Editor’s note: Each week, Pat Brown, assistant sports editor, and Brett McIntyre, sports reporter, will play the ISU football game using NCAA 2006. Brown will play the season as the Cyclones while McIntyre will suit up as their opponents.

All rankings, stats and figures are from the simulated season and are not concurrent with Iowa State’s actual season.

Iowa State’s offense came to play. Unfortunately so did the Hawkeyes.

The highly anticipated in-state showdown turned into a shootout, racking up yards and points in huge numbers.

In the end, it was the No. 3 Iowa offense that was able to put the most points on the scoreboard, beating the Cyclones 59-38.

Iowa struck early and often, cashing in on nine consecutive drives while stopping Iowa State just enough that the Cyclones could never get within striking distance.

The Cyclones scored on their first possession — a 36-yard strike from Bret Meyer to Todd Blythe — to tie the game at seven. Iowa scored on their next drive to regain their seven point lead.

But that was when the ISU offense began to falter. After driving the length of the field, Ryan Kock fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Iowa.

Iowa scored on their next two possessions, both times thanks to long touchdown completions to Clinton Solomon.

The Cyclones failed to convert on a fourth-down run, falling behind 35-14 before a Bret Culbertson field goal closed the first half.

Iowa continued its torrid pace in the second half, scoring 14 points in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth to hold off any Iowa State charge.

Even though Iowa held the game out of reach, the Cyclones did put up impressive offensive numbers.

Meyer threw for 465 yards and five scores, hitting Blythe three times and Jon Davis twice. Blythe now has four touchdowns in his first two games of the year, moving him just two scores from tying the all-time Cyclone scoring record.

Tailback Stevie Hicks rushed for 152 yards, his second consecutive game over the 100 yard mark.

Iowa quarterback Drew Tate tossed four scoring passes, going 7-of-12 for 276 yards.