Cyclones win season opener, 44-17
August 28, 2008
The Cyclones rolled to an easy 44-17 victory over South Dakota State in front of a crowd of 46,617 at Jack Trice Stadium.
The Cyclones (1-0) scored on their first drive of the game on a 1-yard touchdown plunge by quarterback Austen Arnaud. From there, the Cyclones never looked back, taking a 20-0 lead into halftime. The Jackrabbits’ (0-1) first score was a field goal after a 12-play 56-yard drive to start the second half. South Dakota State ended its scoring on a fumble by running back Kyle Minett that was picked up by wide receiver JaRon Harris and advanced 76 yards for a touchdown.
True freshmen wide receivers Sedrick Johnson and Darius Darks both scored touchdowns in their debut for the Cyclones. Iowa State also broke a 63-year-old school record with 202 return yards off of five Cyclone interceptions.