ORLANDO, Fl – Those lucky enough to be in attendance at the Pop Tarts Bowl in Camping World Stadium were surely blown away at the ease with which both the Cyclones and Hurricanes offenses moved the football; at least through the first couple of quarters.
It wasn’t a one-sided affair. Both teams opted out of playing defense.
In their first-ever meeting on the gridiron, the two teams combined for 303 total yards and five touchdowns, and that was just through the first 15 minutes of the game. Both defenses were toasted throughout. Less than two minutes into the second quarter it was all even at 21-21.
You just never know what you’re going to get in a bowl game. You never know who’s going to play and who isn’t. But on a windy and overcast afternoon in central Florida what we got was a highly entertaining, back-and-forth, up-and-down scorefest.
In the end, a last-minute touchdown enabled Big 12 runner-up Iowa State (11-3) to overrun ACC power Miami (10-3) by a scoreboard light popping 42-41 final. It’s the first 11-win season in Iowa State program history.
By halftime the two offenses combined for 620 total yards and the Canes were able to forge a 31-28 lead at intermission on the strength of a 30-yard field goal by Andres Borregales in the final seconds of the first half.
Frosted by the lack of ability to stop opposing offenses, both team’s defensive units buckled down over the second half. Still, the two high-powered offense combined for 939 total yards and Miami set the school’s bowl record with 308 yards rushing.
But with the game on the line, the Miami defense was unable to reel in Rocco Becht. The Cyclones’ quarterback was crazy good. A redshirt sophomore, Becht threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in earning the game’s Most Valuable Player Award. He extended his streak of touchdown passes in a game to 18, a school record.
“We practice it all the time,” Becht said of the dramatic victory. “I think our team just has the poise and the calmness to just execute in the biggest moments, and that’s what we did.”
Becht completed 22 of 36 passes for 270 yards, but it was his 1-yard touchdown plunge with 0:56 remaining in the game that sealed the deal. The game’s final score capped a most impressive 15-play, 84-yard march that completed a second-half comeback from a 10-point deficit.
The game was tied four different times as the teams traded touchdowns, beginning with a 9-yard TD pass from Becht to Gabe Burkle, until Borregales’ field goal gave the Hurricanes their first lead at halftime.
Miami grew that advantage to 38-28 midway through the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Mark Fletcher, Jr.
Becht answered with his final TD pass of the game, a 4-yarder to Jaylin Noel, who led all receivers with eight catches for 117 yards and finished his career at Iowa State as the program’s No. 2 all-time receiver (245 catches).
Then, following a 21-yard field goal by Borregales, Becht engineered the game-winning drive.
If Becht hadn’t won the MVP Award, it would have gone to Cyclones running back Carson Hansen. The 6-2, 220-pound sophomore rumbled for 82 rushing yards on 16 carries, including scoring runs of 30 and 1 yard, in addition to hauling in a 13-yard touchdown pass. His 30-yard scoring jaunt is the longest for Iowa State in a bowl game, and his three touchdowns are the most ever by a Cyclone in a bowl game.
For Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, it was his third bowl victory – most in program history. He has taught his team how to win the close ones. The Cyclones were 5-1 in one-score games this season.
“It was leadership for the ages for us,” Campbell said. “You saw every step of the way, and you got a chance to witness it tonight, how our kids don’t flinch and keep playing and give us an unbelievable opportunity to win.”
Miami certainly made them earn it. Heisman Trophy Finalist Cam Ward was remarkable, throwing for 190 yards (12-for-19) and three touchdowns while playing just the first half. The future NFL quarterback was rested for the final two periods and the Canes were able to add only one touchdown and a field goal in the second half.
Ward threw touchdown passes of 4, 40 and 33 yards to Jacolby George, Joshisa Trader, and Elijah Arroyo respectively. In doing so, he set the NCAA Division I record for most passing touchdowns (158). Neither Ward nor Miami head coach Mario Cristobal commented on the decision to sit out the second half.
“Well, I think all meetings with players and decisions like that, we make them in private and we keep them in private,” Cristobal said. “So, I’ll defer to not answering questions as it relates to that. I know he played his best while he was in there.”
The Hurricanes got on the scoreboard initially with an electrifying 75-yard run by Damien Martinez, who led Miami’s record-setting ground attack with 179 yards on 14 carries.
