Wallace's stiff arm the latest highlight for receiver

AMES, Iowa—Ty l an Wallace only had first down on his mind, not another play to add to his extensive highlight reel.

Catch a quick screen pass. Lower his shoulder. Fall forward.

A routine play he's executed too many times to count. But this wasn't the usual result. Nothing about Oklahoma State's superstar receiver usually is.

“Seeing that they didn' t really wrap up the tackle, I broke,” Wallace said.

Four Iowa State defenders had a chance at Wallace early in OSU's 34-27 upset Saturday at Jack T rice Stadium. All four spectacularly failed.

Two missed tackles 5 yards into the catch. A stiff arm that went viral 50 yards later. Another glancing stiff arm 20 yards later. Touchdown.

On the day the Cowboys rediscovered some of their mojo and delivered three touchdowns of 50 or more yards, it started with the physical play of Wallace.

“That was definitely something I didn't plan,” Wallace said. “I knew I had to stay in and try to score. I just threw stiff arms out there and tried to get in there.”

The 6-foot, 185-pound junior is known for his highlight plays.

Wallace has breakaway speed. He can make uncanny catches. He can make the toughest play look easy.

And he can make defenders pay just lowering his shoulder.

“He was running, and I was like, `Maybe it's a 30-yard run,'” OSU running back Chuba Hubbard said.

But he noticed Wallace wasn't stopping.

“He kept going and I was like, `OK.' He started kicking on them boosters.”

Wallace' s frame isn' t intimidating. It never has been. That doesn't keep him from delivering the boom himself when necessary. He's one of the best receivers in the nation at doing just that.

He became the focus in the offseason of the new blindside blocking rules after delivering some devastating blocks last season. Wallace can't block like that anymore. Running over defenders and throwing a hand to the helmet every now and then will suffice.

“It's always the way I've played it,” Wallace said. “Ever since I was little, I played it like that. I was never a big make-you-miss kind of guy. I kinda just play more physical and run through guys.”

Wallace was back to his dominant ways Saturday.

He caught eight passes for 131 yards and the 71-yard touchdown. It was his first game of 100 receiving yards since Sept. 28 against Kansas State. That was also the last OSU win until Saturday.

He and Braydon Johnson both broke short passes for long touchdowns in the first half.

OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders had a classic reaction to Wallace's stiff arm and touchdown. He fist pumped as he sprinted to catch up.

“To have guys like that it really gives you confidence and changes the momentum of the game and makes them scoot up, so then you can throw it behind them,” Sanders said. “It's a great feeling and I love it.”