Texas overcomes mistakes, outlasts Iowa State, 17-7

By Steve Habel/Senior Editor

AMES, Iowa — Perhaps you might have expected an offensive showcase in Thursday’s Texas-Iowa State game, and with the Cyclones’ heretofore explosive attack and the Longhorns countering with Shane Buechele back in his starting role as quarterback, that expectation was reasonable.

Instead, Texas won the old-fashioned way: it earned it with defense and doing just enough to overcome its own mistakes, posting a 17-7 win over Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium in the Big 12 Conference opener for each team.

Buechele, back behind center after missing the past two games with a [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]bruised throwing shoulder, passed for 171 yards, and a score and suddenly-everywhere safety DeShon Elliott intercepted two passes for the second straight game to help Texas find a way to win.

“People are going to say that this was an ugly win and that there was a lot we didn’t do right,” Texas coach Tom Herman said afterward. “But the last time I checked we just won a conference game on the road, in a hostile environment, and that’s not an easy thing to do in college football.”

The Longhorns’ defense was spectacular, holding an Iowa State offense that had scored at least 41 points in its first three games to one touchdown and just 10 rushing yards in 15 carries.

Texas (2-2 overall, 1-0 in games against Big 12 teams) ran off the final 7:35 of the clock with 13 runs, never giving Iowa State any chance to make a comeback, and finished with a 312-256 advantage in total offense.

The Longhorns’ defense that has come to work the past three games is employing a completely different mentality than the one that gave up 51 points and 482 yards in its season-opening loss to Maryland.

“We learned a valuable, and costly, lesson in that opening game,” Herman said. “You can’t play great defense if you’re evaluating and you’re thinking and you’re gauging or tip-toeing. You have to stick your foot in the ground and go and trust that the other 10 guys are going to be there right behind you. Our defense for the last three weeks has been doing that.”

Chris Warren III (44 yards on 16 carries) ran 11 yards for a touchdown on the Longhorns’ opening possession, which was extended by a personal foul penalty on Iowa State after the Cyclones had stopped Texas short on third down deep in its own territory.

Buechele stood tall in the pocket despite pressure from the Iowa State defense and passed 22 yards for a touchdown to freshman running back Toneil Carter midway through the second quarter to expand the Longhorns’ lead to 14-0.

“It felt great to be back out there with my brothers and to be making plays and helping our team win,” said Buechele, who also ran for 42 yards on 13 carries. “We made some mistakes, especially with some penalties that put ups behind the chains on some of our drives, but we were excited about the way we finished the game.”

Texas outgained Iowa State, 186-127, in the first half, with a 78-24 edge in rushing. Two Cyclones drives were squashed by interceptions of poorly thrown passes from Park by the Longhorns’ Elliott and Kris Boyd, respectively.

“I’ll give Texas credit,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “Our kids played hard. The key was in those critical moments, we lost our poise. Texas is really good on defense. They brought a lot of pressure in the first half of the game, and had more guys on the line of scrimmage than there were blockers, it can put you in a tough situation.”

The Cyclones (2-2, 0-1 in Big 12 play) got back in the game on a Jacob Park to Matthew Eaton 11-yard touchdown pass with 2:05 to play in the third quarter that cut the Texas lead to 14-7. The Longhorns then got the benefit of two calls on potential turnovers that overturned a fumbled kickoff and a pass that was originally ruled a lateral.

Joshua Rowland line-drived a 49-yard field goal with 13:25 to play that pushed the Texas lead to 17-7 and gave the Longhorns a little breathing room.

Then Herman and offensive coordinator Tim Beck turned the game over to the running game, and that unit did the rest.

“I’m proud of our team’s intensity and accountability,” Herman said. “Playing great defense is our identity right now, and it will be until we find a way to get untracked on offense.

“We’re going to celebrate this win. Winning college football games is really hard. Winning on the road in conference on a Thursday night is even harder, and we’re going to celebrate it tonight.”

Things will now get much more difficult for the Longhorns, beginning Oct. 7 when they return to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to host Kansas State.

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