Cyclones hang on for Senior Day win

Chris Conetzkey

That’s how you add one more lasting memory to an already illustrious legacy.

Seniors Bret Meyer and Todd Blythe had been quiet all season, but on Senior Day when the Cyclones absolutely needed it the most, it was the senior duo that stepped up to deliver a stunning 31-28, 21-point comeback victory over Colorado in front of 45,487 fans Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.

Colorado (5-6, 3-4 Big 12) came out of half with a commanding 21-0 lead and the ball, only to see the momentum swing, and its lead disappear. Facing a fourth-and-one on their own 43 yard line, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins elected to go for it, only to be stopped short. From that point on the Cyclones (3-8, 2-5 Big 12) spent the rest of the third quarter erasing any thought of a blow out on senior day.

“We didn’t look good, we didn’t play good, we didn’t coach good, there was nothing good about the first half, and there was no reason for the fans to stay and they stayed,” said coach Gene Chizik. “We made a play on fourth down, then they [fans] got into it, then we scored, then they got into it more, and then everything just got rolling. It was a game of momentum swings, and again they were a big reason.”

After the turnover on downs, freshman running back Alexander Robinson, took the Cyclones in for their first score with three rushes for 43 yards to begin the comeback. On the Cyclones next possession, Blythe and Meyer took over.

Meyer hooked up with Blythe on receptions of 20 and 37 yards, and a capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown to make it 21-14. Then after another three-and-out by Colorado, Meyer connected with Blythe on a 55-yard touchdown bomb to tie the game.

“Players have to make plays on game day, and at that point and time we just felt that we were going to put it in the hands of the guys [Blythe and Meyer] that have made some plays and see if we couldn’t spark it some,” Chizik said. “They did it, and I think the crowd fed off it, and from there it just started and continued to grow.”

Senior kicker Bret Culbertson gave the Cyclones the lead with a 24-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and Robinson added a 9-yard touchdown run with just 5:32 remaining to put Iowa State up 31-21.

The Cyclones had a late scare, as Colorado got the ball back with 46 seconds, and drove into field goal range trailing 31-28. With just under 15 seconds remaining, Colorado’s Tyson DeVree was stopped in bounds at Iowa State’s 33 yard line, and as time wound off the clock, Colorado snapped the ball to attempt a field goal before the referees were ready.

The result was a 5-yard delay of game penalty, that left one second on the clock that would start when the referees placed the ball. Colorado then lined up to attempt a 55-yard field goal, and made the kick, only to have the points taken off the board because the referees said Colorado didn’t get the snap off before time expired.

“First of all we determined the clock status to have one second on the clock, and once the penalty was marked off, ready for play is going to signal, and then I’m going to start the clock. So that was done, the whistle was blown, I started the clock, and Colorado did not get the snap off prior to the clock expiring. Because they only had one second,” referee Clete Blakeman said.

Meyer ended the day with 149 yards and two touchdowns, while Blythe had four catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns. The 100 yard performance by Blythe was the eighth of his career, and it was the 27th time that Blythe hauled in a Meyer pass for a touchdown.

“I told Chizik it doesn’t actually happen that every time we win, people rush the field, but it sure seems like it this year, because all three times, we have been swarmed with people,” Blythe said. “But that’s why it’s a lot of fun, and as a senior, to go out with a win, I didn’t really want to leave the field that bad because I knew it was my last time playing on it.”

Robinson finished up his day with 127 yards rushing for an average of 4.9 yards-per-carry and two touchdowns. The 100-yard performance on the ground was his second in three weeks, and the third time in as many weeks that he went over 100 yards in total offense.

While it was the seniors last chance to shine in front of the Jack Trice crowd, they still have one final opportunity to leave Cyclone fans with a lasting memory when they head on the road to play the role of spoiler against No. 4 Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on Fox Sports Net.