Rocco Becht threw one touchdown pass and ran for another, leading Iowa State to a 34-17 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday night.
The Cyclones (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) pulled away in the second half to beat the tough Bearcats (5-5, 3-4).
Stevo Klotz caught Becht’s only touchdown pass, a 26-yard throw that put Iowa State ahead for good at 17-10 with 10:04 remaining in the third quarter. Klotz, a senior tight end, has now scored two touchdowns in his last two games against Cincinnati.
“He was incredible today for us,” said Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, praising Klotz.
Becht’s rushing touchdown came after a high snap, and he ran 15 yards to score, giving Iowa State a 27-17 lead with about 4 minutes left in the game. Becht finished as the team’s leading rusher with 48 yards on seven carries.
“Whenever the ball is in my hands, I can make a play with it,” Becht said.
Carson Hansen ran in a 2-yard touchdown for the Cyclones’ first score of the game, marking his team-high ninth touchdown of the season. Abu Sama III added a 27-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left to cap the scoring.
“To watch our guys battle and stick in there and do those things really well was awesome to see,” Campbell said.
Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby completed 11 of 19 passes for 66 yards but led the Bearcats in rushing with 141 yards on 14 carries, including a 41-yard touchdown. Evan Pryor scored the first touchdown of the game with a 12-yard run.
“I think, obviously, we did some good things tonight, but we also did some bad things,” said Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield. “You can’t make mistakes in the last six minutes against good football teams, so we’ve got to do better.”
