Cyclones Fall to Arizona State

AMES, Iowa – Missed opportunities thwarted Iowa State's hopes of getting back on a winning track.

Arizona State's backup quarterback, Jeff Sims, frustrated the ISU defense with his running and carried the Sun Devils to a 24-19 victory on MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday.

Between good field position and Arizona State's 11 penalties, Iowa State had plenty chances in the rematch of last year's Big 12 championship game. But the Cyclones faltered too often and lost for the fourth straight time in falling to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the league. It's the longest losing streak since ISU dropped five in a row in 2022, the last time the Cyclones missed out on a bowl game.

Iowa State still has three more chances to gain bowl eligibility, starting next Saturday at TCU in a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. The Cyclones finish the regular season with a home game against Kansas and a trip to Oklahoma State.

Even with their struggles, the Cyclones had a chance to win this one on a cool day with a mixed bag of weather – clouds, sunshine, rain, sunshine and more clouds. They forced a punt and took over at their own 36 with 1:38 left but gave up the ball when Chase Sowell fell 1 yard short of a first down at the ASU 20 with 20 seconds left after catching a pass from Rocco Becht.

ISU's Carson Hansen logged his second straight 100-yard rushing game and third of the season, finishing with 113 yards in 18 carries, and the defense came up with two fumble recoveries and an interception after getting only one takeaway in the three previous games, But the offense turned only one of those turnovers into points.

Becht completed 18 of 36 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown with one interception. He also scored the 19th touchdown of his career, tying Brock Purdy's school record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.

Sims, filling in for injured starter Sam Leavitt, ran the ball 29 times for 228 yards and scored twice. No ASU quarterback had ever run for more yards in a game. He also threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, completing 13 of 24 passes with the one interception.

The Sun Devils (6-3, 4-2) also played without wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who leads the Big 12 in receptions.

Iowa State drove into ASU territory on each of its first two possessions but had only Kyle Konrardy's 30-yard field goal to show for it. After ASU tied it with a field goal, Becht drove the Cyclones 71 yards in eight plays, finishing the march with a 7-yard TD scamper after rolling out to pass.

ASU (6-3, 4-2) tied it on Sims' 8-yard touchdown run and scored again on its next possession to make it 17-10, Sims hitting a wide open Chamon Metayer running up the seam on an 18-yard play.

The Cyclones did capitalize when Will McLaughlin knocked the ball from Sims and Ikenna Ezeogu recovered at the ASU 24. Two plays later, Ben Brahmer went uncovered up the seam and caught a 17-yard scoring pass from Becht with 30 seconds left in the opening half. Konrardy missed the extra point kick, leaving ISU trailing 17-16 at the break.

Brahmer later had to be carted off the field after taking a hard hit on an incomplete pass in the fourth quarter, the entire stadium falling silent as he was attended to on the field.

It was still a one-point game when ISU punter Tyler Perkins pinned Arizona State at his own 6. But on third-and-4, Sims burst up the middle into the clear and outran the pursuit on an 88-yard touchdown run for a 24-16 lead.

The Cyclones looked like they were going to put the ball into the end zone late in the third quarter when they had second-and-goal at the ASU 2. But an offensive pass interference call knocked them back and they had to settle for Konrardy's 35-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 24-19.

The defense kept ASU at bay after that, stopping one drive when Cael Brezina tipped a pass on fourth down and another with Zaimir Hawk's fumble recovery. But the offense didn't threaten again until the drive in the final seconds.

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Team Stats

Rocco Becht

Players Mentioned

Rocco Becht

Cael Brezina

Ikenna Ezeogu

Carson Hansen

Zaimir Hawk

Kyle Konrardy

Will McLaughlin

Tyler Perkins

Chase Sowell

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics