AMES, Iowa – Iowa State held fourth-ranked Oklahoma to a season-low 17 points but was unable to take advantage of several red-zone opportunities, going just 1-for-4 inside the 20, on its way to a 17-7 loss in front of 49,511 fans on Homecoming at Iowa State University.
The Cyclones (1-7, 0-4 Big 12) forced three turnovers but were hampered by missed opportunities as they scored on just one of the takeaways. Oklahoma took advantage of its only interception, marching down the field for a late fourth quarter field goal to put the game away.
Sam Bradford was 16-for-28 for 183 yards, while Chris Brown rushed for two touchdowns on 50 yards for Oklahoma.
Jason Scales had Iowa State’s lone touchdown, a two-yard run in the first quarter. The junior had 46 yards on 22 carries. Bret Meyer passed for 174 yards, moving him past Missouri’s Brad Smith for second all-time in the Big 12 with 8,912 career passing yards. Marquis Hamilton had seven receptions for 88 yards to lead the Cyclones.
Iowa State got on the board midway through the first on Scales’ two-yard plunge. The touchdown was set up by a fumble recovery by Rashawn Parker after Alvin Bowen stripped Oklahoma running back Allen Patrick at the Sooner 35-yard line.
The Scales’ touchdown proved to be the only scoring in the first half as Iowa State’s defense limited Oklahoma to 109 yards of total offense and six first downs as the Cyclones went into the intermission with the lead for just the second time this season.
Iowa State had chances to add to its lead but missed on a pair of red-zone opportunities late in the second quarter. Bret Culbertson’s field goal attempt from 36 yards missed wide right and the Cyclones were unable to convert a fourth-and-one from the Oklahoma nine-yard line after Allen Bell intercepted Sam Bradford’s pass.
The Sooners tied it at 7-7 on an eight yard touchdown run by Brown with 8:35 remaining in the third quarter. The drive, which spanned 11 plays over 4:14, went 77 yards and was highlighted by a 10-yard pass from Bradford to Malcolm Kelly on third-and-10.
Oklahoma took the lead with 13:50 left in the game as Brown scampered in from four yards out to make it 14-7.
The Cyclones didn’t go away quietly, marching down the field in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie but a tipped ball on a Meyer pass was intercepted by OU’s D.J. Wolfe in the endzone. The Sooners then put together a 54-yard drive that took 5:20 off the clock and resulted in a Garret Hartley 43-yard field goal that secured the win.
The Cyclones will be back in action next Saturday as they face Missouri at 1 p.m., in Columbia.
