Hall of a Player
After Iowa State's 37-30 upset win over Oklahoma last weekend, there's officially a new school – and a new playmaker – making noise in the Big 12.
Former USC superstar and current FOX Sports college football analyst Reggie Bush largely credited Iowa State running Breece Hall as the catalyst in the Cyclones' big win, tabbing him the Playmaker of the Week.
After dropping a Week 1 contest to Louisiana State, the Cyclones have been on a roll, defeating TCU the following week before taking down the reigning Big 12 champion Sooners last Saturday.
Hall discussed the loss to start the season, and how the team was able to bounce back.
"Everybody on the team took that approach that it was just one game. That's not who we are."
Hall has been consistent from the beginning. He started the season with a 103-yard effort in the loss to the Ragin' Cajuns and has only improved. He earned 155 yards and a trio of touchdowns against TCU and followed it up with 139 yards and a pair of scores against OU.
Speaking of Oklahoma, Hall's second TD served as the game-winning score. He ran in the eight-yard score following a 36-yard rush that brought the Cyclones within striking distance.
Hall has proven he's more than your average running back. In three games, Hall has racked up 66 carries for 396 yards (6.0 yards per carry), while registering six TDs.
The 6'1", 215-pound back credits his size and speed for his playmaking ability.
"Just because I'm a bigger back, people don't think I'm that fast ... Defenses might think they are open to catch me but if I get in the open field – 10 to 15 yards of space – nobody is going to catch me."
No. 24 Iowa State sits behind only No. 22 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma State when it comes to Big 12 teams in the AP Poll Top 25, and Hall explained that one of the reasons he settled on becoming a Cyclone was to elevate the program.
"With our team, we don't care about the national attention. We know we are the underdog, and in the past, Iowa's State's been the laughing stock of the Big 12. I wanted to flip it around."
And Hall has done just that.
He leads the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (132.0) and rushing touchdowns (six), ranking third nationally in both categories. Not to mention, he's the only Power 5 RB with three 100-yard rushing performances.
The odds for the Cyclones to win the national title are +25,000, but Hall and his team are staying internal, focusing on themselves instead of the outside noise.
"For every game, it's not us vs. every opponent. It's Iowa State vs. Iowa State."
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