Iowa State took a big step as a team by beating in-state rival Iowa for the first time since 2007.

Before taking that step, however, ISU junior running back James White first needed to take 15 steps from the Iowa 4-yard line to the end zone on the game’s final play to give the Cyclones the 44-41 victory in triple overtime.

White’s final stride over the goal line triggered a roar from the standing-room only crowd of 56,085 followed by an exodus of ISU fans onto the field at Jack Trice Stadium.

“I kind of can think about when I was in high school with a game-winning touchdown, but it’s just different,” White said. “It’s different, it’s college football. It’s a better atmosphere and it’s the Hawkeyes.”

The 5-foot-8-inch, 184-pound White isn’t known as one of the more vocal players on the team, but he’s been praised by his coaches and teammates as one of the hardest workers in the weight room and on the practice field.

“He’s a guy that deserves to play a bunch,” said ISU offensive coordinator Tom Herman. “He’s usually going to do the right thing and be in the right place at the right time, and you can count on him for the most part in protection, so his stock keeps rising, which is good.”

The ISU running back corps bounced back after rushing for only 62 yards against Northern Iowa on Sept. 3 to combine for 151 rushing yards on Saturday. White accounted for 35 of those yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries.

“James White, since I’ve been here in practice, he’s shown a lot and they finally gave him a chance to play in the games,” said ISU wide receiver Darius Reynolds. “He’s a hard worker. I’m glad they’ve finally given him a chance to play, and he’s taken advantage of those chances.”

As a true freshman in 2009, White battled through the bumps and bruises that came with imitating the running back of Iowa State’s opponent each week and at the end of the year was named the offensive scout team player of the year. With Alexander Robinson, the fourth-leading rusher in program history, having graduated, White now has the chance to showcase his talent not just on the practice field but on Saturdays in the ISU backfield.

“He definitely showed what he can do out there,” Robinson said. “What you see is what you get with him. He’s going to play hard, he’s smart and he’s not going to miss his assignments.”

Since Robinson’s departure, the backfield now features three running backs with White, Shontrelle Johnson and Jeff Woody all carrying the ball in Iowa State’s first two games.

“We’re the wolf pack,” Johnson said. “We’re a unit, we work together, we all had a good game collectively as a unit, but it came down to him and he made the plays, so I was happy for him.”

White’s pair of late-game scores may have overshadowed Johnson’s 108 yards on 18 carries on the scoreboard, but the entire group of backs understands that any day could be their day in the spotlight.

“It’s a great experience. Like I told Shontrelle Johnson, ‘Next week you might be the guy, you just never know,'” White said. “It could be Jeff Woody, Duran Hollis, it could be any back. They just called my number today and I just executed.”