MANHATTAN, KAN. — There’s a reason ISU coach Paul Rhoads’ name is penciled in on offseason coaching candidate lists and that his name was trending worldwide on Twitter during the fourth quarter of Iowa State’s regular season finale at Kansas State.

Like a poker savant who slyly pushes all his chips into the pot, Rhoads has become known nationally as a head coach who is not afraid to take a chance to win football games.

So was the case Saturday afternoon.

With his team facing a fourth-and-8 down 23-20 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Cyclones dialed up a fake punt from their own 36-yard line. Sophomore punter Kirby Van Der Kamp followed the offensive line trio of Kyle Lichtenberg, Jacob Gannon and Carter Bykowksi around the left end, stutter-stepped and was taken down after a nine-yard gain, just enough to keep Iowa State’s drive alive.

“I’ll say this, one of the best football plays I’ve ever seen was that play right there,” Rhoads said after the game. “Our kids hanging with the blocks, executing the blocks and Kirby patiently waiting then taking his crease and running like a football player.”

The Cyclones tied the game with a field goal nine plays later but would not be able to answer a late Kansas State touchdown as they fell 30-23. The fake punt wasn’t the only time the Cyclones dialed up an unorthodox play call as quarterback Jared Barnett found wide receiver Darius Darks on a 30-yard flea-flicker pass to give Iowa State a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

“I’m ready to score,” Barnett said when asked about his reaction to the play call. “I saw the flea flicker was called and looked out there and saw that Darius was out there. It was no problem, just catch it and throw it and he went up and made a great play for me.”

That Van Der Kamp picked up his third career first down on a fake punt or that Barnett was unfazed by the play call can be attributed to the “all-in” mentality that Rhoads has challenged his players to adopt this season.

“We love doing these things,” Van Der Kamp said of the fake punt. “It makes me nervous for sure, but it makes the game exciting and we execute greatly, and I have faith in my blockers up front, so I enjoy it.”

Sometimes the risks have paid off — such as the fake punt Saturday or a successful onside kick against Oklahoma State — and other times they haven’t, as was evidenced on a failed two-point conversion against Nebraska in 2010. But, regardless of the outcome, Rhoads’ players look forward to seizing the opportunities their coach presents.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said sophomore running back Jeff Woody. “He gets a feel for it because he’ll look each player in the eye and he’ll get a feel that says, ‘You know what, we’re feeling it, we have confidence, we know we’re going to go down and down this.'”

Following the game, Rhoads brought up the fact that his team, while the most talented he’s had in three years, is not yet talented enough to “blow out” teams just yet, so sometimes taking a risk or two is needed in helping increase the Cyclones’ shot at picking up a win.

“[Kansas State] is the No. 11 team in the BCS and with [1:07] to go, we’re driving down to tie the game and send it into overtime,” Rhoads said. “Last week’s team was No. 1 in the country seven weeks out of the season and we held them to season lows and did some things that other people haven’t done. I’m really excited about the direction of our program and most excited about one more game left to play in this season.”

The Cyclones (6-6, 3-6 Big 12) will play their final game of the season on at 2:20 p.m. Dec. 30  in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City against Rutgers (8-4, 4-3 Big East).