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Flora Runs for 216 Yards and Three Touchdowns as Iowa State Routs Cincinnati 41-13
By Sadie Calloway
Photo: Pud00 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
AMES, Iowa — Aiden Flora scored three first-quarter touchdowns as Iowa State responded to an early Cincinnati score with 28 consecutive points and controlled the game from there in a 41-13 victory at Jack Trice Stadium.
Iowa State improved to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big 12, moving within one victory of bowl eligibility. Cincinnati fell to 5-5 and 2-5 in conference play.
The Bearcats struck first after Cole Tabb’s 66-yard run on Cincinnati’s second offensive play set up JC French IV’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Lyviel Waters for a 7-0 lead.
Iowa State answered quickly and did not relinquish control. Flora’s scoring runs of 11, 77 and 5 yards all came in the first quarter, accounting for three touchdowns during the Cyclones’ run of 28 straight points.
Flora finished with 28 carries for 216 yards and three touchdowns, recording his third 200-yard rushing game of the season and extending his streak of games with at least 180 rushing yards to three. He also completed a 37-yard pass to Vince Benetti on fourth-and-2 to set up his third touchdown and caught four passes for 38 yards.
Iowa State opened the second quarter with another major play when Jaylen Raynor connected with Cameron Pettaway for a 70-yard touchdown pass on the opening play, extending the lead to 28-7.
Raynor finished 14 of 23 for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Kyle Konrardy added a field goal to make it 31-7 before Cincinnati produced its final points of the first half. Cade Wolford threw a 12-yard trick-play touchdown pass to French, cutting the deficit to 31-13 at halftime.
Neither team scored in the third quarter.
Konrardy provided the first points of the second half with a field goal with 6:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, extending Iowa State’s lead to 34-13. Arnold Barnes III then closed the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown run with 1:47 left.
Cincinnati finished with 401 total yards but went 2-for-10 on third down and lost two fumbles.
The opening touchdown gave Cincinnati an early lead, but Iowa State’s response — particularly Flora’s three first-quarter scoring runs — changed the course of the game. The Cyclones scored 28 consecutive points after falling behind and maintained control through the final three quarters.
Sadie Calloway
College Football, The Library Media
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