Two ways to make a kick uncomfortable
Iowa State placed both Flora and Pettaway on the Jet Award’s midseason watch list October 14, the only school with two representatives. Flora averages 17.9 yards on punt returns. Pettaway averages 32.0 on kickoff returns. Each figure describes a different opportunity to change the offense’s starting position before the quarterback takes a snap.
Their biggest returns have been memorable: Flora took a punt 66 yards for a touchdown against Bowling Green, and Pettaway has a 100-yard kickoff return. Iowa State should welcome those scores without building its next offensive plan around the expectation that another one will arrive on demand.
The kick can change without another touchdown
A dangerous returner affects more than the plays he actually returns. An opponent may value placement over distance, or accept a different field position to reduce the chance of a clean return lane. Those are tactical possibilities, not a prediction that Arizona will choose one particular approach when the teams meet October 24.
The Cyclones benefit when the return unit recognizes what is available and protects possession first. A modest gain with the ball secured can still shorten the next drive. A penalty that wipes out a productive return can surrender the very advantage the group was built to create. The blocking and decision-making around the returner deserve attention alongside the average next to his name.
A shorter field still needs an offense
Iowa State is 3–3 overall and 1–2 in the Big 12 after losing 24–10 at BYU on October 9. The Cyclones managed 200 total yards, split between 102 rushing and 98 passing. A short field following a muffed BYU punt helped produce their only touchdown, a one-yard Jaylen Raynor pass to Christian Greenlaw.
That sequence illustrates both the opportunity and its limit. Special teams can create a much more favorable beginning; the offense still has to finish it. During the bye, Iowa State should treat its returners as an advantage that supports improvement elsewhere, not an alternative to it. Flora and Pettaway can make the route to the end zone shorter. They cannot be asked to travel the whole distance every week.
Sources & reporting
- Iowa State Athletics: Pettaway and Flora’s Jet Award recognition, October 14 ↗
- Iowa State Athletics: BYU recap and statistics ↗
This article adds independent analysis to publicly available reporting. We did not conduct the interviews or report the game firsthand. Report a factual error.