09/19/26 02:44:00
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09/19 14:39 CDT Aiden Flora's career day leads Cyclones' offensive onslaught in
55-7 win over Bowling Green
Aiden Flora's career day leads Cyclones' offensive onslaught in 55-7 win over
Bowling Green
AMES, Iowa (AP) --- Aiden Flora ran for 179 of his career-high 194 yards in the
first half and returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown, and Cameron Pettaway
scored on a 100-yard kick return against his old team as Iowa State rolled past
Bowling Green 55-7 on Saturday.
The Cyclones (2-1) amassed 507 yards of offense against their overmatched
opponent from the Mid-American Conference in their final tuneup before they
open Big 12 play at home next week against No. 17 Utah.
Not including their five-game 2020 pandemic season, the Falcons (0-3) are out
to their worst start since losing their first five games in 2017.
Flora, who walked on in 2024 and was awarded a scholarship in January, finished
with 296 all-purpose yards for the most by an Iowa State player since Leonard
Johnson piled up 319 against Oklahoma State in 2008.
Flora led a rushing attack that totaled 365 yards, most since the Cyclones ran
for 368 against Texas Tech in 2011.
Play stopped for about 15 minutes in the first quarter as medics tended to Iowa
State cornerback Jaheim Singletary. He was taken off the field on a backboard
after he collided with teammate Willie Breland III as they chased after Bowling
Green's Winn Sharp on a 59-yard scoring play. Breland was not injured.
Singletary showed movement in his extremities at an Ames hospital and was
continuing to be evaluated, the school announced.
When play resumed, Pettaway busted through Bowling Green's kick coverage,
angled toward the right sideline and picked up a key block from Dominic Overby
on his way to a 100-yard touchdown. Pettaway ran back a kick 98 yards for a
touchdown last season while earning Mid-American Conference
freshman-of-the-year honors for Bowling Green.
Flora followed with touchdowns of 61 and 42 yards as the Cyclones went to
halftime leading by four touchdowns, and his long punt return in the middle of
the third quarter put them up 45-7.
The takeaway
Bowling Green: The Falcons' 27 points through three games are fewest in the
program's Division I era that began in 1962. They ran two plays on Iowa State's
side of the field in the first half and never got past the ISU 35 except for
Sharp's 59-yard TD reception. The defense has allowed 295.7 yards rushing per
game so far.
Iowa State: The Cyclones were able to blow out their offensive engine after
losing 16-13 at Iowa last week. Though the run game produced numbers not seen
in 15 years, the going will get much tougher when a Utah defense giving up 85
yards per game on the ground comes to Ames.
Up next
Bowling Green: hosts South Florida next Saturday.
Iowa State: hosts Utah next Saturday.
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