Iowa State suffers 4th straight 1-score loss in 24-21 setback at No. 22 Texas

Another week, another heartbreaking loss tinged with controversy.

Such is life in the Big 12 this season for Iowa State, which fell to No. 22 Texas, 24-21, on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas.

The Cyclones were driving down the field for a chance to tie or win the game, but officials ruled that Hunter Dekkers fumbled before his knee touched the ground at the Longhorns’ 28-yard line with 2:06 left. Texas also could have been called for targeting on the play, but no flag was thrown. The Longhorns (5-2, 3-1) ran for the one first down they needed to ice the game and ISU (3-4, 0-4) lost its fourth straight conference game by seven or fewer points.

“The frustrating piece of it is (the officials) were talking about that they didn’t think it was targeting,” Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell said on the Cyclone Radio Network after the game. “My question on that, obviously, is, man, I as well — and this isn’t the loser’s lip, but his knee’s down. Again, I think those things are frustrating and when you live in the margins of it — boy, three of the last four, some of those calls just haven’t gone your way, and, again, the competitor in you understands that you can’t leave it up to judgment. You’ve got to be able to put the dagger in ‘em when you have the opportunity to (do so).”

Dekkers threw for a career-high 329 yards and connected with receiver Jaylin Noel for two touchdowns.

“We came into the game knowing there would be a lot of man coverage,” said Noel, who scored the first two touchdowns of his ISU career. “It was really just taking our opportunity to win on that man coverage and go make a play.”

Dekkers also rushed for a touchdown, but was intercepted in the end zone in the second quarter. Two-time first team All-Big 12 receiver Xavier Hutchinson shined again, as well, amassing a career-best 154 yards through the air on 10 catches.

“I just saw a belief in everyone on the field that we were gonna get the job done,” said Hutchinson, who also dropped a pass on the final, fateful drive.

The Longhorns appeared to be in full control midway through the third quarter after taking a 17-7 lead on Bert Auburn’s 31-yard field goal. But the Cyclones answered with 4:27 left in the third when Dekkers found Noel for a 54-yard touchdown. ISU eventually took the lead at 21-17 on Dekkers’ 11-yard touchdown run, but couldn’t stop Texas from retaking the lead on its ensuing drive. The Cyclones’ defense forced the Longhorns into a fourth-and-goal situation at the 3-yard line, but quarterback Quinn Ewers was able to find receiver Xavier Worthy for his second touchdown catch of the game.

“The margin for winning and losing is razor-thin,” Campbell said.

ISU has lost the turnover battle in three of its four losses and enters its bye week riddled with nagging injuries and in dire need of a respite.

“We’ve never been this injured since I’ve been here,” Campbell said. “We’ve got a lot of guys dinged up and we need time. And in that time, two things have to happen: Number one, we’ve got to get healthy, and number two, we’ve got to get back to fundamentals and technique. I think any time you get a chance to, number one, get healthy, but, number two, go back to the fundamentals and techniques of, you know, the detail, I think that’s huge, especially with a young football team and I think this team needs all of it right now.”

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