The No. 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys avoided a major upset on the road, by escaping Iowa State with a win.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys escaped Iowa State with a win on Saturday, but just barely.
The Cyclones made their presence felt early by jumping all over the Cowboys early in the first quarter. On the very first drive of the game, Joel Lanning took the ball 24 yards to give the Cyclones and early lead. Oklahoma State would answer right back with a score of their own, as quarterback Mason Rudolph found Marcell Aterman for a touchdown.
The Cyclones had an answer for the Cowboys touchdown. Lanning found Allen Lazard for a score and then the Cyclones chipped in a field goal to go up 17-7. The two teams would exchange touchdowns in the second quarter and the Cyclones would have a 10-point lead at the half, up 24-14.
In the second half, the Cowboys inched their way closer to the Cyclones, with a J.W. Walsh rushing touchdown to pull the Cowboys within three. The Cyclones would again increase their lead, when the Cyclones scored on a 21-yard run by Lanning. Up 10, it looked like the upset was on in Ames.
That’s when Oklahoma State decided to save their season. The Cowboys would go down the field and score, when J.W. Walsh scored with another rushing touchdown. Then Oklahoma State would finally overcome the obstacle of not being in the lead all day, when they finally broke through and scored when J.W. Walsh found Jeff Carr in the endzone.
The Cyclones would try to go down the field and take the lead back and pull off the upset. However that didn’t happen, as the Cowboys were ready for the run on a fourth-down play and stuffed the Cyclones to take over the football. They would get one last chance, but Lanning would throw an interception.
When it looked like Oklahoma State’s College Football Playoff dreams were about to come to an end on the road, the Cowboys snapped into gear and kept them alive.
Highlights
Three Stars
3. Joel Lanning, QB, Iowa State
The Iowa State quarterback did everything that he could on the day to help the Cyclones try and pull off the upset. He had a passing touchdown to go with 130 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
2 Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State
The starting quarterback for the Cowboys had a great day through the air. Rudolph had 327 big passing yards, including a big touchdown pass in Oklahoma State’s win.
1 J.W. Walsh, QB, Oklahoma State
The backup quarterback for the Cowboys was ultimately the hero in keeping the Cowboys season alive. He had two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown, which gave Oklahoma State the lead.
Odds
Oklahoma State was favored by 11.5 points. They did not cover the spread on Saturday.
Next Week
It doesn’t get easier for Oklahoma State next week, as they return home to face Baylor. The Iowa State Cyclones will hit the road to take on Kansas State.