The Cyclones opened up the 2010 season with a 27-10 victory over the Huskies of Northern Illinois.

ISU quarterback Austen Arnaud put the Cyclones on the board first with a three-yard keeper up the middle, giving the Cyclones a 7-0 lead with 2:27 remaining in the first quarter, and that score held for the remaining minutes of the first. 

Arnaud finished the first quarter with five rushes for 29 yards and 75 yards passing. He completed 7 of his 11 passes. 

Tight end Collin Franklin put up impressive numbers with 36 yards on three receptions in the first. Franklin finished with five catches for 75 yards.

It didn’t take long for running back Alexander Robinson to remind people he was still in town as he broke off a 63-yard touchdown run to give the Cyclones a 14-0 lead.

ISU kicker Grant Mahoney, who missed on his first field goal attempt, put the Cyclones up 17-0 with a 41-yard field goal with 8:33 left in the first half. 

Iowa State went into halftime with a 17-0 lead.

The ISU defense kept the Huskies off the board until the 9:53 mark in the third quarter when NIU kicker Mathew Sims put one through the uprights from 19 yards out.

This came after the Cyclone defense stopped Northern Illinois just short of the end zone.

Northern Illinois wouldn’t go away quietly as quarterback DeMarcus Grady pushed the ball across the goal line with 8:51 remaining in the game, cutting the Cyclone lead to 17-10.

The Cyclones used a 34-yard pass from Arnaud to Franklin and then a 15-yard personal foul penalty to put the ball inside the Huskies 10-yard line late in the first quarter. Robinson put the game on ice with a five-yard scoring run, putting the Cyclones up 24-10.

Mahoney added another field goal with 2:37 remaining in the game, to solidify the victory at 27-10. 

Iowa State tallied three interceptions on the game — one by strong safety Zac Sandvig and two off deflections by linebacker Jake Knott. 

The Cyclones held NIU running back Chad Spann to 82 yards rushing on 17 carries.

The Huskies totaled 249 yards of total offense to Iowa State’s 409. 

Arnaud finished 27-36 on passing for 265 yards and two interceptions. He gained 55 yards on the ground on 14 rushes.

Robinson rushed 19 times for 106 yards.