Utah puts a big blitz on ISU

AMES - It's been a busy couple of Saturday nights for Jack Trice Stadium's scoreboard operators.

A week after a record-setting offensive performance by Iowa State in a victory over Texas Tech, the Cyclones watched Utah establish a stadium record for points by an opponent in a dominating 68-27 victory, ISU's most lopsided non-conference defeat since 1997.

It was an ugly night for ISU (3-3, 1-1 Big 12), which was coming off consecutive victories and hadn't lost a home night game under Coach Paul Rhoads.

“The oddsmakers sure missed on this one,” Rhoads said. “Some days you get up and get the unexpected.”

Utah (5-0) lived up to its No. 10 ranking and earned its 21st win over a BCS school since 1998, the most of any non-automatic qualifier.

It was the most points scored by the Utes against a BCS opponent.

They piled up 593 yards of total offense and erased any doubt in this game with a 31-point second quarter.

“There was clearly a big difference in team speed out there tonight, special teams especially,” Rhoads said. “We were soundly beat in all three areas.”

ISU will get another shot at a top-10 team next Saturday in a 6 p.m. game at sixth-ranked Oklahoma.

It may be without tailback Alexander Robinson, who Rhoads said has an injured foot. X-rays were negative, the coach said, but Robinson could not put pressure on it.

The Cyclones led 14-10 entering the second quarter, but Utah scored on five of its six second-quarter possessions and put up 31 unanswered points.

The Utes totaled 280 yards of offense and at one point held a 200-1 advantage in total yards.

Shaky Smithson started it off with a touchdown on a trick play that gave Utah back the lead for good with 10:25 to play before halftime. The receiver/return man completed a 33-yard reverse pass to DeVonte Christopher, who got behind the coverage of Mike O'Connell and Jeremy Reeves.

Scoring runs by Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide extended the lead before Smithson struck on another big play.

The sophomore snatched quarterback Jordan Wynn's pass out of the air and raced 61 yards, again past Reeves, into the end zone. Wynn was 23 of 31 for 325 yards and two touchdowns.

Joe Phillips' 25-yard field goal as time expired made it 41-14 at the half.

“We lost energy,” Rhoads said. “I didn't see us unravel. I saw us losing energy and tried to figure out why.”

Two scoring drives sandwiched around a 100-yard kickoff return by Reggie Dunn further put the game on ice, and sent most of an announced crowd of 43,195 to the exits midway through the third quarter.

Quarterback Austen Arnaud finished 13 of 31 passing for 178 yards. He had two touchdowns to go with two interceptions, both of which were nearly returned for scores.

The Cyclones failed to convert on any of its 11 third-down opportunities and held the ball for 11 fewer minutes.

Turnovers set up their only two scores of the first half.

Bailey Johnson stripped tailback Eddie Wide, setting up the Cyclones on Utah's 7-yard line. Robinson scored on a 2-yard run that made it 7-0.

David Sims' interception of Wynn led to a pretty 20-yard touchdown strike from Arnaud to Jake Williams in the back corner of the end zone.

Arnaud's other scoring pass was a 36-yarder to tight end Collin Franklin.