In a game billed as the clash of two two titan tailbacks, all of the highlights of the Texas Tech-Iowa State battle were played out through the air.

Tech’s go-to guy, running back Ricky Williams, was the nation’s leading rusher entering Saturday’s contest at Jack Trice Stadium. He had compiled 665 rushing yards and six TDs in just three games and was running behind one of the largest, most physical lines in college football.

Against ISU, Williams ground out just 105 rushing yards on 29 carries, settling for a 3.6 yard average, a drop-off of 2.4 yards from his first three weeks.

Williams will still maintain his No. 1 ranking in college football, but the competition will draw closer after the merely average performance against the Cyclones.

Iowa State’s premier back, Darren Davis, didn’t fare any better.

After consecutive 200-yard rushing performances against Iowa and Ball State, Davis was ranked fourth in the nation.

The Red Raiders held him to 86 yards on 27 carries.

The opposing offenses weren’t exactly inept, though.

A pair of wide receivers picked up the slack left by their high-profile counterparts.

Donnie Hart of the Red Raiders had already established himself as one of the most exciting receivers in college football and arguably the best in the Big 12 Conference.

Entering Saturday’s contest, Hart had already collected 285 yards and three touchdowns this season, placing himself among the top receivers in the nation.

His numbers didn’t falter against the Cyclones.

“He’s one of the best receivers in this league, by far,” defensive back Jamarcus Powers said. “He runs his routes, he catches the ball — he’s just an outstanding receiver.”

Hart caught five balls against Iowa State for 163 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown strike.

His catches, however, didn’t come as a result of uncovered routes. Hart routinely caught balls through a wall of tight coverage.

“We had him locked down the whole game,” Powers said. “We knew that was their best receiver and they’d be trying to get him the ball.”

The Cyclones could cover Hart all game long, but try as they might, they couldn’t keep the ball out of his hands.

“Hart is a very good receiver,” strong safety Dustin Avey said. “He’s very quick, has a great break and had the other guys blocking very well for him downfield.”

Powers echoed the sentiments of many of his teammates with one final compliment for the talented Tech receiver.

“He’s the best receiver, by far, I’ve ever played against.”

The only people this doesn’t account for are the receivers Jamarcus has played with.

One of those guys, junior Damien Groce, began to make his presence felt Saturday with a display equally as impressive as Hart’s.

Entering the game, Damien’s talents could be categorized as potential at best.

He had caught only nine passes for 113 yards in his first three games as a Cyclone but came into his own in a big way against the Red Raiders.

“I just tried to do the best I could to get the team a win,” Groce said.

His primary objective was not realized against Texas Tech, but Groce turned in a career performance, nabbing 10 balls for 116 yards, more than doubling both his season reception and yardage totals.

“Groce is our biggest playmaker and receiver right now,” Head Coach Dan McCarney said. “We have to get him the ball.”

The most important aspect of Groce’s performance, however, didn’t involve his total catches or his yards, but his ability to find the end zone.

After failing to cross the goal line in his first three games, Damien crossed it three times on Saturday on three very challenging plays.

“I was just trying to get us a win,” Groce said. “I’ll do anything I possibly can. If I have to break a leg to get out there and catch a ball, I’ll do it.”

His first touchdown catch came only after Damien reached full extension on an all-out dive. The second TD required an acrobatic jump that saw Groce fall backwards out of the end zone. His final score was a leaping grab in the midst of heavy end zone coverage.

“Damien Groce is a heck of a receiver,” is all Todd Bandhauer needed to say about his No. 1 target.

In a game that was hyped as the showdown between a pair of ferocious ground attacks, it was a duo of talented wide receivers that stole the show and, ultimately, determined the outcome.