Sept. 14, 2002

Editor’s note: Iowa State came back from a 24-7 halftime deficit to beat Iowa 36-31 in 2002. At the time, Iowa State was busy solidifying itself on a national stage and the loss ended up being Iowa’s only loss of the regular season.

Iowa State didn’t know what hit it.

The Cyclones waltzed into Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 14 having won four in a row against its rivals from Iowa City. Iowa State had already given Florida State a real scare in the season-opening game in Kansas City and pounded Kansas in an early Big 12 game.

The Hawkeyes, however, punched them in the mouth right away.

Iowa running back Fred Russell scored on a 46-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage en route to 133 yards in the first half. Brad Banks gave Iowa a 17-7 lead in the second quarter with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Brown.

Just when it looked like the Cyclones were going to make the halftime score respectable, Seneca Wallace threw an interception in the end zone and Iowa drove right back down the field for a 24-7 halftime lead.

That was just not going to cut it — and coach Dan McCarney made sure his players knew at halftime.

“To see him as angry as he was, everybody on the team was letting him down,” wide receiver Jack Whitver said later in the week.

The tirade worked.

“He got us pumped up,” cornerback Harold Clewis said after. “What else can you say?”

Wallace came out and led Iowa State down the field for an early score. The Cyclones scored three touchdowns in the first 10-and-a-half minutes of the second half, part of 29 unanswered points.

Iowa State also forced three fumbles and a safety. All of a sudden, the Cyclones were in the lead.

Wallace burst onto the national scene in the game, throwing for 361 yards and making key plays to get Iowa State back in the game.

His biggest play came early in the fourth quarter with the Cyclones up 30-24. Iowa State faced third down at its own 5-yard line. Wallace rolled out in the end zone and threw a 29-yard strike to Whitver to keep the momentum on Iowa State’s side and later led to a field goal.

“I’d have to say that was my best play,” Wallace said after the game. “We had to keep the drive alive.”

It was Iowa State’s fifth straight win  over Iowa.

Iowa State went on to beat Nebraska and Texas Tech later that season before wilting down the stretch. Arguably the best ISU football team in history, the season ended with Cyclone fans wondering what went wrong.

Iowa’s only regular season loss was to the Cyclones. The Hawkeyes went on to an undefeated Big Ten season and Orange Bowl berth vs. USC.

But for one night at least, it was a Cyclone State and McCarney was on top of the world as players carried him off the field amid a sea of Iowa State fans flooding Kinnick Stadium.

“It’s a hell of a view,” McCarney said.