Rocco Becht passed for one score and rushed for another to lead Iowa State to a 34-17 victory over Cincinnati in Big 12 play on Saturday night at Ames, Iowa.
Stevo Klotz caught a touchdown pass and Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III rushed for a score as Iowa State (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) halted a two-game losing streak. Becht completed 24 of 33 passes for 234 yards and rushed for 48 more to keep the Cyclones in the mix for a berth in the Big 12 title game.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby rushed for 141 yards and one touchdown on 14 attempts but had just 66 yards on 11-of-19 passing for the Bearcats (5-5, 3-4). Corey Kiner rushed for 120 yards on 18 carries and Evan Pryor rushed for a touchdown for Cincinnati, which dropped its third straight game.
Iowa State took a 17-10 lead early in the third quarter when Becht tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Klotz. Kyle Konrardy tacked on a 52-yard field goal to make it a 10-point cushion with 2:53 left in the quarter.
The Bearcats moved within three when Sorsby broke free on a 41-yard scoring run with 11:44 remaining in the game.
The Cyclones answered with a 15-play, 68-yard drive and averted disaster when Becht reached high to tip and then collect a high snap. The broken play led to Becht running 15 yards for a touchdown to give Iowa State a 27-17 lead with 4:04 left.
The Cyclones put the game away on fourth-and-two when Sama exploded for a 27-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left to make it a three-score game.
Cincinnati scored on the game’s opening possession with Pryor scoring on a 12-yard run.
The Cyclones knotted the score on Hansen’s 2-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left in the quarter.
Nathan Hawks booted a 29-yard field goal to give the Bearcats a 10-7 lead with 12:18 remaining in the second quarter. Konrardy knotted the score with a 35-yard field goal with eight seconds left.
–Field Level Media
