AMES - Iowa State found a way to turn Halloween into a finish nobody in Jack Trice Stadium is likely to forget.
Kyle Konrardy drilled a 34-yard field goal as time expired Friday night, lifting the Cyclones to a 51-49 win over Oklahoma State on Oct. 31. It was the kind of ending that only happens when both offenses are rolling and both defenses are hanging on for dear life.
Neither side came close to slowing the other down. Iowa State and Oklahoma State both cleared 500 yards of total offense, and the game spent most of the night looking more like a shootout than a Big 12 football game. The Cyclones were far from perfect, but they kept creating chances, kept pressing the issue and kept taking advantage when the Cowboys slipped.
That mattered most in the final minute. Oklahoma State had gone ahead, but an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play and enforced on the ensuing kickoff handed Iowa State a short field and one last opening. The Cyclones moved quickly into range, and Konrardy finished the job to deliver Iowa State its second Big 12 victory.
For a team coming off back-to-back losses in which it never really looked competitive against BYU and Arizona, the result was huge. Iowa State was staring at a third straight defeat, and instead it revived its bowl hopes heading into the final month of the season.
What stood out beyond the score was the way the Cyclones played. They looked looser, more aggressive and far more willing to gamble than they had in the previous two losses.
Iowa State went for it on 4th down on its own 34. It tried a surprise onside kick.
It called two halfback passes, though Aiden Flora could not get the ball away on either attempt. It also fooled Oklahoma State by acting as if it was making an audible at the line before snapping the ball and catching the Cowboys flat-footed for a big gain.
In other words, Iowa State played like an underdog with nothing to lose. Against an Oklahoma State offense that can force that kind of mindset, the Cyclones leaned into chaos and tried to steal possessions wherever they could.
The defense, though, is still searching for answers. Oklahoma State piled up 533 yards and found enough success to keep the pressure on all night, even if the Cowboys did turn it over once. Beau Goodwin’s interception deep in Cowboy territory looked like it might be the stop Iowa State needed, but the Cyclones only managed a field goal out of it.
That opened the door for Oklahoma State’s 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that put the Cowboys ahead in the final minute. Iowa State’s offense answered, but the defensive issues were impossible to ignore.
Aiden Flora was the biggest reason the Cyclones were able to keep pace. After opening October with one of the best individual performances in Iowa State history - 212 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns and two passing scores against West Virginia - he had combined for just 112 yards and no touchdowns in the next two games. On Friday, he looked like that West Virginia version again.
Flora ripped off touchdown runs of 75 and 29 yards and finished with 221 yards and two touchdowns. Raynor added 309 yards, a touchdown and one interception, and the combination was enough to keep Iowa State in striking distance throughout the night.
With the offense bottled up in recent weeks, it was easy to forget how dangerous Flora can be. This game made that impossible.
In Other News...
Iowa State Answered A Bad Loss In The Wildest Way Possible
After a rough loss, Iowa State needed a response, and the Cyclones got one in the most chaotic way possible against Oklahoma State. The game swung back and forth all afternoon, with lead changes, long scoring drives and the kind of special-teams moments that can turn a Big 12 matchup into a track meet in a hurry.
Aiden Flora and Jaylen Raynor helped keep Iowa State on the front foot offensively, while Drew Mestermaker kept Oklahoma State in the fight with multiple touchdown passes of his own. In the end, it came down to one more late push and Kyle Konrardys field goal, with Raynor helping set up the final drive that gave the Cyclones a hard-earned finish and a much-needed answer. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cyclones Are Making Noise In The NFL For Better And Worse
Week 7 brought another busy NFL weekend for Iowa State alumni, with eight former Cyclones getting on the field and combining for 368 snaps across offense, defense and special teams. It was a reminder of just how wide the programs professional footprint has become, with familiar names showing up in all three phases while a few others watched from the sideline because of injuries.
Brock Purdy and Darien Porter were among the Cyclones who started and logged significant playing time, keeping Iowa State tied to some of the leagues bigger stages. Elsewhere, the injury list was part of the story too, with Breece Hall and Kene Nwangwu among those unavailable, and several other former Cyclones carrying practice status questions that will be worth tracking as the NFL calendar moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Heads Into A More Complicated Baylor Trip Than Expected
Iowa States trip to Baylor just got a little more complicated than it looked on the schedule a few weeks ago. The Big 12 has locked in the matchup at McLane Stadium, and the Cyclones are heading into a series that has stayed tight over the years, with Baylor holding a slim 12-11 edge.
The wrinkle is the timing around the Bears coaching situation, which can change the feel of a game even when the opponent on the field stays the same. For Iowa State, it means preparing for a road test in a familiar rivalry setting, with an 11:00 a.m. CT kickoff on FS1 adding another layer to a matchup that already carries some history. [Read more 🡒]