KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In Iowa State’s 24–23 loss to Kansas State on Saturday, the Cyclones ran for more than 200 yards, forced two turnovers, and put together a last-minute comeback drive that brought the team to within one point and 32 seconds left to play.

It was the little things that went wrong, however, that will define this game for the rest of the season.

“Coach [Johnny] Majors taught me a long time ago that the number one way to win a football game is not to lose it. We didn’t get that done today,” coach Paul Rhoads said after his team’s loss in Kansas City. “We contributed too many things to this loss.”

Some of the things Rhoads was referring to were turnovers (two, both on fumbles), penalties (five for 65 yards) and poor execution on third downs.

The most glaring thing that went wrong in Iowa State’s (3–2, 0–1 in Big 12) loss to Kansas State (3–2, 1–0), however, was sophomore Grant Mahoney’s last-minute point after attempt that was blocked, securing a Wildcats win.

Mahoney, previously 47-of-47 on PATs, needed to put the ball through for the 48th-straight time to send the game to overtime, but the attempt was blocked by the Wildcats’ 6-foot-4 defensive back, Emmanuel Lamur.

“I felt like I hit it fine,” Mahoney said. “A guy in the middle there just jumped and blocked it. I’m not sure.”

The kick came after a 23-yard touchdown pass from redshirted junior quarterback Austen Arnaud to redshirted junior receiver Jake Williams, on which Williams made a diving catch after the ball had been tipped by the safety in coverage.

Rhoads and the Cyclones acknowledged that after the touchdown the team went into their preparation for overtime.

“Crazy things happen, but I think it shouldn’t have come down to that,” Williams said about the extra point attempt. “There were opportunities we missed throughout the game.”

Several of those missed opportunities came on third downs.

The Cyclones were just six out of 15 on third-down conversions, including several three-and-outs in the second half.

“We were not effective enough, as a football team, on third down,” Rhoads said. “You’ve got to move the sticks and give your team a chance to score.”

Defensively, Iowa State allowed Kansas State to convert eight of their 16 third down attempts, including both of the Wildcats’ fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“On the money down — on third down — we’ve got to get off of the field,” said redshirted senior linebacker Jesse Smith. “They hurt us on that tonight.”

For the 10th straight time, the Cyclones have lost to a Big 12 opponent and still have not won away from Jack Trice Stadium against a conference team since 2005.

This, however, was the third time in those 10 losses that the Cyclones lost by four points or fewer.

“This is just a minor speed bump in our season; this is one loss and it’s early, and I’m glad we got it out of our system now,” Arnaud said. “It hurts, losing the first Big 12 game, obviously, but we’ve got seven more.”

Kansas State opened the Big 12 schedule with a win for the first time since its upset over Texas in 2007, and in new coach Bill Snyder’s second term at the helm, the program seems to be headed in the right direction.

“It was almost as though, when they threw that touchdown pass, it was meant to be,” Snyder said. “Then, when we turned around and blocked that extra point, which, I can’t remember the last time we blocked an extra point, but maybe it was meant to be that way, too.”