Wildcats rally to win their first Big 12 game, 38-35 over Cyclones

By foxsports
Published

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Jack Cantele kicked a 42-yard field goal with three seconds left to cap Kansas State's 38-35 come-from-behind victory over Iowa State on Saturday.

Kansas State (4-6, 1-6 Big 12 Conference) recovered three Iowa State (3-8, 2-6) fumbles in the final seven minutes and rallied from a 35-14 first-half deficit.

Joe Hubener had 216 yards passing and a touchdown, and had 20 carries for 90 yards to lead Kansas State, which needed the win to stay bowl eligible. Charles Jones ran for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

Iowa State's Joel Lanning threw for 195 yards and three touchdown passes, two to Allen Lazard in the first half. Mike Warren ran for 195 yards with a 76-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for the Cyclones.

Jones ran for an 8-yard score, and Hubener threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kody Cook to make it 35-28 early in the fourth quarter. Warren fumbled with 7:26 to play, and Duke Shelley recovered it at the Iowa State 32. On the ensuing series, Hubener threw an incomplete pass on a fourth-and-6 to stall the drive.

Warren fumbled again with 1:31 to play, and Elijah Lee recovered at the K-State 44.

Jones ran for a 5-yard touchdown to tie it at 35 with 42 seconds left. Marquel Bryant then sacked and forced a Lanning fumble. It was recovered by Charmeachealle Moore on the Cyclone 25 to set up Cantele's game-winner two plays later.

Kansas State has won eight straight against Iowa State. The Cyclones have not won in Manhattan since 1988.

Kansas State's defense forced a three-and-out on the opening drive for the first time in seven games. But Iowa State opened the scoring on its next series when Lanning threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Trever Ryen with 9:26 to play in the first quarter.

The Wildcats pieced together their only offensive scoring drive of the first half with a trick play. Fullback Glenn Gronkowski threw a 4-yard jump pass to Winston Dimel to cap a 9-play, 65-yard drive.

Lanning ran for a 1-yard score and then threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Lazard to stretch the Iowa State lead to 21-7. Morgan Burns, who was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday, returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to pull the Wildcats to 21-14.

Warren had his touchdown run, and Lanning connected on a 16-yard scoring strike to Lazard with 29 seconds left in the first half to give the Cyclones a 35-14 halftime lead.