Cyclones hand Cowboys their 1st loss
ISU captures its 1st win over a top-10 opponent since 2018
AMES, Iowa — Brock Purdy threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns and the Iowa State defense made a late stand in the closing minutes as the Cyclones knocked off No. 8 Oklahoma State 24-21 on Saturday.
Breece Hall scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:29 left, then the Cyclones’ defense forced a three-and-out and stopped the Cowboys on fourth down with 1:09 left.
Purdy kneeled twice in victory formation, and fans stormed the field at Jack Trice Stadium as the clock ran out to celebrate Iowa State’s first win over a top-10 opponent since 2018. It was the seventh straight Oklahoma State-Iowa State game decided by seven points or less.
“It was super fun,” Cyclones receiver Xavier Hutchinson said of the postgame scene. “It wasn’t necessarily why you play the game, but it was (one of ) the pros to playing the game.”
Hutchinson appeared to score on a 54-yard pass early in the third period, but he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting before he reached the end zone.
That placed the ball on the Oklahoma State 18, and three plays later Hutchinson caught a tying 9-yard touchdown pass, stopping in the back corner of the end zone to blow a kiss to fans.
Purdy completed 27 of 33 passes, and Hutchinson had a career-best 12 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns for the Cyclones (5-2, 3-1 Big 12).
“I’m just so happy for our team,” Purdy said. “It felt good to finish it the right way.”
Spencer Sanders went 15 for 24 passing for Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1), finishing with 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Iowa State led 17-14 in the fourth quarter and was driving to extended its lead until Malcolm Rodriguez and Jarrick Bernard-Converse stuffed Purdy on a fourth-and-2 run at the Cowboys’ 42. Four plays later, Tay Martin caught a 25-yard touchdown pass to put the Cowboys up 21-17.
Purdy then led the Cyclones on an 85-yard drive that Hall finished with a short TD run.
Hall extended his Big 12 record for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown to 19.
“The character of this game is what we’ve talked about,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “It’s not always going to be pretty. It’s not always going to be easy.”
Will McDonald had back-to-back sacks to snuff the Cowboys’ next series. Oklahoma State’s final possession reached the Iowa State 45. On fourth-and-2, Sanders passed to Brennan Presley, but Isheem Young and Kym-Mani King combined to keep Presley inches short. The spot of the ball stood after a video review.
“I just thought it was great recognition of what was going on,” Campbell said of Young and King’s decisive stop.