Completed Event: Football versus #17 Kansas State on August 23, 2025 , Win , 24, to, 21
Final
Football
24
#17 Kansas State
21
Iowa State University Athletics
Friday, December 29
Memphis, Tenn.
2:30 PM
Iowa State University
7-6 , 6-3
26
at
36
Memphis
10-3 , 6-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Memphis
19
3
14
0
36
Iowa St.
0
13
7
6
26
Photo by: LUKE LU @KL6PHOTO
Iowa State Falls To Memphis In The Autozone Liberty Bowl, 36-26
12.29.2023 | Football
MEMPHIS – Memphis (10-3 overall, 6-2 AAC) started strong and held off a late Iowa State (7-6 overall, 6-3 Big 12) rally in a 36-26 victory Friday afternoon at the Autozone Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
Led by Seth Henigan's 364 passing yards and five total touchdowns (four passing and one rush), the Tigers jumped on the Cyclones from the beginning en route to a 19-0 lead. UM moved ahead 36-13 in the third quarter before the Cyclones scored back-to-back TDs to cut the deficit to 36-26 with 9:55 remaining in the game.
A long final Memphis drive which took over nine minutes ended any chance for a Cyclone comeback.
Wide receiver Jayden Higgins and quarterback Rocco Becht were outstanding for the Cyclones. Higgins' career-high 214 receiving yards is the second-best single game effort in school history - falling three yards shy from the school mark - and set a Cyclone bowl game record. Becht (22-of-38) passed for a Cyclone-school-record 446 yards and had three TDs. His passing effort broke the former record held by Austen Arnaud, who had 440 yards vs. Kansas State in 2008.
Becht ended his freshman season with 26 touchdowns responsible, the second-most in school history.
Jaylin Noel hauled in six catches for 79 yards and a TD for the Cyclones. Noel ended the season with 66 receptions and seven TD catches, both totals appearing in ISU's season top-10.
Becht's passing total turned out to be the Cyclones' only offensive output. ISU was held to zero yards on the ground.
Henigan was instrumental in Memphis' fast start, connecting on 9-of-10 passing for 172 yards with three touchdowns (2 pass; 1-rush) in the first quarter.
Henigan threw a 70-yard TD bomb to DeMeer Blankumsee on Memphis' opening drive and scored on an 11-yard TD rush on its next series when the Cyclones gave the Tigers great field possession after a failed 4th-and-1 conversion at their own 46-yard line.
Henigan later threw a 51-yard TD strike to Joe Scates in the final seconds of the first quarter to make it 19-0.
The Cyclones then scored 13-straight points to creep back into the game, as the Cyclones trailed 22-13 at the break. ISU's resurgence began with a 7-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 29-yard TD toss from Becht to Higgins, his sixth TD reception of the season. Higgins had five receptions for 140 yards in the first half.
A pair of Chase Contreraz field goals – a 22 and 39-yarder – cut the Memphis lead to 19-13, with his second triple aided by a key Will McLaughlin 4th-down stop to halt a potential Tiger scoring drive. Contreraz' 21 field goals made this season is a new school record.
The Tigers scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half to move ahead 36-13 after a pair of 3-and-outs by the Cyclone offense. Henigan threw his fourth TD pass on a 48-yard catch and run by Sutton Smith.
Iowa State refused to panic. Becht connected with Easton Dean for a 15-yard TD toss to cut the lead to 36-20. The drive was kept alive by a 35-yard catch on a swing pass by Carsen Hansen on 3rd-and-26 deep in ISU territory. Becht then found Jaylin Noel on a 23-yard TD catch to trim the lead to 36-26, as the two-point conversion failed.
Team Stats
MEM
ISU
Total Yards
530
446
Pass Yards
364
446
Rushing Yards
166
0
Penalty Yards
0
19
1st Downs
22
19
3rd Downs
7
7
4th Downs
3
0
TOP
34:24
25:36
1st Quarter
MEM 6, ISU 0
MEM - Blankumsee,DeMeer 70 yd pass from Henigan,Seth () 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:19
MEM 13, ISU 0
MEM - Henigan,Seth 11 yd run (Gillis,Tanner kick), 9 plays, 46 yards, TOP 05:00
MEM 19, ISU 0
MEM - Scates,Joe 51 yd pass from Henigan,Seth () 4 plays, 84 yards, TOP 02:15
2nd Quarter
MEM 19, ISU 7
ISU - Higgins,Jayden 29 yd pass from Becht,Rocco (Contreraz,Chase kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:05
MEM 19, ISU 10
ISU - Contreraz,Chase 22 yd field goal 7 plays, 67 yards, TOP 04:03
MEM 19, ISU 13
ISU - Contreraz,Chase 39 yd field goal 8 plays, 42 yards, TOP 01:09
MEM 22, ISU 13
MEM - Gillis,Tanner 49 yd field goal 4 plays, 44 yards, TOP 00:35
3rd Quarter
MEM 29, ISU 13
MEM - Landphere,Anthony 5 yd pass from Henigan,Seth (Gillis,Tanner kick) 4 plays, 65 yards, TOP 02:14
MEM 36, ISU 13
MEM - Smith,Sutton 48 yd pass from Henigan,Seth (Gillis,Tanner kick) 3 plays, 50 yards, TOP 01:01
MEM 36, ISU 20
ISU - Dean,Easton 15 yd pass from Becht,Rocco (Contreraz,Chase kick) 7 plays, 85 yards, TOP 03:48
4th Quarter
MEM 36, ISU 26
ISU - Noel,Jaylin 23 yd pass from Becht,Rocco () 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 01:57
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
22
TD
3
YDS
446
INT
0
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballCyclone Express Iowa vs ISU 2025
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