In a season of ups and downs, the ISU football team took its hardest fall when everything was on the line.

Playing for a spot in the Big 12 championship game, the Cyclones lost an overtime heartbreaker Saturday, 17-14 to Missouri. With the loss, Iowa State falls to 4-4 in the conference, good for a tie atop the Big 12 North with Colorado.

Colorado will face Oklahoma for the Big 12 title thanks to its 19-14 victory over the Cyclones earlier in the season.

With the game knotted at 14 late in the fourth quarter, safety Nik Moser forced a Missouri fumble which Steve Paris returned 51 yards to the Tiger 15-yard line.

“After that happened, I believed we would win the game,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said. “That was a huge play by Steve Paris – unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”

After three rushes failed to produce a first down, the Cyclones lined up for what could have been a game-winning field goal.

Freshman kicker Bret Culbertson – who had only missed kick in his career – pushed the ball well right, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra period, Missouri came through with a 25-yard field goal to put the Tigers back ahead.

The Cyclones got the ball back and found themselves with a first and goal at the 3-yard line but couldn’t push the ball into the end zone.

On third down, quarterback Bret Meyer’s pass, intended for Jon Davis was intercepted, ending the game and Iowa State’s chances for a Big 12 title.

“We knew we had one-on-one coverage on both sides,” McCarney said. “Their guy went up and made a great play.”

Even though Iowa State lost their regular-season finale, the Cyclones have six wins on the season and are bowl-eligible for the fourth time in the last five years.

“The important thing is that we realize this season isn’t over,” punter Troy Blankenship said. “We had a lot to play for today. We played with a lot of heart but we just didn’t come out on top.”

Iowa State found the end zone on two rushing plays, with Meyer running in from 13 yards out in the second quarter and Stevie Hicks scoring on a 2-yard carry in the fourth.

Meyer led the Cyclones with 61 rushing yards, and Hicks had 49. Meyer also passed for 206 yards, completing 16-of-28 passes.

Six of Meyer’s passes were to Todd Miller, who saved his best game as a Cyclone for senior day, catching six passes for 80 yards.