Credibility grows for Cyclones with bowl win

TEMPE, Ariz. - Iowa State football fans rang in the New Year in style Thursday night by celebrating their team's 14-13 Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota.

Cyclone players enter 2010 with a sense of accomplishment they haven't felt in a few years - winning their final game of the season. ISU (7-6) is losing a handful of key senior starters - six on defense - but for the first time in a long while has positive momentum moving into year two of the Paul Rhoads era.

The rookie head coach took this group from two wins and 10 straight losses a season ago to one of the biggest turnarounds in college football.

“By finishing with a winning record you go into the off-season with a program that certainly is on its way,” Rhoads said. “The program has credibility based on what we've done, what we set out to do and what we've accomplished.”

Alexander Robinson gashed the Golden Gophers for 137 yards, his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season, and quarterback Austen Arnaud ran and threw for scores. The Cyclones overcame a rash of turnovers and penalties, but the defense stiffened in the second half as the offense was held scoreless.

Several key moments in Sun Devil Stadium keyed the school's third bowl win and first since 2004.

On third-and-14 from their own 25-yard line with time ticking away in the second quarter, Arnaud found Jake Williams with a 15-yard pass in the middle of the field. Three plays later, facing the same down and distance, Arnaud side-stepped a heavy Gopher rush and raced 18 yards for a first down. Arnaud capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run that put ISU up for good at 7-3.

“We call it the money down,” said Williams, who finished with six catches for a career-high 83 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown. “Those were huge momentum swings.”

ISU got the ball back again before half with 1:23 left on the clock.

The drive ended exactly one minute later with the Cyclones leading 14-3. They had driven 89 yards in just six plays, with Williams catching a deep ball from Arnaud in the end zone.

Minnesota safety Ryan Theret fell down inside the 5-yard line and Williams was left wide open to catch Arnaud's high-arcing pass.

“I think he just kind of threw it up in the air throwing it away and it turned out to be a touchdown,” Williams said.

Rhoads said afterwards ISU's two-minute offense had not been very good in practice. He was glad he didn't sit on the ball to run out the half.

“I said let's start the drive and see what happens,” Rhoads said. “We started with success and let momentum take over and we were able to execute.”

Punter Michael Brandtner had three kicks downed inside the 20-yard line, including a fourth-quarter boot that forced Minnesota to start its drive for the go-ahead score from its 1-yard line.

Earlier the senior avoided the first blocked punt of his career after slipping on the turf. He righted himself and got the kick away around defenders with ISU clinging to a one-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“That might have been more important for us in saving our football team,” Rhoads said. “That very easily could have been blocked.”

High up in the press box it looked like Minnesota's MarQueis Gray may have simply dropped the football on his critical fourth-quarter fumble.

Television replays showed senior linebacker Jesse Smith punched the ball loose, despite being smothered by a blocker. Cornerback Ter'ran Benton scooped it up and nearly went 80 yards the other way.

Defensive back Mike O'Connell was coming over to help make the tackle when Gray lost control of the ball.

“I'm not sure how it came out if he dropped it or if someone hit it,” O'Connell said. “I was running to the ball and next thing I know it is on the ground and Ter'ran jumped on it right away.”

Despite four turnovers - two first-half interceptions and a pair of fumbles in the second half - Rhoads showed confidence in Arnaud on ISU's final clock-killing drive.

The Cyclones took possession with 4:04 to go after Ter'ran Benton recovered a fumble by Minnesota's MarQueis Gray.

Arnaud completed a 5-yard pass to Williams and ran three times for 15 yards, two of which resulted in first downs.

Officials measured the last one and Arnaud celebrated emphatically when they moved the chains.

“You don't lead a football team when you make mistakes like that without coming back and having credibility with your teammates,” Rhoads said. “Our quarterback certainly did that tonight.”