With nothing but open field between himself and the goal line, Nik Moser had just one thought in his mind.

“I just didn’t want to fumble it back,” Moser said.

The junior safety had just come up with the first interception of his career, and he took it to the house for Iowa State’s first score in a topsy-turvy 48-41 win over Northern Illinois.

Moser intercepted Huskie quarterback Phil Horvath on the second play of the game, speeding into the end zone for a 30-yard score and an early 6-0 Cyclone lead.

“I don’t know if the quarterback didn’t see me, or if I did a good job disguising [myself],” Moser said. “It was one of those things where I was in the right place at the right time.”

ISU head coach Dan McCarney also knew how big that play would prove to be later in the game.

“It was huge,” McCarney said. “In a game where we were struggling later on in the first half, when you look back at it, that was an amazingly big play.”

Moser would go on to intercept Horvath again, a ball he picked off in the back of the end zone to halt Northern Illinois as it was about to score again.

“That was a big play,” McCarney said. “At that time there was a lot of game to be played, and we were in a pretty big hole. Those are the kind of things that can change momentum, [that] give your team a spark.”

Moser has been a strong point on an equally impressive defense this season, after moving back to the position he is most comfortable at.

A linebacker last year, Moser is now free to patrol the field from his safety position.

“I feel a lot more comfortable right now,” Moser said. “I mean, who are we kidding, I was the smallest linebacker in the Big 12 last year. To be back deep in more of a natural position for me, I feel a lot more comfortable.”

Moser already has 23 tackles this year, leading the Cyclones in that category. He also has two tackles for a loss, moving his opponents back 17 yards on those two plays.

Despite missing Iowa State’s final six games last season due to a foot injury, Moser was still able to record 43 tackles, 12th on the team.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now,” McCarney said. “He’s playing in the position where he belongs. His natural position is safety, and he’s got a home there for the next couple years.”

Against Northern Illinois, the Cyclones forced four turnovers after only causing one in their first two games.

“It felt good to make turnovers and to make stuff happen,” Moser said.

Along with Moser’s two interceptions, Iowa State saw DeAndre Jackson and Matt Robertson intercept Horvath. Robertson took his interception back for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, giving the Cyclones some insurance they would need when Northern Illinois scored as time ran out.

The interception for Robertson was his second of the year, having picked off Iowa’s Drew Tate the week before.

Moser said the defense putting points on the board helped the team to victory.

“I don’t know when the last time we scored defensively was,” Moser said. “To score defensively, it’s going to be big, whether it’s in the first minute or in the fourth quarter like Robertson.”

To force those turnovers, Moser knows the team has to force its opponents into passing situations.

“We have to stop the run,” Moser said. “That’s our goal going into every game. If we can do that, we feel confident that we can cause turnovers and create turnovers in the secondary.”

Trailing by double digits in the third quarter, the Cyclones could have given up. Moser said the fact that they brought themselves back into the game shows what he and his teammates are made of.

“It shows a lot of character,” Moser said. “We never gave up. We were down 14 at one point, but we never gave up. That shows a lot of character from our team.”