Matt Campbell didn’t hesitate when the game came down to his kicker.
“Get us going. Get going,” Campbell said when asked about the thought process of sending Kyle Konrardy out for a 54-yarder. “What do you say I said last week at the end of half? I think it was the same conversation. When you got that guy, man, you just believe in him. I said, ‘Man, do you feel really good about this? If you do, let’s go for it. I trust you.’”
Konrardy responded with his third made field goal of the day, finishing 3-for-3 including the long strike from 54 yards. He added an extra point to account for 10 of Iowa State’s 16 points in the 16–13 win.
“Obviously for Kyle, it means the world to him and it means the world to us,” Campbell said. “He’s a young man that continues to do really positive things.”
Correct. Https://t.co/J3x3xkNCbB pic.twitter.com/uXMaisId7t
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) September 6, 2025
Campbell emphasized that Konrardy has “earned the right” to have the ball in his hands in the most pressurized moments. “You win football games with your A players making A plays in A moments,” Campbell said.
While the Cyclones leaned on their defense to seal the game, it was Konrardy’s calm execution that set the tone. Campbell admitted the staff had to prepare for multiple outcomes with time still left on the clock but ultimately trusted his kicker’s preparation and poise. “When adversity hits, [he does] not flinch, just keep playing,” Campbell said. “And I thought our kids did a great job of that today.”
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