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No. 16 Kansas State tops Iowa State

Dec 4, 2011 - 5:59 AM Manhattan, KS (Sports Network) - John Hubert's 26-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter lifted the 16th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats over the Iowa State Cyclones, 30-23.

Hubert carried the ball 15 times for 120 yards for the Wildcats (10-2, 7-2 Big 12), who fell short of earning a share of the Big 12 championship when Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma Saturday night.

Collin Klein completed 7-of-15 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball 26 times for 86 yards and a score.

"We have been able to come together in such a special way. I am just so happy for all the seniors who got to go out with a win," said Klein. "Give credit to Iowa State. They are a very good football team. They play extremely hard and are very disciplined. Their coaches put them in a position to succeed. Despite this, we were able to put it together to get a win."

Jared Barnett connected on 15-of-27 passes for 153 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Cyclones (6-6, 3-6), who have lost two in a row.

Jeff Woody carried the ball 23 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns in defeat.

With the score tied at 23-23, the Wildcats took over at their own 34 with over six minutes to play. Hubert's 22-yard run and Torell Miller's 21-yard catch put the ball at the 24. After losing two yards, Hubert broke off a 26-yard TD run for a 30-23 lead with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

The Cyclones moved the ball down the field and were faced with a 4th-and-2 from the 31. But Woody was stopped for a three-yard loss and Kansas State took over on downs.

Afterward, Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads reflected on his team's knack for playing in close games.

"That is the kind of team we are," he said. "We do not have the talent overall that these teams do on our schedule. How many players have we had in the past two years that were drafted? We just do not have those players yet in our program.

"I think this is our most talented team, and we will have a couple draft- eligible players this year. That is part of the reason why this is our best team. I think we played smart, sound and fundamental football to give ourselves a chance to win over four quarters because we do not have the opportunity to blow people out."

The Cyclones used a flea flicker to score the game's first points. Barnett and Darius Darks hooked up on a 30-yard score to make it 7-0 with two minutes left in the first quarter.

It took Kansas State just one play to tie the game. Klein connected with Tramaine Thompson on a 68-yard score to make it 7-7.

Duran Hollis' 44-yard run led to a Woody one-yard TD run. The extra point was blocked to keep it 13-7 Iowa State.

The Wildcats got a 37-yard field goal from Anthony Cantele early in the second quarter to make it 13-10.

Kansas State took over at its own 38 with two minutes left in the half. Hubert caught a pair of passes for 14 yards to move the ball to the one-yard line. Klein then rumbled into the end zone for his 26th rushing TD of the year and a 17-13 lead at the break.

Barnett was picked off by Raphael Guidry early in the second half, leading to a 47-yard Cantele field goal.

The Cyclones responded with a 12-play, 64-yard scoring drive to tie the game. Iowa State converted a trio of third downs on the march that Woody capped off with a 13-yard TD run.

The Wildcats bridged the third and fourth frames with an 11-play, 72-yard drive. The home team moved the ball to the one-yard line, but Klein was stuffed on 3rd-and-goal. Cantele made a 19-yard field goal for a 23-20 edge.

Iowa State converted two fourth downs on an impressive 16-play, 52-yard drive, but had to settle for a 43-yard Zach Guyer field goal with 6:12 to play.

Game Notes

Iowa State holds a 49-42-4 series edge over Kansas State, but the Wildcats have won the last four meetings...The game was delayed about 90 minutes at the start due to inclement weather.