STILLWATER, Okla. — If the ISU football team could just reach 200 rushing yards, coach Paul Rhoads said it would be in good shape offensively. Rhoads said he would even settle for 180 yards on the ground.

As Iowa State (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) fell 31-10 to Oklahoma State (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday, it barely sneaked by the 100-yard mark, gaining 101 rushing yards.

“I still believe that we really have to get the run game going,” said ISU quarterback Jared Barnett. “It’s easy for them to sit back there and bring a whole bunch of people and play one-on-one on the outside if they know we’re not going to run.”

The Cyclones had 22 rushing attempts against the Cowboys and several were unscripted as Barnett — and his late-game replacement Steele Jantz — were forced to scramble. Barnett led Iowa State in rushing as the redshirt sophomore picked up nearly half of the team’s total with 49 yards on the ground.

Entering the game, the Cyclones were 85th in the country averaging 143 rushing yards per game. Oklahoma State had been allowing an average of 134 yards per game on the ground.

“I think it was the line not getting a push enough and also the running backs not seeing the holes,” Barnett said of the struggles. “They were a good defensive line — don’t get me wrong — they were really making it tough on our guys to get good blocks sustained.”

ISU running back Jeff Woody added that game situations often dictate play calling. The Cyclones trailed most of the game.

“I think we’ve just got to go back to pounding the ball and establishing a running game prior to pulling it up and trying to pass,” Woody said.

Despite a tentative 180-yard rushing mark set by Rhoads, the running backs’ goal is whatever will get the team a victory.

“We have a goal to establish a run game,” Woody said. “But if we win, nothing else matters.”

Rhoads mostly satisfied with defense

The defense knew entering its matchup with Oklahoma State that it was in for a difficult test.

The Cowboys entered Saturday’s game with the best offense in the country, averaging just more than 601 yards per game. The Cyclones allowed 625 total yards in the loss.

“At 24 points in the fourth quarter, I thought they were playing all right,” Rhoads said of his defense. “The final stat sheet reads 600-plus yards, but it’s a team that averages 601.

“They average 48 points, and on a perfect weather-conditioned day we held them to 31 points.”

The Cyclones were hurt especially by big plays. The defense allowed a 74-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter from J.W. Walsh to Charlie Moore and a 62-yard run by Joseph Randle that eventually led to another touchdown in the second half.

“We did make some stops that were key and we did force them to kick some fields goals that fortunately they didn’t make,” said linebacker Jeremiah George. “That was a great football team, that was a great offense that we played.”

Playing great offenses won’t soon stop, either. The Cyclones face Baylor’s No. 3-ranked offense Saturday.