Something has been bothering Sam Richardson for awhile now, but after a record setting performance on Oct. 11, he doesn’t have to think about it ever again. 

With Iowa State’s 37-30 victory against Toledo, Richardson finally got his first win at Jack Trice Stadium. 

“It’s been itching at me forever,” Richardson said. “I’ve never won a game at Jack Trice as a starter, so it’s an amazing feeling obviously.”

But when fans look back on this game in a few years, they’ll remember Richardson’s day for something else. 

When it was all said and done on Oct. 11, Richardson had thrown for a career-high 351 pass yards and 37 completions. Richardson’s 37 completions during the game sets a new single-game school record. 

But Richardson’s start to his day didn’t leave any hints as to how he would finish. At the end of the first half, Richardson had completed 16-of-26 throws for 146 yards and no touchdowns. 

Iowa State found success in the redzone, but didn’t score the kind of points it wanted.

“We were three for three in the first half, efficient in scoring points but not pleased with them being three field goals,” said ISU head football coach Paul Rhoads.

Iowa State all but abandoned its run game in the second half, taking advantage of Toledo’s poor pass defense, which is ranked 122nd in the nation. Toledo’s defense gives up 325.7 passing yards per game.

Richardson let loose, completing 21-of-27 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He also got a little help from his friends in the receiving corps. 

Richardson was able to find D’Vario Montgomery nine times for 90 yards and Allen Lazard eight times for 96 yards and a touchdown. 

Continuing their success from last week, Richardson and tight end E.J. Bibbs were able to connect on five passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. 

Bibbs’ touchdown showed why a majority of defenses this year have chosen to double team the tight end. Bibbs caught a quick pass from Richardson in the flat, took on several defenders and bulled his way into the endzone. 

However, there was a yellow garment laying on the ground, a flag presumably. It ended up being a piece of Bibbs’ jersey that defenders had torn off while trying to bring him down. 

“He’s a man is what [Bibbs’ touchdown] showed me and that’s what I told him when he came off the field,” Rhoads said. “I wish he wouldn’t have let them tear his jersey and scare the heck out of me, thinking there was a flag that would have been on us on a play like that.”

Iowa State’s record now sits at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12. The Homecoming game was the first home victory in this season and finally being able to give the home crowd a win makes Rhoads a happy man heading into next week’s game at Texas. 

“We haven’t been coming through here at home and you got to defend Jack Trice Stadium and we found whatever means that it took to get that done today,” Rhoads said.