Iowa State unveiled its new permanent lighting system Saturday night against Tennessee Tech, but Cyclones led 30-0 before the illumination was noticeable.

The Cyclones scored on their first five possessions, pounding the Golden Eagles 58-6 at Jack Trice Stadium.

“It’s beautiful,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said. “Loved the atmosphere, loved the turnout and there were a lot of great fans there. We’re 2-0 at home, and it’s a good start to try and protect our house this year.”

It was the second lopsided win in as many weeks for the Cyclones.

Last week, Iowa State hammered Kansas 45-3. The Cyclones (2-1, 1-0 Big 12) have outscored their opponents 120-16 in the last 10 quarters of play.

“We had excellent practices and I was hoping it would carry over to the game . and it did,” McCarney said. “Overall, we’re making a lot of good progress.”

If there was ever any question about Iowa State overlooking Tennessee Tech (0-2), they answered it in a wild first quarter. Less than three minutes into the game, ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace found Lane Danielsen on a slant route for a 38-yard touchdown.

The Cyclones nearly had another touchdown on their second possession as Wallace lofted a pass to Lance Young down the middle. Young converted the 49-yard pass play, but was tripped up at the 5-yard line.

After Adam Benike’s field goal and another ISU defensive stand, it was Todd Miller’s chance to shine.

The sophomore was untouched as he took the punt and bolted 60 yards for another score, making it 17-0 Iowa State.

The subsequent kickoff was fumbled by James Robinson, and it was the Cyclones’ ball again on Ellis Hobbs’ recovery. Running back Michael Wagner’s touchdown run at the 5:36 mark was negated by an ISU penalty and the Cyclones settled for a field goal.

“A lot of the scoring in the first half didn’t have anything to do with our offense,” McCarney said. “We scored on defense; we scored in the kicking game.”

The second half was more of the same for the Cyclones. In what may have been the highlight of the game, Wallace threaded the needle to find Montgomery for a 47-yard touchdown despite a strong rush by the Golden Eagles. Wallace finished with 230 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Montgomery, Danielsen and Young all had over 50 receiving yards. Montgomery led the way with 79 yards and two touchdowns. Wallace said Montgomery is coming into his own as a big play receiver this season.

“He had a great week in practice and he’s coming into the game focused,” Wallace said. “He knows that he’s going to be one of the playmakers for us out there on offense.”

Montgomery said he was pleased with the performance, but the team must work on its productivity inside the 20-yard line. The Cyclones stalled twice in the red zone against the Golden Eagles. Both possessions ended in field goals.

“We’ve just got to be hungry for it,” Montgomery said. “When we see that red zone we’ve got to think six every time.”

As smooth as the offense was operating, the defense was also doing its part. Tennessee Tech was unable to get past midfield offensively until the 4:43 mark in the second quarter. Linebacker Matt Word led Iowa State with nine tackles.

The Cyclones also forced three turnovers, including Steve Paris’ interception. The redshirt freshman returned the pick 24 yards for a score in the second quarter.

McCarney said he was pleased to see some of the younger players get some time on the field. Last week, several reserves saw their first action of the season.

McCarney said it’s important to improve depth and experience with his team’s 13-game schedule. Many starters sat the whole fourth quarter.

“I’m glad we got to play a lot of kids,” McCarney said. “Those kids deserve it. All those twos and threes will come in here Monday with a great attitude because they got to play.”

Iowa State now turns its attention to the Iowa Hawkeyes, the next opponent on the schedule. McCarney said he watched the tape of Iowa’s first game and was impressed with their running game and the improvement quarterback Brad Banks has shown.

“It’s going to be an excellent football game,” McCarney said. “Those are two programs in the state of Iowa that everybody who lives in this state should be proud of.”