If ISU coach Paul Rhoads wanted to send a message that his team is “blue-collared,” he didn’t need to set a white ISU hard hat in front of him at his postgame press conference. All he needed to do was mention the final Cyclone to tote the ball into the end zone.

Redshirt sophomore running back Jeff Woody.

After senior defensive back Ter’Ran Benton came down with a deflected interception on Oklahoma State’s first play of the second overtime, all that the Cyclones needed was a field goal to seal a 34-31 victory. Woody and the ISU offense had other plans.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to kick a field goal,” Rhoads said. “The way we ran the ball with such power just emphasized that for me to try to finish the drive out and Jeff and the offense did that.”

Lining up to redshirt freshman quarterback Jared Barnett’s left, the 6-foot, 230-pound Woody carried for six yards up the middle. On the next play, Woody plunged again into the middle of the defense and carried a pile of Cowboys defenders 15 yards to the 4-yard line.

“Jeff has the best ball security on the team, we knew that we could give it to him and he wouldn’t put it on the ground,” Barnett said. “We also knew that he was going to pick up yards, he was going to run over people and he was going to put us in a situation to kick a field goal or score, and just three plays later [he] put it in.”

On the third play, Woody took his third consecutive handoff, this time into the end zone from four yards out to give the Cyclones a 37-31 victory and incite an exodus of Cyclone fans to storm the field.

“Initially it was protect the ball, keep it going forward, keep it within [kicker Zach] Guyer’s range and get him comfortable,” Woody said. “It parted like the Red Sea and the hole was three yards wide, so all I had to do was just keep going, protect the ball and just let it happen.”

The swarm of fans, which included Woody’s girlfriend Hannah Norris, converged on the 235-pound back. Norris was unable to find Woody amid the mayhem, so she ran over to the ISU sideline away from the crowds. After more than five minutes of searching, finally the two met outside the Jacobson Athletic Building and chatted briefly before Woody was whisked away to speak with the media.

Norris expressed how much it meant for Woody, a Pleasant Hill, Iowa, native, to be a part of what many consider Iowa State’s most significant win in program history.

“I think it meant a lot for him, especially just being from around here, I think community means a lot to him and just being able to bring that back home, he’s a big hometown guy,” Norris said.

Norris, who studies nursing at Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa, wore a button with Woody’s picture on her jacket as she waited outside of the ISU locker room along with family and friends of the ISU players.

“I tell him every day how proud I am of him, every day I say he has done everything in his power to be where he’s at and all the credit goes to him, he’s done it all himself,” Norris said.

Barnett throws his way into ISU record books

Rhoads didn’t believe 1430 KASI’s Dave Sprau when he asked if Barnett attempting 58 passes was part of the team’s game plan.

“He did not,” Rhoads said.

After glancing down at the statistics sheet in front of him, Rhoads was proven wrong.

“Wow,” he said.

Making only his third career start, Barnett completed 31 of those 58 passes for 376 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Barnett also carried 14 times for 84 yards.

Here’s how Barnett’s numbers rank among ISU quarterback performances dating back to 1946.

• 31 completions tied Barnett with Seneca Wallace — 2002 vs. Missouri — and Austen Arnaud — 2008 vs. Kansas State — for third-most completions in a game.
• 58 attempts were second-most in ISU history behind Todd Bandhauer’s 62 against Texas in 1998.
• 376 passing yards narrowly cleared Bandhauer’s 375-yard performance against Iowa in 1997, giving Barnett the fourth-most all-time.
• 460 total offensive yards ranks third behind Wallace and Arnaud’s performances listed above in which both finished with 493 yards.

Senior wide receiver Darius Darks was a major benefactor from Barnett’s high passing totals, finishing with season-highs in catches (5) and receiving yards (49).

“We’ve been pretty much a balanced team with running and throwing the ball, so to line up today and throw the ball that many times, it’s definitely exciting especially you know, since I’m a receiver,” Darks said.

Barnett’s passing numbers in his third start were more than the combined totals — 31 completions on 56 attempts for 319 yards and one touchdown — from both of his other starts against Texas Tech and Kansas.

Lenz injured

On the ninth play of Iowa State’s second drive, junior wide receiver Josh Lenz made a 21-yard reception that brought the Cyclones down to the Oklahoma State 17-yard line. Lenz was slow to get up after the play, and after being helped off the field by trainers was carted to the locker room.

Rhoads said after the game that Lenz underwent X-rays that revealed a knee strain. Rhoads also mentioned that Lenz said his fibula was also bothering him.

Lenz tweeted on Saturday afternoon, “I’m doin alright. Leg is pretty sore today but they don’t think its serious. Hopin to be back next weekend for OU!”

The Dubuque, Iowa, native leads the Cyclones with 34 catches on the season.

Gary reflects on adverse week

Friday night marked the second consecutive game in which redshirt sophomore wide receiver Albert Gary led the Cyclones in both catches and receiving yards finishing with seven catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.

“Personally I just had to step it up, the coaches know that I’m a big playmaker,” Gary said. “Once Josh went down, I knew I had to step up big.”

Friday was also just three days after Gary was an inmate at the Story County jail after turning himself in for first-degree robbery charges that were filed on Tuesday stemming from an incident in June.

“I just give all of the thanks to God, I pray to him every night about the situation,” Gary said. “I want to thank my parents, coaches they’ve backed me up 100 percent.”

Gary, who was suspended for the first three games of the season, turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday morning and was released on Tuesday afternoon after his $25,000 bond was posted. Gary will make his first appearance in court on November 28.

New home attendance record set

The ISU football team set a program record by winning its first game against an opponent ranked No. 6 or higher nationally, but the ISU fans also etched their names in the record book Friday night. With an announced crowd of 52,027 on hand, the season average after all six home games came out to be 53,647, a record for Jack Trice Stadium.

The previous record-high for average attendance was 51,906 during the 1982 season.