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5 numbers that stood out in Iowa State football's win over UCF

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5 numbers that stood out in Iowa State football's win over UCF

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AMES – It hasn’t always been pretty or perfect, but Iowa State football remains undefeated.

The Cyclones rallied in the fourth quarter to beat UCF 38-35 on Saturday.

“That’s one of the great things about this team so far, their courage to keep playing no matter what’s going on,” head coach Matt Campbell said after the game. “That’s why it’s a 60-minute game; You have to keep playing. I couldn't ask for more.

“It's great to get a win, but regardless of whether we won or lost the game, I couldn't be prouder to coach this football team.”

Here are five numbers that tell the story of Iowa State's victory over UCF.

2…as in two interceptions that were returned for more than 60 yards

It's strange to say that Rocco Becht wasn't on track, especially with stats of 274 yards and a passing touchdown. That doesn't even include his rushing yards or points scored on the ground.

But Becht threw two interceptions, one of which led to a touchdown. Both would have resulted in touchdowns had UCF's Braeden Marshall not dropped the ball at the one-yard line. The Knights definitely scored on their next play.

Ultimately, the Cyclones made up for these mistakes and won the game.

But there would have been nothing to get back from if Iowa State's offense hadn't allowed those two UCF players to return picks for 63 and 70 yards, respectively.

4…as in four straight games with an interception for Jontez Williams

If there is a secret to success, Jontez Williams has found it. Last season he recorded zero interceptions in 13 games, and this year he has already recorded four. He selected quarterbacks from Houston, Baylor West Virginia and UCF, marking four straight games with an interception for the redshirt sophomore.

Against the Knights, Williams' selection came at the perfect time.

Iowa State had just scored and took a 38-35 lead. But UCF got the ball back with about 30 seconds left in the game. With 15 seconds left, Williams intercepted a pass from Jacurri Brown intended for Kobe Hudson at the 34-yard line.

Campbell always talks about “A” players making “A” plays, and there’s nothing better than Williams’ game-winning interception.

5…like Carson Hansen, who scored five straight touchdowns for Iowa State

Carson Hansen is a wrecking ball of a running back. And while Iowa State may not have scored early or often, Hansen got the Cyclones on the field twice in the first quarter of the game.

He scored the first touchdown on a 57-yard run, giving the Cyclones their first score in just two games on that drive. He added another touchdown later in the first quarter, this time on a 5-yard rush into the end zone to give Iowa State a 14-7 lead.

Hansen's consecutive touchdowns extended his winning streak. He scored three touchdowns against West Virginia last week, and the two touchdowns in the first quarter meant Hansen had scored the Cyclones' last five touchdowns.

107…as in 107 rushing yards in the first quarter

Iowa State has struggled to score or produce a sustained offensive performance in the first quarter this season. But against UCF, the Cyclones seemed to find their footing early.

Iowa State amassed 147 total yards of offense and scored two touchdowns in the first frame. The Cyclones racked up 107 rushing yards, mostly on the backs of Becht and Hansen. Becht rushed for 23 yards on a single play, and Hansen racked up 76 yards on five plays – and both of the Cyclones' scores.

It was a clear difference from other games this season.

Before Saturday's game, Iowa State had recorded just 37.8 rushing yards in the first quarter. So the jump to 107 was significant — in fact, it was the second-most first-quarter rushing yards since 2000.

354…as in Iowa State's defense, which allowed UCF to rush for 354 yards

Simply put, it's not great that a team that has now lost four games has managed to amass over 350 rushing yards against one of the stingiest defenses in all of Division I, FBS football.

Now the positive: The Cyclones held UCF to just 62 yards rushing. But it was unsettling to see the Knights unleash one explosive run after another, and Iowa State's defense did little to slow UCF's prowess on the ground.

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

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