-41
2025	Iowa State	8-4	Bowl Eligible
Career		107-70	Postseason Record: 6-5

THE CAMPBELL FILE 

Personal 

Coaching Career 

Playing Experience 

1999-2002: Mount Union 

Postseason as a Coach 

Prominent Players Coached