The Iowa State Cyclones came up just short in the Cy-Hawk game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the team learned a lot about themselves in the close loss. 

Even though the Cyclones were a big underdog in this game, they showed that they can compete with a Top 25 team in the country on the road, and that is an exciting thing to think about for what this team might be. 

There were a lot of people that thought Iowa State might be the worst team in the Big 12, but through two games, there are some positives for this program and reason to believe that they are going to exceed those low expectations. 

The defense of the Cyclones looks like it is going to be a strength of the team, but in order for them to reach their potential overall, the offense is going to have to improve. 

One particular area that was lackluster against the Hawkeyes was the passing offense, and all eyes were on Jaylen Raynor in this one. 

What We Learned About Raynor

While the Cyclones didn’t ask a ton from their quarterback in the Week 1 opener against Southeast Missouri, it is now two games in which the passing game hasn’t been great for Iowa State. 

In the loss to Iowa, Raynor went 10-for-19 for just 117 passing yards and one touchdown. While it was a defensive battle, 117 passing yards and a completion percentage just over 50 isn’t the best. 

While the loss to the Hawkeyes can be considered an encouraging one for the Cyclones, this is a team that needs to improve at throwing the ball. Due to the team having a new offense and all of the new players, it might take some time for this group to gel. 

Raynor is a quarterback with a ton of experience, and he has had success as a starter with the Arkansas State Red Wolves. However, through two games, the results haven’t been great, and there is a lot of work to do to improve this passing attack. 

The Cyclones are going to have another game before their first bye week, and the matchup against Bowling Green is a favorable one. If Iowa State is going to be a better-than-expected team, they will need to be able to throw the football better than they have in the first two weeks. Going against Bowling Green will present them with that chance to improve.