Abu Sama III rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns as Iowa State defeated No. 19 Kansas State 42-35 in a high-scoring affair, despite a heavy snowstorm in Manhattan, Kan.
The Cyclones had five scoring plays of at least 60 yards, including four of at least 70. Three of those long plays were runs by Sama.
Rocco Becht threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns despite throwing just 12 passes for Iowa State (7-5, 6-3 Big 12).
Will Howard was 24-of-48 for 288 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Kansas State (8-4, 6-3 Big 12).
Iowa State scored the first points of the third quarter with its third 70-plus-yard scoring play. Becht hit Jaylin Noel on a slant and Noel raced 79 yards to put the Cyclones up 21-20.
Howard rushed in for a 5-yard touchdown to help K-State regain the lead. He then flipped a pass to a crossing Phillip Brooks for the 2-point conversion and a 28-21 lead.
But the Cyclones tied it again when Sama had his third long run of the game. He outran the secondary for a 60-yard touchdown run.
Treshaun Ward scored on a 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter. But the Cyclones weren’t done. Becht hit Jayden Higgins on a 33-yard scoring play to tie it again at 35-all.
Noel then caught a short screen pass and raced up the right sideline for an 82-yard touchdown to give Iowa State the lead.
K-State’s final drive started on its own 2-yard line but the Wildcats turned it over on downs at the ISU 18.
Iowa State jumped out quickly, scoring on Sama’s 71-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. It was the longest run from scrimmage this season for the Cyclones. At least for a little while.
Sama fumbled on the next drive and K-State’s Austin Moore recovered at the Iowa State 39. K-State turned it into a 23-yard Chris Tennant field goal. K-State then went 80 yards in 14 plays, but again had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Tennant, cutting the ISU lead to 7-6.
But on the first play of the second quarter, Sama did it again. This time, he went 77 yards.
The Wildcats cut it to 14-13 with a 1-yard touchdown run by DJ Giddens. K-State grabbed the lead just before halftime. The Wildcats took over on the Iowa State 41 after a punt caromed off an Iowa State player. Howard found Ben Sinnott on a tight end screen and Sinnott scored from the 15 for a 20-14 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
