STILLWATER, Okla. — Once again, the ISU defense played solid in the Cyclones’ 36-7 loss to No. 25 Oklahoma State.

The Cyclone defensive unit held Oklahoma State to 189 yards rushing on 55 carries, which is 144 yards below the Cowboys’ average of 333.7 yards through the Cowboys’ first three games.

“[Oklahoma State] is an excellent football team with a great rushing attack,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said.

“They are a well-balanced, good football team. They will go on to win a lot of games. There are a lot of reasons why they are 4—0 right now.”

Coming into Saturday’s game against the Cyclones, the Cowboys were averaging 5.5 yards per rush. Iowa State held Oklahoma State to 3.4 yards per carry.

“Iowa State came out to play on defense,” OSU tight end Billy Bajema said.

“They were strong up front and early in the game [when] we tried to run the ball.”

OSU head coach Les Miles said this Cyclone team is a far different squad than a season ago.

“I think Iowa State is a much improved football team since last year,” Miles said. “I thought they were very capable defensively and that they played extremely well against us.”

A season ago, the ISU defense recorded 66 tackles for a loss in 12 games. Already this year Cyclone defenders have recorded 35 tackles for a loss in four games.

ISU cornerback Ellis Hobbs said coming out of two-a-days, ISU coach John Skladany told his defenders they were going to be the “backbone” of the team.

“I’m just glad the defense kept a positive attitude all day,” Hobbs said.

“Regardless of what was happening, I believe we just gave it our all out there.”

Hobbs said the Cowboys gave the Cyclones the defensive battle they were anticipating.

“[Oklahoma State] did everything we expected today,” Hobbs said.

“They wanted to smash it right in our mouth and we wanted to smash them in the mouth. We didn’t get the best of them today, but we showed that we ain’t no punks.”

ISU linebacker Erik Anderson had a career day; he recorded 11 tackles, including 2.5 stops for minus 17 yards and a sack that set the OSU offense back nine yards.

Anderson’s sack brought the Cyclone season sack total to 10 after only recording eight during the entire 2003 season.

Senior Luke Vander Sanden, ISU offensive lineman, said the Cyclone offense needs to match Iowa State’s defensive efforts.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing,” Vander Sanden said.

“The defense kept us in the whole game. Offensively we didn’t do what we had to. We didn’t execute. Anytime you have that, we can’t put points on the board. It’s disappointing and we have to learn from it and come back even harder this week and get things corrected.”