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Cyclones come up empty with chance for redemption in Big 12 title game

Cyclones come up empty with chance for redemption in Big 12 title game
IN THE END, IT DIDN’T MATTER THAT ARIZONA STATE WAS WITHOUT THEIR TOP WIDE RECEIVER, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN WITHOUT EVERYBODY EXCEPT CAM SCOTT, AND THEY STILL WOULD HAVE GONE DOWN LIKE THIS. THAT GUY WAS INCREDIBLE. JEFF. HE WAS AS ADVERTISED AND COMING INTO THE GAME, HE WAS THE GUY TO STOP. NOT A HOT TAKE. IT’S A FACT. AND IOWA STATE COULDN’T STOP CAM SCOTT FROM THE WORD GO. HE WAS OFF AND RUNNING A 28 YARD CARRY IN WHICH HE WAS BOUNCING OFF IOWA STATE DEFENDERS LIKE IT WAS A GAME OF PINBALL. AND IF HE WASN’T CONSIDERED TO BE A HEISMAN FINALIST BEFORE THE GAME ON SATURDAY, HE SHOULD BE GETTING AN INVITATION TO NEW YORK AFTER THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, 170 YARDS ON 16 CARRIES, TWO TOUCHDOWNS ON THE GROUND. HE ALSO ADDED 38 YARDS RECEIVING AND A TOUCHDOWN THROUGH THE AIR, 208 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE. SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOT TO TIP YOUR HAT TO THE GUY WHO IS AS GOOD AS ANYBODY IN ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. HE’S A REALLY GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYER. YOU KNOW A LOT OF RESPECT FOR HIM. ANYTIME YOU MAN, YOU WITNESS A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER LIKE THAT, YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT APPRECIATION FOR IT. AND YOU KNOW, HE’S AN A PLAYER AND HE PLAYED IN A GAME TODAY AND MAN THAT’S IN THESE MOMENTS YOU NEED YOUR PLAYERS TO PLAY FOOTBALL. AND HE CERTAINLY DID IT. SO HATS OFF TO HIM FOR SURE. YOU KNOW HE’S JUST GOT A LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY. YOU KNOW I FEEL LIKE WHEN HE GETS HIS ENGINE GOING IT’S HARD TO STOP HIM. SO THAT’S WHY COACH EMPHASIZED GETTING VERTICAL THIS WEEK SO WE COULD STOP HIM IN THE BACKFIELD AND NOT GET HIM GOING. AND YOU KNOW WHEN HE DOES GET GOING, YOU GOT TO GET POPULATION TO THE BALL. IT’S REALLY HARD TO TACKLE HIM. AND DESPITE HIS AMAZING FIRST HALF IOWA STATE WAS STILL IN THIS GAME IN THE THIRD QUARTER. THEY WERE DOWN 2410 WITH THE BALL DRIVING. YOU FIGURE YOU COULD SCORE, MAKE IT 2417. INSTEAD THEY TURN IT OVER IN. THE WHEELS FALL OFF AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. TEN MINUTES OF GAME CLOCK WHERE IOWA STATE COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL OF THIS GAME. FUMBLE ARIZONA STATE TOUCHDOWN! ROCCO HIT AS HE THROWS PICKED OFF ANOTHER ARIZONA STATE TOUCHDOWN. ANOTHER IOWA STATE FUMBLE. ANOTHER ARIZONA STATE TOUCHDOWN. AND BOOM! IT’S 4510 IN THE GAME ALONG WITH ANY SHOT AT THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF WAS ALL BUT OVER. IT DOESN’T GET MUCH MORE DEFLATING THAN THAT. YOU KNOW? I MEAN, I THINK THE THING THAT WE’VE PRIDED OURSELVES ON IS OUR ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL AND, YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY TO CREATE TAKEAWAYS. AND WE FELT LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY THAT MARGIN FOR BOTH TEAMS. I THINK THEY WERE PLUS 11. WE WERE PLUS NINE COMING INTO THE GAME AND, YOU KNOW, FELT LIKE THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE KEY TO THIS FOOTBALL GAME. YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL. AND YOU KNOW OUR INABILITY TO DO THAT IN THE THIRD QUARTER, IT WAS JUST PARALYZING. TODAY. IT JUST WASN’T CLICKING ON ALL CYLINDERS FOR US. AND THAT’S YOU KNOW, THAT’S NO FAULT OF ANYBODY. THAT’S JUST FAULT TO JUST OUR LEADERS AND OUR TEAM JUST TRYING TO PREPARE THIS TEAM AND GET READY FOR THAT SECOND HALF BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD EVERYTHING IN OUR HANDS STILL. WE JUST NEEDED TO EXECUTE. AND YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY WE JUST DIDN’T. WHAT AWAITS IOWA STATE NOW A BOWL GAME DESTINATION WILL FIND OUT SUNDAY AFTERNOON. COULD BE THE POP TART BOWL IN ORLANDO. MORE THAN LIKELY THE ALAMO BOWL IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, BUT NOT THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CYCLONES FALLING IN THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
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Cyclones come up empty with chance for redemption in Big 12 title game
The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game.And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on.No. 16 Iowa State was playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff in a 45-19 loss to 12th-ranked Arizona State on Saturday, unlike four years ago when the Cyclones fell to Oklahoma.The Sun Devils (No. 15 CFP) are in the expanded 12-team format, possibly as the 12th seed with their conference's automatic bid.In the COVID-19-altered 2020 season, neither Iowa State nor the Sooners had a realistic path into the four-team tournament before Oklahoma's 27-21 victory.ā€œI think those things sting for sure,ā€ Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. ā€œYou remember the losses way more than you remember the wins, and especially when you don’t play to what you’re capable of playing. Those things will haunt you and the reality is it’s still what drives you, what wakes you up every day to come in and be your absolute best.ā€Big 12 title game: Iowa State coach Matt Campbell talks about Arizona State's Cam Skattebo, nightmare third quarterBrock Purdy threw three interceptions in Iowa State’s 2020 loss, when he was still a year away from being Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick in the NFL draft and eventually helping San Francisco reach a Super Bowl.This time, any hope of a rally from a two-touchdown deficit at halftime ended with Abu Sama III's lost fumble five plays into the third quarter and Rocco Becht's interception not too long after that.Those turnovers resulted in touchdown catches for Xavier Guillory, putting the Sun Devils up 38-10 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.Another Sama fumble on the next possession just made it worse, with Cam Skattebo taking a short pass 33 yards for a touchdown to go with his 170 yards and two TDs rushing.What would have been a fourth consecutive giveaway was overturned when a hit by Shamari Simmons forced a fumble from Becht but was overturned on review. Simmons was called for targeting instead as Becht stayed down and exited the game. He returned on Iowa State's next possession.ā€œWe’re a second-half team, and today it just wasn’t clicking on all cylinders for us,ā€ said Becht, who was 21 of 35 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and the pick. ā€œWe had everything in our hands and we just needed to execute. At the end of the day, we just didn’t.ā€WATCH: Hopeful Iowa State fans pack Campustown bar in Ames to watch Big 12 title gameIowa State (No. 16 CFP), which is 10-3 in the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history, actually led 7-3 when Becht extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 17 with a 3-yarder to Carson Hansen.But the only quarterback in the nation with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers couldn't get much production out of either before the outcome was settled.When Arizona State extended its lead to 45-10 in the third quarter, Jayden Higgins had four catches for 58 yards and Jaylin Noel just two for 25. Higgins finished with 115 yards, while Noel scored a touchdown and had 64 yards. Becht was 21 of 35 for 214 yards.The Cyclones are still trying to win their first conference title since 1912, when they went 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of a 6-2 season. That was a year after a 2-0-1 record won the Missouri Valley title in a 6-1-1 season.ā€œThe reality from our end is we had some opportunities late in the season to put ourselves probably in the best situation,ā€ Campbell said. ā€œThose are great lessons learned, and we’ll grow with it. Young football team that’s got the ability to grow forward for sure.ā€

The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game.

And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on.

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No. 16 Iowa State was playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff in a 45-19 loss to 12th-ranked Arizona State on Saturday, unlike four years ago when the Cyclones fell to Oklahoma.

The Sun Devils (No. 15 CFP) are in the expanded 12-team format, possibly as the 12th seed with their conference's automatic bid.

In the COVID-19-altered 2020 season, neither Iowa State nor the Sooners had a realistic path into the four-team tournament before Oklahoma's 27-21 victory.

ā€œI think those things sting for sure,ā€ Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. ā€œYou remember the losses way more than you remember the wins, and especially when you don’t play to what you’re capable of playing. Those things will haunt you and the reality is it’s still what drives you, what wakes you up every day to come in and be your absolute best.ā€

Big 12 title game: Iowa State coach Matt Campbell talks about Arizona State's Cam Skattebo, nightmare third quarter

Brock Purdy threw three interceptions in Iowa State’s 2020 loss, when he was still a year away from being Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick in the NFL draft and eventually helping San Francisco reach a Super Bowl.

This time, any hope of a rally from a two-touchdown deficit at halftime ended with Abu Sama III's lost fumble five plays into the third quarter and Rocco Becht's interception not too long after that.

Those turnovers resulted in touchdown catches for Xavier Guillory, putting the Sun Devils up 38-10 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

Another Sama fumble on the next possession just made it worse, with Cam Skattebo taking a short pass 33 yards for a touchdown to go with his 170 yards and two TDs rushing.

What would have been a fourth consecutive giveaway was overturned when a hit by Shamari Simmons forced a fumble from Becht but was overturned on review. Simmons was called for targeting instead as Becht stayed down and exited the game. He returned on Iowa State's next possession.

ā€œWe’re a second-half team, and today it just wasn’t clicking on all cylinders for us,ā€ said Becht, who was 21 of 35 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and the pick. ā€œWe had everything in our hands and we just needed to execute. At the end of the day, we just didn’t.ā€

WATCH: Hopeful Iowa State fans pack Campustown bar in Ames to watch Big 12 title game

Iowa State (No. 16 CFP), which is 10-3 in the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history, actually led 7-3 when Becht extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 17 with a 3-yarder to Carson Hansen.

But the only quarterback in the nation with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers couldn't get much production out of either before the outcome was settled.

When Arizona State extended its lead to 45-10 in the third quarter, Jayden Higgins had four catches for 58 yards and Jaylin Noel just two for 25. Higgins finished with 115 yards, while Noel scored a touchdown and had 64 yards. Becht was 21 of 35 for 214 yards.

The Cyclones are still trying to win their first conference title since 1912, when they went 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of a 6-2 season. That was a year after a 2-0-1 record won the Missouri Valley title in a 6-1-1 season.

ā€œThe reality from our end is we had some opportunities late in the season to put ourselves probably in the best situation,ā€ Campbell said. ā€œThose are great lessons learned, and we’ll grow with it. Young football team that’s got the ability to grow forward for sure.ā€