IOWA CITY – When three players in the defensive secondary finish with the most tackles on the team, it normally means the team lost.

But the Iowa-Iowa State game Saturday was not a normal game.

And Iowa State, who was led in tackles by JaMaine Billups (12), Marc Timmons (8) and Ellis Hobbs (8), did not lose.

Those types of statistics usually show that the opposition was completing passes, getting its running game past the linebackers, or both. That was the case early in the game.

For the Cyclones, it was a game of two halves, as Iowa State dug itself out of a 17-point halftime hole to beat the Hawkeyes 36-31 at Kinnick Stadium.

It was the fifth straight victory for the Cyclones in the annual rivalry since they snapped Iowa’s 15-game winning streak in 1998.

It didn’t look good for Iowa State in the first half, due in large part to the quick feet of Fred Russell.

The junior set the tone early, bursting up the middle for a 46-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. Russell took advantage of gaping holes and exploded for 133 rushing yards on 15 carries by halftime.

“We got physically pummeled on both sides of the ball,” said ISU head coach Dan McCarney on the first half. “I was afraid they were going to get 400 yards on us rushing the ball.”

With four minutes left in the first quarter, the Cyclone defense got back on track momentarily when Iowa was stopped short on a fourth-and-three. But Hawkeye receiver Maurice Brown beat Atif Austin to the end zone, and Brad Banks found him for a 50-yard strike, adding another Iowa touchdown in the second quarter.

“Iowa dominated us in the first half and it was sickening to watch,” McCarney said. “We looked like a scout team and they just did anything they wanted to us. They made us look silly. We were back on our heels.”

A combination of mental errors by the Hawkeyes and hard-nosed ISU defense helped the Cyclones get back in the game in a hurry. Banks fumbled on his team’s first two possessions of the second half and Iowa State recovered both in Iowa territory.

Tim TeBrink caused and recovered the second fumble. McCarney said he challenged TeBrink to make a big play like that.

“He has been a young boy developing into a man and he made a man’s play out there [Saturday] against an outstanding offensive line,” McCarney said.

Iowa’s next possession spelled disaster for the Hawkeyes again as Jeremy Loyd smothered Aaron Greving in his own end zone for a safety. The Cyclones led 30-24 at that point.

Led by ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace, the ISU offense sustained a lengthy drive in the fourth quarter, netting an Adam Benike field goal. Then Iowa dropped the ball again on the first play of their ensuing drive.

This time Harold Clewis made the hit for the Cyclones and recovered at the Iowa 29-yard line.

In all, Iowa State converted three Hawkeye fumbles into 17 points for the game.

Field position was a key for the second-half comeback as well. The Cyclones’ average starting position was their 43-yard line in each of the last two quarters.

Wallace said he and his teammates kept their poise and never lost faith in their abilities.

“We came back here at halftime and regrouped and then came out and performed like we knew we could,” he said.

IOWA STATE 36, IOWA 31

Iowa St 7 0 23 6 -36

Iowa 7 17 0 7 -31

First Quarter

Iowa-Russell 46 run (Kaeding kick), 14:00

ISU-Rutland 6 run (Benike kick), 7:51

Second Quarter

Iowa-FG Kaeding 40, 10:34

Iowa-Brown 50 pass from Banks (Kaeding kick), 9:17

Iow-Lewis 10 run (Kaeding kick), 2:47

Third Quarter

ISU-Wallace 5 run (Benike kick), 10:58

ISU-Montgomery 7 pass from Wallace (Benike kick), 7:24

ISU-Woodley 1 run (Benike kick), 4:31

ISU-Safety, Greving tackled by Loyd in end zone, 4:16

Fourth Quarter

ISU-FG Benike 36, 5:19

ISU-FG Benike 38, 4:08

Iowa-Brown 20 pass from Banks (Kaeding kick), 1:23

A-70,397

ISU Iowa

First downs 22 21

Rushes-yards 39-85 42-222

Passing 361 178

Comp-Att-Int 23-37-1 12-21-0

Return Yards 1 18

Punts-Avg. 5-44 3-42

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 4-3

Penalties-Yards 8-67 6-29

Time of Possession 32:06 27:54

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Iowa State: Rutland 21-50, Wallace 12-30, Wagner 4-7, Woodley 1-1, Danielsen 1-(minus 3). Iowa: Russell 16-139, Greving 9-32, Banks 10-23, Lewis 5-19, Cervantes 2-9.

PASSING-Iowa State: Wallace 23-37-1-361. Iowa: Banks 12-21-0-178.

RECEIVING-Iowa State: Whitver 8-132, Danielsen 5-131, Montgomery 4-36, Young 3-47, Rutland 3-15. Iowa: Brown 4-89, Jones 3-30, Hinkel 2-21, Solomon 2-13, Jensen 1-25.