Rocco Becht picks Clemson, LSU as his dream road games to play

Rocco Becht joined Greg McElroy to dish on some interesting topics at Big 12 Media Days this past week. One of them included which opposing stadium the Iowa State quarterback would love to play in more than anything.

So, who were his dream opponents? Well, Becht shouted out Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, but since he already played there in his career, that doesn’t count. Instead, Clemson and LSU were his picks, riding with both iterations of Death Valley.

“I would say Iowa, Kinnick Stadium. That’s a pretty cool place to play, but we’ve played there a couple times. I think I’d go — I think Clemson would be pretty cool. Death Valley. Either there or LSU,” Becht told McElroy via Always College Football. “You know, those two stadiums, they can get rowdy. They’re electric. Fan bases are great. They have great traditions. I think it would be pretty cool to play in those two spots.” 

Unfortunately for Becht, Iowa State won’t be traveling to face either of the Tigers, but that’s why they call them dream opponents. Still, there are some fascinating games on the Cyclones’ schedule for their quarterback to have some fun, like a Week 0 trip to Dublin to face Kansas State on Aug. 23.

Regardless of who they’re playing, Becht will be expected to take a leap forward. Last season, he sparked the Cyclones’ late-season push to make the Big 12 championship game, before falling to Sam Leavitt and the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Still, Becht’s 3,505 passing yards and 25 touchdowns ranked in the Top 5 in the Big 12 last season. One area he’ll need to improve, though, is his 59.4 completion percentage. That should come in 2025, though, as he continues to evolve as a quarterback.

“Understanding the speed of the game, the comfortability that I’m in now,” Becht stated, via Eugene Repay of the Des Moines Register, regarding how comfortable he is heading into 2025. “It’s kind of like playing in high school again. The more years that you’re in, the more reps that you get, the more comfortable you’re going to get, so that’s the biggest thing that’s changed. For me, the speed of the game has slowed down and that’s what you want.”

It all begins with a trip to Ireland, but Rocco Becht and Iowa State are hoping their season ends with a national title. They surprised last season, but now they’ll be expected to make a run in 2025 — we’ll see if they can get the job done.