Iowa St. holds off Missouri 20-14

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Ennis Haywood continues to live up to Iowa State's burgeoning football tradition.

The hardly recruited back from Dallas posted his third 100-yard rushing game of the season Saturday, running for 120 yards and two touchdowns as Iowa State beat Missouri 20-14.

Haywood increased his yards rushing this season to 578, putting the Cyclones on track to have a back rush for 1,000 yards for the seventh straight season.

"I feel really good about this football team," Haywood said. "After the loss to Nebraska, we showed some character and poise coming to another away game and coming up with the W."

The win was Iowa State's eighth victory in 10 games -- something that hasn't happened since 1977. But perhaps even more impressive in coach Dan McCarney's rewriting of Iowa State's football history are the Cyclones' seven wins in their last 10 conference games, something the school has only accomplished twice in 73 years of conference play.

"I want our fans and I want people to understand that we have a good program and we are going to be here for a long time," McCarney said. "Iowa State is here to stay."

The win moves the Cyclones, 9-3 last year with a bowl win, to 4-1 with a 2-1 mark in the Big 12. But to get it, Iowa State had to withstand a late Missouri drive that left first-year Missouri coach Gary Pinkel inviting to media to second guess his play calling.

"We moved the ball down and did all the right things to get down to the 5-yard line, and then just didn't make the plays," Pinkel said. "This is hard to swallow."

Missouri was actually at the 4 when Adam Runk knocked down Kirk Farmer's pass on a crossing route to tight end Dwayne Blakley. It was one of several choices Farmer had on the play, which went off with 4 seconds left after the Tigers drove 67 yards in a little more than three minutes.

"Blakley got by (Runk)," Farmer said. "I threw a decent ball. The linebacker just made a great play on it. I'm sure there isn't a guy on this team whose heart isn't breaking right now."

The score was tied 14-all late in the fourth quarter before a pair of field goals by Tony Yelk. His first, a 21-yarder, came at the end of an 8-play, 34-yard drive with 6:39 remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, Hiawatha Rutland stripped the ball from Missouri kick returner Tay Jackson.

Lane Danielsen recovered for Iowa State at the 12, and Yelk put the Cyclones ahead 20-14 five plays later with a 24-yard kick.

Farmer, who completed 14 of 31 passes for 137 yards, put the Tigers (2-3, 1-2) ahead 14-7 with 5:37 left in the third quarter, throwing a 6-yard TD pass to tight end Dwayne Blakley.

Haywood tied the game on the next series, scoring from 4-yards out to end a nine-play, 74-yard drive.

Yelk twice backed up Missouri against its own goal line, with his 62-yard punt late in the first quarter leaving the Tigers at their own 2. Backup quarterback Darius Outlaw couldn't move Missouri past the 5 and freshman Brock Harvey managed only a 31-yard punt.

Two plays later, Haywood dodged at least three tacklers to score from 21 yards out, giving Iowa State a 7-0 lead with 12:33 left in the half. Neither Outlaw nor Harvey returned.

Farmer would tie the game on Missouri's following possession, rolling untouched into the end zone on a 5-yard run that capped a 6-play, 52-yard drive.

Iowa State burned much of the first quarter on a 16-play, 62-yard drive that lasted 8:03 but didn't yield a score. Wallace was 5-of-7 for 20 yards as the Cyclones converted four third downs on the drive, but Yelk sent his 43-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-15 wide left.

"The advantage of doing everything is that you really can't dwell on the miss that long," Yelk said. "You have to refocus and go back out there."

Missouri's Zack Abron ran for a career-high 147 yards, topping his previous best of 106 yards against Southwest Texas last month.

The game was played in the same cool, rainy weather that delayed the start of the St. Louis Cardinals playoff game against Arizona.