5 takeaways from Iowa State's win against Cincinnati: Tight ends save the day by design

AME S— That winning feeling came back to Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday.

Iowa State beat Cincinnati 34-17. It was a much-needed win after Iowa State had lost two straight games following a 7-0 start.

Here are five takeaways from Iowa State's (8-2 overall, 5-2 Big 12) win:

Tight ends have a huge game by design Stevo Klotz is a large man.

The tight end is 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, but in the third quarter managed to sneak by a wall of Bearcat defenders focused on quarterback Rocco Becht rolling to his right. Becht moved with the intent to run — at least that's what it looked like — until he pulled up and lobbed a pass to a wide-open Klotz.

That play was Klotz' first touchdown this season, but it probably won't be the play from Saturday he gets asked about the most.

With the Cyclones facing fourth-and-nine from their own 42-yard line later in the third, Klotz took a direct snap on a fake punt. He ran down an alley of blockers for a gain of 22 yards down the left sideline. It proved to be a pivotal play in terms of everything: the score, field position and momentum, as Kyle Konrardy kicked a 52-yard field goal four plays later.

Sophomore tight end Gabe Burkle led Iowa State with five catches for 67 yards. He caught six catches on seven targets.

Orange you glad Domonique is back? Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange (or "Big Citrus" as his T-shirts say) is easy to spot. The junior is 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, and returned to action after missing last week's Kansas game with an injury.

Orange made three tackles against Cincinnati, all in the first half.

He tackled Sorsby twice on the Bearcats' final drive of the first half. It led to ISU getting the ball back at the Cincinnati 37-yard line after an 18-yard punt. That extra possession proved important, as ISU kicker Kyle Konrardy kicked a 37-yard field goal with eight seconds left in the half to tie the game at 10.

Linebacker Will McLaughlin also returned to action Saturday. After starting all 13 games last season, he hadn't played this season.

McLaughlin made four tackles (one shy of defensive back Jonathon Cooper's team-high five).

Sorsby hurts Cyclones where they knew he could In his Tuesday press conference, ISU coach Matt Campbell talked up Sorsby's rushing ability, especially in the red zone.

Sorsby scored seven rushing touchdowns entering Saturday's game and just the threat of his rushing ability led to another Bearcat score early in the game.

When executed perfectly, a read-option might be the hardest play in football to stop. In the first quarter, Sorsby took a shotgun snap and ran to the weak right side of ISU's defensive front. Sorsby waited until he was nearly at the line-of-scrimmage before pitching the ball to running back Evan Pryor, who cut through the defense for a 12-yard score. Sorsby's patience put junior linebacker Jacob Ellis in a bind.

Later in the quarter, Sorsby again tested the right side with a read option. This time, Sorsby kept the ball and accelerated around the edge for a 41-yard gain.

In the fourth quarter, Sorsby ran up the middle for a 41-yard touchdown. That rush stung a little extra for the Cyclones because it came on a third-and-11.

Sorsby finished the game with a game-high 136 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

First drive defensive woes return

Iowa State is great at winning coin tosses lately, but it's not creating desirable outcomes. Cyclone captains won the toss again on Saturday and, like usual, deferred, putting their defense on the field first.

Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby rushed 14-yards up the middle on third-and-15 to set up a fourth-down conversion in Cincinnati's own territory. No ISU linebackers were on the field for Sorsby's key rush. Three defensive linemen rushed and safety Beau Freyler vacated the middle of the field.

After that, the Bearcats used gains of 23 yards, 12 and 12 again to score a touchdown. It looked like a continuation of the game against Kansas : Big plays and consistent chunk gains on the ground.

Cincinnati is the fifth out of ISU's past six opponents to score a touchdown on their opening drive.

Could another running back be in the mix?

Cincinnati ranked No. 12 of 16 Big 12 teams in terms of rushing yards allowed (155 yards yards a game) entering the game. Iowa State was unable to exploit that weakness.

In the first half, Iowa State ran for 24 yards on 13 attempts. The Cyclones finished the game with a respectable 4.5 yards per rush boosted by a late 27-yard touchdown from Abu Sama, who led the team with 12 rushed for 52 yards.

ISU gave Aiden Flora, who is probably best remembered for his late touchdown against Arkansas State, a chance. That Arkansas State game is the only other he's carried the ball in this season. The freshman from Adel rushed three times for 16 yards. His 5.3 yards per carry lead ISU running backs.