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Iowa State beats Colorado 17-10

Nov 14, 2009 - 10:46 PM By LUKE MEREDITH AP Sports Writer

AMES, Iowa(AP) -- Austen Arnaud threw a pair of touchdown passes and Iowa State beat Colorado 17-10 on Saturday to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2005.

Alexander Robinson added 138 yards rushing for the Cyclones (6-5, 3-4 Big 12), who held the Buffaloes to just three points on three trips inside the Cyclones' 10-yard line.

Arnaud threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Hamilton, and his 20-yard TD strike to Robinson gave Iowa State a 17-3 lead midway through the third quarter.

The Buffaloes pulled within 17-10 on a 36-yard TD pass from Tyler Hansen to Markques Simas with 3:17 left. They got the ball back at their own 20-yard line with 23 seconds left, but the Cyclones stopped a last-gasp scramble by the Buffs.

Hansen had 258 yards passing for Colorado (3-7, 2-4), who lost its 10th straight road game.

Colorado committed three turnovers in the second half, including two within the first 3 1/2 minutes of the third quarter. Hansen was picked off by Nate Frere, and a Rodney Stewart fumble was recovered by Stephen Ruempolhamer at the Buffs' 33-yard line.

The Cyclones couldn't convert Frere's interception, but Arnaud later weathered a blitz and simply tossed the ball to a wide open Robinson, who ran it 20 yards to give Iowa State the 17-3 lead.

Colorado then drove to Iowa State's 9-yard line, but freshman offensive lineman Bryce Givens drew a personal foul penalty and an unsportsmanlike conduct flag for arguing the call. That pushed the Buffs to a 1st-and-goal at the 39, and Aric Goodman missed a 42-yard field goal with 2:23 left in the third quarter.

Colorado outgained the Cyclones 390-310, but they went just 2-of-14 on third-down conversions and had 11 penalties for 110 yards.

Scotty McKnight caught eight passes for 107 yards and Stewart rushed for 85 yards for the Buffs.

Arnaud hooked up with Hamilton for an apparent 77-yard touchdown early in the first quarter, but the officials ruled that Hamilton pushed off his defender and called it back. Iowa State shook it off, and Arnaud hit Hamilton with an 8-yard touchdown pass - the first TD for the Cyclones in the opening quarter in five games - and Iowa State went ahead 7-0.

Arnaud was then picked off deep in Iowa State territory, but the Cyclones stuffed Demetrius Sumler on 4th-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Iowa State again stopped Colorado again deep in Cyclones territory, but Goodman's 22-yard field goal pulled the Buffs within 7-3 midway through the second quarter.

Iowa State's Grant Mahoney answered with a 25-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to put Iowa State ahead 10-3.

Though the Cyclones are now eligible for a bowl - something few thought was possible this season - they're not assured of a bid. They can certainly help their cause by winning at Missouri in their regular-season finale next week.

Iowa State's last trip to a bowl game came four years ago, when the Cyclones lost to TCU 27-24 in what was then known as the Houston Bowl.