Peterson: Even after a 10-point Liberty Bowl loss, Iowa State's football future is bright

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Jaylin Noel walked into Iowa State’s locker room after Friday’s 36-26 loss against Memphis in the Liberty Bowl and immediately proclaimed:

“We’re not a young team anymore. We’ve got experience.”

That pretty much was the theme for a team that finished the season with a respectable 7-6 record after winning just four times in 2022. That was the theme for a team that started a combined 10 freshmen and sophomores in a bowl game. That was the theme despite what happened during an at-times abysmal showing by a team that entered the game as a 10½-point favorite.

Noel’s right. This team isn’t young anymore. So many underclassmen played. So many started. Coach Matt Campbell and his staff certainly answered the question about whether you can win during the season while also preparing for the future.

Of course you can. His Cyclones showed it this season, no matter how badly they were handled at times Friday.

Look at Iowa State’s stars. Quarterback Rocco Becht’s 446 passing yards Friday set an Iowa State single-game record. His three passing touchdowns tied for the most in a bowl game in school history. His 3,120 yards passing this season are the third-most in Big 12 history by a freshman. But there’s more.

More: Peterson: Thoughts on Iowa State's Liberty Bowl loss despite Becht, Higgins monster games

Becht was responsible for 26 touchdowns this season, the second-most in school history behind Brock Purdy’s 35 in 2019. He threw 23 touchdown passes this season, the second-most in school history behind Purdy’s 27 in 2019. His 3,120 yards passing this season is the fourth-most in school history.

And he’ll be just a sophomore the next time he suits up for a game.

Let’s now go to Jayden Higgins, who caught nine passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll be a senior.

“We’ve got a lot of great pieces, a lot of great components to build on,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot of youth to grow forward.

“We won’t be young starting next fall, and that’s a good thing.”

You’re darn right that’s a good thing for the team and Cyclone fans to rally around. And it starts with Becht, who Campbell has said since last July has that “it” factor.

“What Rocco has done this year has been nothing short of exceptional,” Campbell said after Friday’s game. “He’s grown every week. When you have a quarterback that the whole locker room trusts and the coaching staff trusts, you have something really special.

“We’re really fortunate. He was special (Friday). He gave us every opportunity to win this football game. He’s got a lot to be excited about and to be proud of.”

If this were anything other than a bowl game, I’d be criticizing the offensive line up one side and down the other. Zero rushing yards on 20 carries? That’s embarrassing. But as Campbell said, Memphis’ new defensive coordinator added some wrinkles the Cyclones hadn’t seen.

“When you look at that rushing total – their ability to run the ball (Memphis had 166 yards on the ground), our inability to times to rush the ball when we needed to – that’s not how we win football games at Iowa State,” Campbell said.

And if Friday's game was anything other than a reward for meeting the bowl-qualifying six wins, I’d be wondering about the Cyclones’ usually standout secondary against whom quarterback Seth Henigan completed 24 of 34 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns. They certainly missed T.J. Tampa (opted out of bowl game to focus on NFL Draft) and Malik Verdon (missed game with injury).

The takeaway here is the future – which for Iowa State appears to be very good in what will be a 16-team Big 12 next season. Just five seniors started Friday’s game. Five. That’s the same number of freshman starters, three of whom included first-year collegians Abu Sama, Jack Sadowsky and Brendan Black. That’s running back, linebacker and offensive lineman.

And let’s not forget tight end Ben Brahmer, a true freshman who is destined for greatness. Same with true freshman defensive back Jamison Patton.

“This is going to be a good spark going into the off-season,” Higgins said.

It should, because regardless of what happened Friday, Iowa State football in 2023 was a success.

More: Recap: Iowa State football falls to Memphis in Liberty Bowl

“We have had a successful season already,” Becht said. “Not going to a bowl last year really hurt us. Being back in a bowl is already an accomplishment.”

Bowl games should be on every Iowa State fan's calendar. Despite what you saw during most of Friday, the Cyclones have the players who can make another bowl-game run in 2024.

“The future’s as bright as it wants to be,” Campbell said. “What you saw this year was a young football team, every step of the way, grow. This game is a chance to us to grow forward.

“Where we are, the foundation of this team, I think it’s as rock-solid as it’s been. I think we’re all really excited about what the future’s got the ability to bring.”

Sure, the team will miss what Campbell called “great “and “phenomenal” seniors – leaders of the 2023 team.

Becht, despite his age, has been a leader, too, and he showed it Friday night. He shook every player’s hand in the tunnel after the game as they headed to the locker room. That’s what leaders do, folks.

“With a season like we had, what we had to go through this year ... I just wanted to give my help to all the players that came off the field,” the quarterback said. “They did their part. They did their jobs. They put it on the line. We’ve just got to keep going.”

Which they will.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football future is bright despite Liberty Bowl aches, pains