Iowa State football fans will have to wait at least one more week before being able to say their favorite team is bowl eligible. That’s due to Oklahoma State’s 34-8 domination of the Cyclones on Saturday afternoon in Jack Trice Stadium.
With the loss, Iowa State drops to 5-5 overall with a 2-4 record in the Big 12 Conference.
“We were outcoached. We were outplayed on offense, on defense and everywhere else that you look,” said Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads after the game.
A Rough One for Arnaud Austen Arnaud had a rough first game back from his throwing hand injury. The Cyclone signal caller went 14-for-27 for 188 yards and a touchdown while throwing three interceptions.
“I don’t know how much his timing was off getting back and getting adjusted,” Rhoads said. “I thought their defensive line and front seven physically controlled the football game. We were never able to establish any sort of a running game.”
Arnaud left the game late in the first half with what appeared to be another injury to his hand.
“He just got it banged and the pain flared up. They x-rayed it be precautionary and there was nothing wrong,” said Rhoads.
In one bright spot for Arnaud, with his touchdown pass, he now has 25 in his career. That ties him for fifth in ISU’s all-time list with Wayne Stanley.
The Penalty A critical horse collar penalty was called on Bailey Johnson early in the third quarter. It gave Oklahoma State a first down and the Cowboys eventually scored a touchdown instead of being forced to punt.
“It was a critical play,” Rhoads said. “We got a stop. They called a horse caller tackle which I’m sure was the right call. It was an aggressive foolish mistake.”
The Numbers: – This thing wasn’t even close as far as total yards go. Oklahoma State torched the Iowa State defense for 473 yards. Iowa State racked up 242.
– The stat of the game was possession time. Oklahoma State forced Iowa State’s defense to be on the field for nearly 40 minutes. Official numbers looked like this: OSU 39:38, ISU 20:22.
– The Cyclones entered today as the top-ranked rushing team in the Big 12 Conference. That wasn’t the case against the Cowboys. Oklahoma State held the Cyclones to 54 rushing yards on 26 carries. Alexander Robinson netted 51 on the day.
– Speaking of rushing yards, Cowboy running back Keith Toston had a field day against the Clones. Toston averaged 8.2 yards per carry while gaining 207 yards on the ground and totaling three touchdowns. Kendall Hunter made a comeback on Saturday to rush for 50 yards on nine carries.
– Josh Lenz was the lone bright spot for Iowa State. The freshman receiver sparked the Cyclone crowd with a 56-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. In three returns, Lenz gained 113 yards against the Cowboys.
– The win was Oklahoma State’s fifth straight against Big 12 North opponents.
