Buechele's TD passes send Texas over Iowa State 27-6

 After a month of losing on the road, Texas desperately needed something good to happen at home. For the players, and for head coach Charlie Strong.

They got it in a rough-around-the-edges 27-6 win over Iowa State on Saturday night behind a big third quarter and a defense that finally showed some life.

Shane Buechele passed for 296 yards and two touchdowns as the Longhorns snapped a three-game losing streak. Buechele threw scoring strikes of 37 yards to Jerrod Heardand 75 yards and Devin Duvernay in the third after the Longhorns' high-powered offense managed just a single field goal in the first half and trailed 6-3.

Three straight road losses and a defense that ranks among the worst in the country had fueled intense speculation that Strong's job is on the line in his third season. He has two years left on a guaranteed five-year contract that pays him more than $5 million per season.

The win snapped a 14-game losing streak when Texas (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) trailed at halftime.

"Coach Strong would tell you right now don't go play for him, but we do," Heard said.

Texas played its best defensive game of the season. Strong took over defensive play-calling two weeks ago and the Longhorns responded with eight sacks against Iowa State, containing a Cyclones offense that was averaging 39 points over the previous three games.

"The difference was we believed in ourselves and made plays. Had fun," defensive end Breckyn Hager said.

D'Onta Foreman rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown for Texas, his seventh game in a row with at least 100 yards.

Joel Lanning passed for 140 yards for Iowa State (1-6, 0-4).

TAKEAWAYS

Iowa State: The Cyclones' collapse came early this week. Iowa State lost upset bids with fourth-quarter meltdowns the previous two weeks, but were undone this week by the Longhorns big-strike touchdowns in the third.

"They wore us out," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. "We did a really good job against the run in the first half. Their adjustment was to go to the passing game."

Texas: A big sigh of relief for Strong. It's arguably his biggest win because he simply couldn't afford to lose. Now he has to string together some more. Texas has yet to win more than three straight games under Strong and the Longhorns go back on the road for two of their next three games.

`We want to be undefeated at home. Now we have to play better on the road," Strong said. "Our defense, they finally stepped up. The whole team. I said, `Challenge yourself. If you think you are a good football team, go perform.'"

FOREMAN ROLLING

The Texas running back is pounding his way through the Longhorns record book. His seven consecutive 100 yard games ranks second in school history, trailing only former Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell's 11.

DEEP STRIKE

Buechele, a freshman, has eight touchdown passes for 29 yards or longer this season.

"I was nervous myself when it was being 6-3," Strong said. "But I know this our offense is so explosive we're going to go score ... It takes a little time and we'll hit a home run, then boom, we'll hit another one."

UP NEXT

Iowa State: The Cyclones are off next week, then host Kansas State on Oct. 29.

Texas: The Longhorns play at Kansas State next Saturday.

Oklahoma St. rallies from 17-points down to beat Iowa St.

 James Washington caught eight passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and Oklahoma State overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to beat Iowa State 38-31 on Saturday afternoon.

Washington put the Cowboys ahead for good when he caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Mason Rudolph with 3:40 remaining.

"It was a good win for us," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. "Guys learned how to fight back."

Rudolph passed for 351 yards and four touchdowns for Oklahoma State (4-2, 2-1 Big 12). Though the Cowboys gained 459 total yards, Gundy was disappointed in the team's offensive production. The Cowboys were held to 108 yards rushing, and most of that was gained in the final 20 minutes.

"Right now, I don't feel good about the way we played on offense," Gundy said. "We were very fortunate to come out of this with a win."

It was the second consecutive late collapse for Iowa State (1-5, 0-3). The Cyclones were trying to bounce back after a heartbreaking last-second 45-42 loss to No. 13 Baylor last Saturday get the first conference victory for first-year coach Matt Campbell.

David Montgomery's 1-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left in the second quarter put Iowa State up 17-14. The Cyclones nearly doubled time of possession in the first half and ran 55 plays to Oklahoma State's 32.

Joel Lanning threw touchdown passes to Trever Ryen and Allen Lazard to help Iowa State take a 31-14 lead with 5:55 left in the third quarter.

"I warned my team last week about Iowa State and the ability they had to move the football," Gundy said. "(Their) quarterbacks are good players and they spread you out and are good runners. They've got good schemes on both sides of the ball, and they made some real nice adjustments on us."

Rudolph threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Washington, then a 1-yard touchdown scoring toss to Jalen McCleskey, to help the Cowboys trim Iowa State's lead to 31-28 early in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma State'sBen Grogan made a 30-yard field goal to tie the score at 31 with 11:33 to play.

THE TAKEAWAY

IOWA STATE: The Cyclones proved once again that they are competitive, but can't quite finish. They got solid quarterback play at times from Lanning and Jacob Park, but neither was consistent, and they were sacked a combined seven times.

OKLAHOMA STATE: The Cowboys built on their victory over Texas the previous week and enter their off week with momentum. The Cowboys finally broke through when their running game got going late in the third quarter.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Oklahoma State was 32nd in votes in the most recent poll and likely will be knocking on the door of the Top 25.

UP NEXT

IOWA STATE: The Cyclones play at Texas next Saturday. The Longhorns have has allowed 50, 49 and 45 points in their past three games. Iowa State could deal a severe blow to struggling Texas coach Charlie Strong with a win.

OKLAHOMA STATE: The Cowboys are off next week. They will play at Kansas on Oct. 22. Gundy said it is a good time for a bye week because several of his players are dinged up.

No. 13 Baylor rallies to top Iowa State 45-42

Chris Callahan hit a 19-yard field goal as time expired and No. 13 Baylor rallied from 14 down in the fourth quarter to beat Iowa State 45-42 on Saturday.

Shock Linwood rushed for 237 yards for the Bears, who moved to 2-0 in the Big 12 for the fourth year in a row.

Baylor (5-0, 2-0), playing without star wide receiver KD Cannon because of a groin injury, trailed 42-28 before using scoring drives of 86 and 84 yards to tie it up.

Baylor's defense finally stiffened in the fourth quarter andSeth Russell - who was 12 of 22 passing for 178 yards - drove Baylor 83 yards to set up Callahan's chip shot.

Joel Lanning threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa State (1-4, 0-2). Mike Warren added a season-high 130 yards rushing for the Cyclones.

THE TAKEAWAY

Baylor: Yes, the Bears won. But concerns that Baylor's tumultuous offseason would eventually catch up to the program will only deepen after its first league road game. Its defense looked lost for 45 minutes, and the passing game was subpar without Cannon. The Bears should get credit, though, for making the plays it needed to make in the fourth quarter.

Iowa State: The Cyclones, who looked good in beating San Jose State by 34 points, were the better team for three quarters. But Iowa State's disturbing habit of collapsing in the fourth was apparent yet again. The Cyclones had eight yards on six plays in the final 15 minutes.

UP NEXT

Baylor: The Bears hosts Kansas next week in what could be one of the most lopsided matchups in the history of the Big 12. Baylor was a 46-point road favorite against the Jayhawks last year and covered with room to spare, beating Kansas 66-7 despite playing its backups for much of the second half.

Iowa State: The Cyclones travel to face Oklahoma State in the second game of a brutal stretch. Iowa State plays at Texas the following week and, after a bye, hosts Kansas State and Oklahoma.

Iowa State drills San Jose State 44-10

 For once, there wasn't a quarterback controversy for Iowa State.

The Cyclones excelled behind both Joel Lanning and Jacob Park, who helped deliver first-year coach Matt Campbell's first win.

Park threw for 165 yards and three touchdowns and Iowa State thumped San Jose State 44-10 on Saturday.

Mike Warren rushed for a season-high 103 yards for Iowa State (1-3), which finally had some success rotating Lanning, the starter, and Park.

Lanning was 5 of 8 passing for 136 yards and two TDs. The pair rotated on what appeared to be a pre-planned schedule - and the Spartans couldn't stop either one of them.

"You can call it a rotation or us competing or whatever you want. But we don't see it as that. We're just taking our opportunities that we get and try to execute," Lanning said. "We just kind of fed off each other."

The Cyclones needed just 7:51 and 24 plays to put up 23 points - a season high for a game - in the first half. Lanning's 49-yard TD pass to Deshaunte Jones made it 30-3 early in the second half.

"It was efficient. That's the thing we have to be to have success," Campbell said of the offense, which finished with 503 yards.

San Jose State freshman Josh Love threw for 155 yards, but he was also picked off four times. The Spartans (1-3) sorely missed starter Kenny Potter, who was out with a right leg injury.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: Campbell has preached about "the process" it takes to be successful from the day he arrived in Ames. The Cyclones finally got to see what he meant on Saturday. Despite some struggles containing the run, Iowa State was the better team on both sides of the ball. For a program that dropped its previous two games by a combined 60 points, that's progress. "It wasn't perfect. But I think you saw improvement," Campbell said.

San Jose State: Love might be good someday for the Spartans. But his interception total didn't include a handful of picks that Iowa State just missed out on. San Jose State desperately needs a healthy Potter if it hopes to push for a bowl bid.

PARK VS. LANNING

Though Lanning has been the starter since the middle of last season, Park has impressed the coaching staff enough to earn snaps. Park, a sophomore, played like a senior against the Spartans. Park's pocket presence and awareness was fantastic, as was his touch on both short and deep balls. Park got himself in trouble on a few quick tosses that San Jose State's cornerbacks nearly picked off, but overall he looked like a Big 12 quarterback.

NOTABLES

San Jose State has lost 12 straight regular season games against non-conference FBS opponents. Its last win came at home against BYU four years ago. ...Warren has rushed for 198 yards in his last two games. He had just 58 in his first two. ...Cyclones kicker Cole Netten connected on a 49-yard field goal, his 12th straight dating back to 2015. That's a new school record. ...Zamore Zigler rushed for 104 yards on 24 carries for San Jose State, which had 177 yards on 47 attempts. Though that looked like a strong effort from Iowa State's rush defense, the Cyclones allowed three different Spartans to pick up 13 or more yards on a single carry.

UP NEXT

Iowa State hosts Baylor, its third opponent to be ranked at some point this season. Both Iowa and TCU, which beat the Cyclones by a combined score of 83-23, dropped out of the Top 25 after early losses.

San Jose State opens Mountain West play when travels to face New Mexico, a matchup of two teams expected to finish in the bottom half of the league.

TCU rebounds with 41-20 win over Iowa State to open Big 12

 Kyle Hicks ran for 117 yards with a long touchdown and also scored on a 25-yard catch as TCU beat Iowa State 41-20 on Saturday in the first game this season that counts in the Big 12 standings.

Hicks went 64 yards untouched to put TCU (2-1, 1-0 Big 12) up 10-0 in the first quarter, after his path was cleared by 315-pound tackle Joseph Noteboom's downfield block of a defensive back. On the opening drive of the second half, Kenny Hill hit Hicks wide open in the end zone behind the secondary for a 31-7 lead.

Iowa State, with first-year coach Matt Campbell, is 0-3 for the first time since 1997.

While the Horned Frogs bounced back from a double-overtime home loss to Arkansas that knocked them out of the Top 25, receiver and returner KaVontae Turpin sustained an apparent left leg injury and had to be helped off the field the play before Hicks' TD catch.

Turpin entered the game the national leader with 236 all-purpose yards per game, but had only two caches for 8 yards and one kickoff return for 28 yards.

THE TAKEAWAY

IOWA ST.: The Cyclones, who clearly weren't ready for Big 12 competition, have to figure out their quarterback situation. As expected, junior Joel Lanning (12-21 passing for 127 yards) and former Georgia transfer Jacob Park (7-15 for 90 yards) both played, but neither was consistent. Lanning did have two scoring runs, including an impressive 8-yard TD run when he kept driving his feet and got a push from running back Mitchell Harger after initially being stacked up short of the end zone.

TCU: While the Frogs got the lopsided victory to start Big 12 play, the competition for the next conference game will be much tougher when No. 14 Oklahoma visits in two weeks. Kenny Hill, the new quarterback who had slow starts and strong finishes his first two starts, threw for 219 yards with a touchdown while running for 28 yard and another score while playing only three quarters. The defense had five sacks, matching their total from the first two games combined.

UP NEXT

IOWA ST: Another pre-noon kickoff for the Cyclones next Saturday when they go home to play San Jose State in their last non-conference game.

TCU: The Horned Frogs close out their non-conference schedule Friday night, about 40 miles away at former Southwest Conference foe SMU.

No. 16 Iowa throttles Iowa State 42-3

Funny things tend to happen when Iowa and Iowa State get together.

This year's matchup was a record-setting rout for the Hawkeyes - and it ended with a wedding engagement for one of Iowa's biggest stars.

C.J. Beathard threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns and 16th-ranked Iowa throttled Iowa State 42-3 on Saturday night, its biggest win over the rival Cyclones in 18 seasons under coach Kirk Ferentz.

Matt VandeBerg had 129 yards receiving and a touchdown for the Hawkeyes. But VandeBerg's performance will likely be his second favorite memory of a night he finished by proposing to his girlfriend, who said yes.

Asked if he would've popped the question had Iowa lost, Vandeberg joked that "we didn't lose, so I don't have to answer that question."

Losing never seemed like an option for Iowa.

LeShun Daniels rushed for 112 yards and a TD to help the Hawkeyes (2-0) beat Iowa State in consecutive seasons for the first time in six years.

Beathard put the game out of reach with the three TD passes in the first half - including a brilliant 12-yard toss to a heavily defended VandeBerg.

"Certain games, when you get a couple of completions and you get in a groove," said Beathard, who was 19-of-28 passing. "The guys were making the plays that needed to be made."

By jumping out to a big lead, the Hawkeyes negated Iowa State's efforts to get star back Mike Warren going after a rough opener. Warren, who led all freshmen nationally with 1,337 yards a year ago, had just 28 on seven carries.

Joel Lanning was 8 of 20 for 86 yards and an interception for Iowa State and was pulled late in the third quarter forJacob Park, setting up a potential quarterback controversy just two games into the season.

"I think we'll sit down and figure that situation out and really make the best decision as we move forward," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said.

THE TAKEAWAY

IOWA: The Hawkeyes offense has the potential to be one of the best that Ferentz has ever had. Iowa did basically whatever it wanted in the first half, gaining 153 yards in the air, 113 on the ground and scoring 28 points. Beathard and VandeBerg, both seniors, hooked up for a number of tough receptions in tight windows and Daniels and Akrum Wadley - who had a rushing and receiving TD - combined for their second straight strong performance. "It's a lot of hard work. Everyone was doing an excellent job of executing on the offensive side of the ball," Daniels said.

IOWA STATE: Former coach Paul Rhoads said in his final press conference that the Cyclones would go to a bowl in 2016. That looks highly unlikely - and it's only the middle of September. Iowa State was hoping to pull off an upset over the favored Hawkeyes like it did in 2012 and 2014. But by the middle of the first quarter, it was clear they didn't have a chance.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Hawkeyes could potentially move up a few spots - simply because they've done what they were expected to do while other teams have stumbled.

NOTABLES

Iowa State had a fourth-down and 1 at the Iowa 36 late in the first half down 28-3. The Cyclones were flagged for an illegal formation, and Lanning was sacked to end the half. Iowa State was also called for two ineligible receiver penalties in three plays in the fourth quarter. ...Allen Lazard had 111 yards receiving in a losing effort.

THE LAST WORD

"False start. Everybody but the center," Referee Mike Defee said after penalizing Iowa in the first quarter. The flag didn't matter though, as the Hawkeyes opened the scoring two plays later on Beathard's TD pass to George Kittle.

UP NEXT

IOWA: The Hawkeyes will host five-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State next week in their final nonconference game. The Bison beat Eastern Washington 50-44 on overtime Saturday.

IOWA STATE: The Cyclones open Big 12 play on the road against TCU. The Horned Frogs likely won't be a happy bunch either after falling to Arkansas at home, 41-38, in double overtime.

Northern Iowa rallies to beat Iowa State 25-20

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell arrived in Ames promising to change a culture accustomed to losing.

Campbell's debut ended with a crushing defeat that looked like so many the Cyclones have suffered in the past.

Aaron Bailey threw for 135 yards, ran for 114 more and had two touchdowns as Northern Iowa rallied to beat Iowa State 25-20 Saturday and spoil Campbell's first game with the Cyclones.

UNI's J'Veyon Browning scored from 1 yard out with 2:49 left after a Joel Lanning interception, putting the Panthers ahead by five.

Cyclones running back Mike Warren fumbled it right back to Northern Iowa, and Lanning's final pick with 1:10 left sealed what could hardly be considered an upset for Northern Iowa.

"It's really hard for us right now to play behind the chains. We have to have the ability to play in positive situations. When you're not in those, you start pressing and then turnovers and those things happen like they did in the second half," Campbell said.

Lanning finished with 256 yards passing, three touchdowns and those two costly interceptions.

The Panthers scored touchdowns after an Iowa State safety, fumble and interception in beating the Cyclones for the second time since 2013.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: The Cyclones reworked and inexperienced offensive line, down a starter to suspension, looked shaky at best in its first performance. Iowa State couldn't get their ground game going, as Warren had just 30 yards on 12 carries. That left the Cyclones unable to sustain drives, which kept its defense on the field longer than it needed to be. Iowa State was also killed by penalties, nine for 89 yards, which wiped out big gains by its offense. "It makes it hard for an offensive line when you're second and 20 and third and 20. We put our offensive line in some really tough spots and that hurt those guys," Campbell said. Lanning made three big throws for TDs, but his inexplicable fourth-quarter interceptions cost the Cyclones dearly.

Northern Iowa: The Panthers entered play ranked fifth in the FCS - and they showed why they'll likely be a national title contender. Northern Iowa made the Cyclones pay for their mistakes and made the plays down the stretch that their FBS rivals couldn't.

NOTABLES

Iowa State: Cyclones wide receiver was brilliant yet again in a losing cause. He had six catches for 129 yards and a 33-yard TD reception that, had Iowa State not caved in crunch time, could have been the game-winning grab. ...TackleJulian Good-Jones was suspended for the game for violating team rules. Even though he's just a redshirt freshman, the Cyclones could've used the help. ...Receiver Hakeem Butler's first career catch was a one-hander from 18 yards out that went for a touchdown.

Northern Iowa: Tyvis Smith rushed for 68 yards on 17 carries and caught five passes for 43 more. ...Punter Sam Kuhter averaged 44 yards on eight tries, pinning Iowa State inside its own 20 on three of them.

THE LAST WORD

"We felt like we let them outperform us tonight. We know our capability. We definitely didn't meet our potential," Lazard said.

UP NEXT

Iowa State: The Cyclones will travel to Iowa City to face rival Iowa, ranked 17th. The Hawkeyes had some issues defensively, but their offense averaged eight yards a play as they rolled 45-21 over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. Iowa State has beaten Iowa more than once after looking sluggish in its opener, but it'll likely be a big underdog against the defending Big Ten West champion.

Northern Iowa: The Panthers host Montana, ranked No. 13 in the FCS, in a key non-conference showdown in Cedar Falls.