If you thought Iowa State’s fairytale ride ended with that Pop-Tarts Bowl thriller, think again. Matt Campbell and his Cyclones are back, and the encore isn’t happening in Ames—or even the States. Try Dublin, Ireland. The 115-year-old Farmageddon rivalry is packing passports. It’s not just any opener, either. No. 22 Iowa State versus No. 17 Kansas State on August 23 isn’t your average Week 0 scrimmage—it’s a clash layered with history, attitude, and just enough unpredictability to make your stomach flip. And Matt Campbell is all in for it.

For Iowa State, the backdrop couldn’t be more poetic. The Cyclones are fresh off the greatest season in school history—11 wins, their first-ever Big 12 Championship appearance, and that heart-pounding 42–41 Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Miami. Rocco Becht walked off with MVP honors, tossing three touchdowns and carving his name into Ames legend. And let’s not forget: this was the same kid forced into the spotlight after a betting scandal threw him under center. Two years later, Becht isn’t a stand-in. He’s the Cyclones’ shot caller, with 48 touchdowns and nearly 7,000 yards to his name. Talk about flipping the script.

Campbell himself knows the weight of this trip across the Atlantic. On August 15, Matt Campbell shared his view on Farmageddon rivalry: “Well, I just, I think when there’s respect, especially within a rivalry, you’re just grateful to be a part of something like that,” he said this week. Then he doubled down: “We’re really fortunate here that we’ve been able to get our program to a place where we can play really meaningful rivalry games, and this certainly is one of them. You know, traditionally what K-State has done in this conference, the type of program that they are, the success that they’ve had. So again, we don’t take this for granted. We know this is what makes college football really special.” Translation? Iowa State’s no longer happy to be invited to the dance—they’re here to headline. For Campbell, entering year 10, this isn’t just another August Saturday. It’s proof that the Cyclones belong at college football’s main table.

But Kansas State isn’t coming to Dublin to play tourist. The Wildcats just dropped a 9-4 season capped by a Liberty Bowl comeback for the ages—down 17 in the third, only to storm back on the legs of Dylan Edwards (196 yards, three scores) and the arm of Avery Johnson. Johnson didn’t just win that night; he rewrote school history with the single-season passing touchdown record. This is a team built for shootouts, for statement wins, and for carrying Snyder-era grit into a new generation. The Wildcats aren’t sneaking up on anybody—they’re swinging.

And here’s where it gets spicy: Farmageddon itself. This rivalry has been cooking since 1917, and while Iowa State technically leads the all-time series 54-50-4, let’s not twist it—Kansas State owned the 90s and 2000s, ripping off 22 wins in 25 meetings between 1990 and 2014. But under Campbell? The script has tilted. 4 wins in the last 7 meetings, including two straight. And nearly every clash feels like a coin flip—11 of the last 20 decided by one possession, like the 2022 rock fight where K-State squeaked out 10–9. In Dublin, history isn’t just baggage—it’s fuel.

Both programs are walking into uncharted waters with this Ireland trip. For K-State, it’s only the second international outing in program history (their last was Tokyo, 1992). For Iowa State, it’s the first-ever overseas game. Yet, that backdrop only sharpens the stakes. Add in the bragging rights of taking a 115-year-old grudge global, and suddenly, Aviva Stadium might feel more like Jack Trice or Bill Snyder Family Stadium with a Guinness in hand.

Matt Campbell spills tea about roster battle

If Dublin is the stage, training camp was the rehearsal. And Campbell’s tea-spilling this week? Pure gold. “It’s probably for me to go through the depth chart is hard, because there’s so many of them, there’s so many guys that are capable of playing. What’s the best role for those guys within the offense? Who’s the starters, who’s playing in crunch time? I think all those things will be fun to navigate,” he said, smirking at the idea that positions are locked. But he wasn’t just dodging. Campbell laid out the chessboard: tight ends, wideouts, running backs—everywhere you look, it’s a dogfight for reps.

Take tight end. Benjamin Brahmer, the 6’7” sophomore, looks every bit the Cyclones’ next mismatch nightmare, but Campbell wasn’t crowning him just yet. Behind him? Gabe Burkle and a handful of hungry options. Wide receiver? A group Campbell admitted “has probably been a surprise” this fall, even after losing 2 wideouts in the 2nd round of the 2025 draft. Translation: Chase Sowell, the ECU transfer, is faster, and the room is deeper than anyone outside Ames realizes. Becht has toys, maybe not as good as last season’s, but Campbell was low-key surprised after the fall camp.

Running back feels like déjà vu. Carson Hansen is the frontrunner, sure—RB runs with the patience of a vet and the burst of a sophomore still chasing headlines. But Campbell’s point was clear: nothing is guaranteed. Practice will decide who’s the hammer when crunch time hits. Same story on the defensive line, where Tamatoa McDonough and Ike Ofoegbu flipped fall camp into a personal highlight reel. Campbell’s words weren’t fluff—they were warning shots. Opposing O-lines better eat their Wheaties.

Defensively, Campbell leaned on growth stories. Beni Ngoyi’s rise at the corner has the staff buzzing. Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman? Steady as they come at safety. And let’s not forget the linebackers—Caleb Bacon, Kooper Ebel, and Will McLaughlin, a trio that feels less like depth chart filler and more like a demolition crew. “We feel like there’s nine guys that can really go play great football for us,” Campbell said. Translation: Good luck finding a weakness. Between Jeremiah Cooper’s ball-hawking in the secondary and Domonique Orange holding down the trenches, this defense isn’t just loaded—it’s layered.

Bottom line? Iowa State isn’t tiptoeing into Dublin with question marks. They’re rolling with options, depth, and enough competition to keep every starter sweating. Campbell’s not playing favorites, and that’s the point. Farmageddon 2025 won’t just be about history, or even Becht versus Johnson. It’ll be about whether Campbell’s ‘who’s hot’ philosophy can outlast 60 minutes of purple fury.