A time zone change and late night kick had no impact on Iowa State Saturday night in Provo.
Thanks to early BYU turnovers, the Cyclones earned 10 points before the Cougars got off the bus in a 45-13 win. The Cyclones led 31-7 at halftime, and cruised throughout the second half.
Freshman quarterback Rocco Becht completed 15-of-23 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns, leading Iowa State to 8-of-14 on third down conversions in the game. His top target, junior wide receiver Jaylin Noel, led Iowa State with five catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Freshman running back Abu Sama had a breakout game with a pair of touchdowns on eight carries that totaled 110 yards. On top of Sama’s big performance, Eli Sanders rushed for 57 yards while Cartevious Norton totaled 42. Sanders and Norton each ran for touchdowns, tallying four for Cyclone running backs in the game.
Iowa State’s defense was wobbly early, but clamped down for the second quarter on. BYU’s offense was 1-of-11 on third down in the game while quarterback Jake Retzlaff completed only 10-of-27 passes. The Cyclone defense forced two BYU turnovers, as the special teams collected one.
Earning its sixth win on the season, Iowa State is now bowl eligible heading into next weekend’s showdown vs. No. 7 Texas (7 p.m. FOX).
