LUBBOCK, Texas-Things were looking pretty good for Iowa State under Matt Campbell even before Saturday's road showdown with Texas Tech.
Then the Cyclones choked down the nation's seventh-most productive offense toward a 31-13 win, which allowed the program the keep pace with some bigger-named Big 12 schools for its best conference start in 15 seasons and its longest road winning streak since the 1960 campaign.
"As soon as you start buying into every else that everyone wants to say nice about you, bad things happen," Campbell said. "Our fan base is outstanding. I'm so grateful for them that they get the reward of their loyalty over the last couple of years to this football program, but our reward to them is doing a great job finishing the year."
Iowa State (5-2, 3-1 in the Big 12) had 28 votes in the Top 25 poll entering the week and could squeak in considering it held the Red Raiders (4-3, 1-3) to 336 yards, well below Tech's six-game average of 543 yards. That would make next week's homecoming game against No. 4 TCU one of the nation's most intriguing games.
Texas Tech coach and chief offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury broke away from his offensive trends and the Cyclones made him pay in the Red Raiders' homecoming game, which Iowa State was able to spoil for the first time in five tries in addition to lacing consecutive wins against the rival program for just the second time in 16 meetings.
Kingsbury bucked his passing trend through the first half and ran 22 rushing plays for 79 yards against 9 of 11 passing by Nic Shimonek for 18 yards.
Running backs Justin Stockton and Desmond Nisby fumbled on back-to-back offensive plays and on the wrong side of midfield in the first half. Iowa State converted the turnovers - recovered by D'Andre Payne and Mike Warren - into 10 points on a 22-yard field goal by Garrett Owens and a 4-yard touchdown grab by Matthew
Eaton, who caught a 3-yard score later in the half for a 24-6 lead at the break.
Cyclones signal caller Kyle Kempt threw three touchdown passes with an interception and completed 22 of 32 attempts and the offense reached 400 yards.
Shimonek ultimately completed 31 of 40 passes for 207 yards with an interception as Texas Tech tried to claw back into the mix. The Red Raiders ran the ball 41 times for 129 yards.
"It was more the looks we were getting," Kingsbury said. "We felt like we could execute the run at a high level, and we didn't. Turned the ball over a couple of times got us off schedule."
Iowa State didn't score in the second half until the 9:07 mark of the fourth quarter, but Michael Spears' pick-6 of 61 yards was a backbreaker against a squad which dominated second-half time of possession and managed to get back within 11 points on Shimonek's 2-yard scramble.
"We're not a defense that's going to give you 30 different looks," Cyclones linebacker Joel Lanning said. "We're sticking with what we're rolling with. Right now, we're just clicking as a defense."
Oklahoma 42,
Kansas State 35
MANHATTAN, Kan.-Oklahoma has made a habit of squandering early leads much of this season.
The Sooners went the other way Saturday night.
Rodney Anderson ran 22 yards for the go-ahead score with 7 seconds left, Baker Mayfield threw for 410 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, and the nation's ninth-ranked team overcame a 21-10 halftime deficit to beat Kansas State 42-35 and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Anderson finished with 147 yards rushing and also caught a TD pass for the Sooners (6-1, 3-1 Big 12), who shredded the overmatched defense of the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3) over the final 30 minutes.
"Our guys at halftime had a great look in their eye. They were determined to come out and play a lot better," Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said. "But the mentality really went to another level there in the locker room at halftime. They were really ready to play."
Kansas State sophomore Alex Delton's first career touchdown pass with 2:25 left it tied at 35, but Mayfield and Anderson calmly went to work. The Heisman Trophy candidate hit a series of throws downfield before Anderson took a carry around the left side for the decisive score.
"As a leadership group, we took care of it and handled it," Mayfield said. "That's a huge win for us, considering we haven't played well in the second half most of the season."
Making his second career start, Delton finished with 161 yards rushing and three TDs while going 12 of 14 for 144 yards through the air. Alex Barnes added 108 yards and a touchdown on just six carries.
It was the Sooners' nation-leading 14th consecutive true road victory, and it extended their run of dominance in Manhattan. They haven't lost to the Wildcats in their home stadium since 1996.
"I'm tired of coming into the locker room under such circumstances," said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose team has lost three straight to the Sooners. "We've lost far too many games. You have to play complete games in this conference. One half won't do it."
It was Kansas State that was rolling early, though, with Barnes taking a handoff up the middle on the game's second play for a 75-yard TD run. The Sooners needed a couple minutes for Mayfield to provide the answer, but his touchdown toss to tight end Mark Andrews was his highlight of the
half.
Mayfield threw a pick in the end zone on the Sooners' ensuing possession, just his second of the season. Then he was inexplicably split wide as Oklahoma went to the Wildcat set in short-yardage spots.
Kansas State stuffed Trey Sermon and Dimitri Flowers for no gain on consecutive plays to force one turnover on downs, then dumped Flowers for a loss at the goal line to force a field goal.
Delton's two touchdown runs staked Kansas State to a 21-10 lead at the break.
"It was still important for us to play that last 30 minutes," Snyder said.