Cyclones Fall to Oklahoma 27-13

The Iowa State Cyclones dropped a home contest to the Oklahoma Sooners by a final of 27-13 on Saturday.

This one was not pretty, and Iowa State was never really in the football game. The script was similar to the last few losses: Solid defense, putrid offense, and horribly timed mistakes.

Dekkers tossed three interceptions, the final one coming late in the 4^th quarter with the Cyclones down 7 attempting to tie the football game. Offensively, the Cyclones couldn’t run the football, and the offense was too erratic to give them a realistic chance to win.

After a punt, Dekkers tossed a deep pass that was intercepted, though the turnover was wiped out when the Cyclone defense forced an Eric Gray fumble in the Cyclone red zone. A promising drive would stall out at mid-field, and both teams would then go on to trade field goals.

Oklahoma would eventually run their way to a long touchdown drive, scoring on a fake field goal. They would follow that with another long drive that ended in a field goal. A field goal before the half gave the Cyclones life, and it was 13-6 at the half.

The second half was almost all Oklahoma.

A long touchdown pass from Gabriel to Jalil Farooq put the Sooners up 20-6, but Iowa State finally put it together for a long touchdown drive, requiring 2 different fourth down conversions before Dekkers found Jaylin Noel for a 15-yard touchdown pass.

A huge stop, keyed by an MJ Anderson sack, gave the Cyclones life, but Hunter Dekkers tossed another interception, serving as a short punt. An OU three and out led to another Cyclone drive, which, of course, ended with another interception and a Sooner touchdown, putting the game out of reach.

While some may focus on the play of Dekkers, the officials, or the Cyclone rush defense the problem is much deeper and more sinister than that: Absolutely no one played well.

The Cyclone’s All Big-12 center snapped a ball over the QBs head on third and inches. Receivers dropped several passes. Dekkers wasn’t on the same page with his receivers. Running the football is impossible. Special teams fell for a fake field goal. The Cyclone defense couldn’t stop the run and gave up a big pass play.

Nothing is working. The offensive play calling stinks. Everything hurts.

With a bye week to make changes or prepare, the Cyclone offense put up 13 points on the worst defense in the Big 12.

The reset year is here, and the rebuild is on.