Iowa State's Second-Half Rally Falls Short Against No. 15 Utah
The short version
- No. 15 Utah beat Iowa State 31-17 on Sept. 26 in Ames, dropping the Cyclones to 2-2.
- Iowa State trailed 24-3 at halftime before cutting the deficit to seven points early in the fourth quarter.
- Wayshawn Parker ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 13-yard scoring pass for Utah.
- Jaylen Raynor went 21-of-40 for 205 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
- Iowa State's schedule next features West Virginia, then road trips to BYU and Arizona.
The Cyclones trimmed a 21-point deficit to seven before the Utes pulled away for a 31-17 win in Iowa State's Big 12 opener at Jack Trice Stadium.
No. 15 Utah defeated Iowa State 31-17 on Sept. 26 at Jack Trice Stadium, handing the Cyclones a loss in their first Big 12 Conference game of the season. The defeat dropped Iowa State to 2-2 on the year. The Utes led 24-3 at the break after a first half in which their offense moved almost at will, aided by missed tackles and big plays from an Iowa State defense that has typically been surer in that area. The Cyclone offense, meanwhile, could not sustain anything before halftime, going 0-for-7 on third down and failing to convert on third or fourth down until late in the second quarter.
After the break, Iowa State opened with a long, methodical touchdown march that consumed close to seven minutes, featured several key first-down conversions, and ended with Jaylen Raynor scoring on an eight-yard run. Raynor described it as exactly what a long drive should be, crediting the offense for wearing down the defense and converting third downs after winning first down.
Following a defensive stop, Raynor connected with Dominic Overby on a touchdown pass moments after the redshirt sophomore came through on a clutch fourth-down play. That cut the margin to seven points with 10:48 remaining, but Utah answered. A roughing-the-passer penalty on third down during the Utes' next series wiped out what would have been a three-and-out. Iowa State still forced a punt, but its own offense went nowhere and punted back.
Utah then put the game away behind running back Wayshawn Parker, who finished with 174 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He churned out first downs on the final scoring drive and capped it with a 13-yard touchdown catch. Head coach Jimmy Rogers noted that the offense had some successful plays and battled, but said the defense failed to get off the field in crunch time.
For the game, Utah outgained Iowa State 411-316 while topping 200 yards both passing and rushing. Raynor completed 21 of 40 passes for 205 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, one of which came on a desperation Hail Mary just before halftime. The Cyclones managed 111 yards on the ground at 3.4 yards per attempt.
Linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen called the tackling breakdowns self-inflicted, pointing to poor angles, failure to run their feet, and not wrapping up. He declined to rank Utah above previous opponents on talent, saying every team has plenty of it. Rogers said there was no hiding what the team put on the field and stressed that improvement must be collective, adding that coaching shares responsibility and that questions about player confusion or scheme overload would be examined on film.
Raynor said the team is avoiding the 'if' game after losses, because dwelling on what might have happened is where a team starts to separate. Instead, he said the focus is owning mistakes, being their own harshest critics, and remembering that all 11 players doing their jobs produces the desired results. The Cyclones had shown resilience before, nearly winning the Cy-Hawk game on the road, and fought back again against Utah. But moral victories do not change the record, and with a demanding Big 12 stretch ahead, West Virginia at home followed by road games at BYU and Arizona, Iowa State knows consistency is a requirement in conference play.
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