Cyclones Beat UNI, 31-7, In Front Of Record Crowd

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State scored 31 consecutive points to defeat Northern Iowa, 31-7, Saturday night in the season opener in front of a school-record and sell-out crowd of 61,500 at the renovated Jack Trice Stadium.

After a scoreless first quarter, UNI's Savon Huggins scored on a 19-yard strike from Aaron Bailey to go up 7-0 with 11:57 left in the half. The Cyclones fumbled on their next possession as Quenton Bundrage lost the ball fighting for extra yardage. ISU got it right back on Dale Pierson's first career interception and the Cyclones tied it up on freshman running back Joshua Thomas' first TD scamper.

After a pair of field goal misses earlier in the game, Cole Netten put the Cyclones in front for the first time in 2015 with a 24-yard field goal. Jay Jones had a big sack for the Cyclones, knocking UNI out of field-goal range near the end of the first half.

Richardson connected with Dondre Daley for a 36-yard touchdown pass and also hit Allen Lazard for a 13-yard TD as ISU opened up a 24-7 lead after three quarters.

Trever Ryen added to the Cyclone lead when the walk-on returned a UNI punt 81 yards for a touchdown.

Keys of the Game
Iowa State's defense was dominant in passing situations, led by Pierson. The Cyclones' six sacks were the most since the Houston Bowl in 2005, when ISU also totaled six against TCU. Iowa State had 13 tackles for a loss.

Pierson had three sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss.

Players of Note...
Pierson, a senior from Bakersfield, California, finished with five tackles. He also had an interception that set up the Cyclones' first score of the game and his three sacks were the most by an ISU player since Jason Berryman had 3.5 in the 2005 Houston Bowl.

Quarterback Sam Richardson was effective for the Cyclones, completing 21-of-29 passes for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Richardson hit seven different receivers, with Bundrage leading the way with five receptions.

The Cyclones utilized a three-back attack with starter Tyler Brown carrying 11 times for a career-best 68 yards.

Cyclone Quick Hits
*Attendance was 61,500, a sellout and a school record for Iowa State.
*ISU improves to 5-2 in season openers under Paul Rhoads.
*The Cyclones lead the all-time series with UNI, 21-5-3.
*Pierson's interception in the second quarter was the first of his career.
*Dondre Daley had a career-high 70 yards receiving on four receptions.
*The Cyclones outgained the Panthers, 310-302, despite the Panthers having more than a six minute edge in time of possession.
*Iowa State's 193 punt return yards were a school record.
*Richardson now has 39 career touchdown passes, one shy of Todd Bandhauer (1995-98) for third on the ISU career list.

Next Up
Iowa State hosts Iowa (1-0) in a Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series showdown next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. The game will be televised by Fox.

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Brown

Quenton Bundrage

Dondre Daley

Allen Lazard

Cole Netten

Dale Pierson

Sam Richardson

Trever Ryen

Joshua Thomas

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