“Farmageddon” went international on Saturday, kicking off the season in Dublin. Matt Campbell‘s determination will ensure the Iowa State Cyclones have a triumphant journey back to States. Responding to K-State’s AD cracking a joke yesterday at a pep rally about Iowa State not knowing its school colors, the presser room roared with laughter when Campbell finally got his turn to fire back, and boy, did he lean into it. A 3rd straight win in the rivalry against Kansas State only made the timing sweeter, and with the Cyclones walking out of Ireland as victors, Campbell had every reason to get the last laugh.

The whole thing started when the Wildcats’ AD Gene Taylor tossed out a jab during the festivities leading up to the big matchup. After finishing his standard postgame duties, Matt Campbell wasn’t quite done. He re-entered the press conference with a grin, telling a reporter to toss him a question about Iowa State’s occasional black uniforms. The setup was perfect. With the room waiting for his comeback, Campbell calmly delivered the kind of mic-drop answer only a rivalry win could fuel. “We don’t really care what color we wear,” Campbell said. “It’s never been about a jersey color for us, it’s never been about any of that. It’s been about team, togetherness, and playing winning football. So, I appreciate the question. Go Cyclones.”

“[Iowa State AD] Jamie Pollard had to beg their fans to wear their colors, because they don’t know what the hell their colors are,” Taylor said, poking fun at Iowa State’s well-documented love for wearing black uniforms even though the school’s official colors are red and yellow. Technically, Kansas State held “home” status in Ireland. That forced ISU into a lighter look, and they rolled out in a sharp white set accented with plenty of cardinal and gold. No confusion there, no identity crisis—just a clean fit that traveled well to Ireland.

And just like that, the head coach had the last laugh—on the scoreboard and in the room. Iowa State pulled out a 24–21 win in Dublin, their third straight in the Farmageddon rivalry, which made Campbell’s zinger land that much harder. It’s one thing to fire back with words, it’s another to do it after you’ve kept your rival off the board in crunch time across the Atlantic. Talk about an all-around win.

The fashion show chatter, of course, has been an Iowa State subplot for years. Fans love the black alternates, and players love them too. Campbell wasn’t the only one weighing in. QB1 Rocco Becht made it clear he’s not picky when it comes to the Cyclones’ rotation of styles. Cyclones loved to see Taylor getting to chew on the fact that sometimes the best comeback isn’t shouted into a pep rally mic but delivered calmly after a win. Go ahead and call it petty, but in rivalries like this, those little moments are what live forever.

Matt Campbell & crew turn fashion into fuel

If Matt Campbell had the last laugh in Dublin, Rocco Becht might have had the best perspective of the night. The young QB isn’t sweating the chatter about what shade of fabric the Cyclones trot out in. Instead, he sees it as part of the fun, part of the energy that fuels a locker room. Becht believes that if a team feels comfortable in the uniforms, it translates well on the field.

“I love the color black,” Becht said. “I honestly love all our colors. The uniforms we had on today were sick as well with the helmet. However these players, however this team feels — when they feel good in what they’re wearing, the play good. So, I think that’s kind of how we’re thinking. But I love all our uniform combos we’ve got. Hopefully, that’s not a big deal.”

Big deal or not, Campbell clearly thought Taylor’s little jab deserved a response—and the scoreboard made it sting. Now, the conversation flips forward to Iowa State’s home opener against South Dakota on Aug. 30. Will the Cyclones keep it classic with cardinal and gold? Or will Campbell double down with the all-black look that’s become a fan favorite? Rivalries are built on bragging rights, but in Ames right now, even the fashion show is part of the fight.