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The Cyclones were on a two game win streak in the Big 12, beating both Texas, for the first time ever, and beating an eventual 3-9 Kansas. On a November afternoon, seventh-ranked Nebraska tried to waltz into Jack Trice Stadium and have an easy win. Iowa State, on the other hand, was trying to become bowl eligible, sitting at 5-4 on the day.
I was on a Boy Scout camping trip over in Boone at McHose Park for the weekend, yet somehow I got my dad to take me to this 2:30 kickoff.
The game opened up with a 0-0 draw, before a Nebraska score, a Jake Williams receiving touchdown, and a 57 yard field goal by Grant Mahoney put ISU up 10-7 going into half.
Nebraska rattles off 17 straight points, and Rex Burkhead almost becomes just Rex Burk after this decapitation attempt by A.J. Klein.
The 51,159 in attendance willed Iowa State to two more quick scores going into the wind in the fourth quarter to knot it up at 24 all.
With 3:19 left, Mahoney set up for a potential game winning 55 yard field goal...
Overtime comes and Rex “sort of attached” Burkhead scores on a zone read from 19 yards out.
Ames native Austen Arnaud throws a great pass to Jake Williams to make it a one PAT game, but Riverboat Rhoads comes out with a great idea: have our backup punter throw a pass into the wind.
Rich Kaipust of the World-Herald explains the gamble, “Holder Daniel Kuehl, the Cyclones’ backup punter, popped out of his stance and rolled left as tight end Collin Franklin released off the line of scrimmage. Franklin was open, but Kuehl lobbed an ugly pass behind Franklin and Hagg closed fast.”
Rhoads defended his logic by saying, “If we execute, game over, and we’re the ones running into the end zone to celebrate.”