The Iowa State Cyclones may have lost a football game on Saturday night, but the team has found some young players who can play.

“I feel real sorry for the kids that we couldn’t pick up a win,” ISU Head Coach Dan McCarney said in a post-game press conference. However, he added, “We’ve got some things we can really build on.”

The Cyclone newcomers who played well individually were left with a bittersweet taste in their mouths after falling to Oklahoma State 21-14.

Redshirt freshman Dustin Avey led the team with 15 tackles in his first Cyclone start.

Avey, a free safety, said, “It was a tough loss. We came in expecting to win. It was a team loss and we’ll take it as a team loss. We just couldn’t get the job done in the second half.”

Reserve defensive tackle Jack Mitchell was another bright spot for the Cyclones.

He recovered a fumble, recorded a sack and made a huge tackle on a third-down play in the fourth quarter.

Mitchell, a sophomore from Torrance, Calif., was humble about his performance. “If I made a play, it was what I was coached to do,” he said.

Mitchell said the loss was frustrating. “I just want to get ready and focus on Wyoming,” he said.

Senior linebacker Derrik Clark said he was impressed by the play of his young teammates. “We had some freshmen really step up,” he said.

McCarney said the team will have to learn from the loss.

“We’ve got to be able to overcome adversity. There’s a lot of character on this team,” he said.

Freshman tight end Andy Stensrud contributed to the offensive effort when he caught a pass for 17 yards. Stensrud, from Lake Mills, said he was excited and nervous about playing in his first game.

Despite the loss, he also is optimistic about the rest of the season.

“We have 10 games left and we will bounce back. Now that I understand the tempo better, I’ll adjust and help the team more,” Stensrud said.

Freshman punter Carl Gomez also performed well. He punted eight times with an average of 41.8 yards per kick. His longest kick was 56 yards.

The ISU rookies will have a chance to get their first victory on Saturday when they face the Cowboys in Laramie, Wyo.