My boss visited us again from the East Coast by way of his Beechcraft Bonanza private plane. This picture shows the plane having just landed as he is coming in to find a parking spot. Work, along with a little football, brought him in for a visit. Today marked the last time Iowa State plays Nebraska in a conference football game, as next year Nebraska is defecting to the Big 10 due to the enticement of the lucrative equal revenue sharing contract from the Big 10 Network.
It turned out to be a great game which went to overtime tied 24-24. Nebraska was ranked coming into the game and Iowa State was a fairly heavy underdog according to the oddsmakers. The Cyclones were ready for the game however, and ended up battling back from a 24-10 deficit going into the fourth quarter. The team showed resilience, a trait that has been lacking in the past under previous coaching staffs. After Nebraska scored a touchdown with the kick for the point after on the first possession of overtime, Iowa State had their chance to tie or win. Iowa State put the ball in the end zone for six points and then lined up for the point after.
Except instead of kicking the point to tie, they went for the kill and tried a fake kick that was really a pass. The receiver was wide open, but the ball holder who needed to loft the 5 yard pass for the win under threw it (or maybe the wind caught it), and it fell short and incomplete near a Nebraska defender. Iowa State lost a nail biter, 30-31.
It was a game for the ages, and while it was disappointing to be on the losing side, it was also awesome to see Paul Rhoads and his staff have the team ready for a tough, ranked opponent and keep everything together to have the opportunity to win it on the last play in overtime. Many people though the Cyclones would get blown out.
This close of a game against Nebraska is another good sign for the future of Iowa State football. Hopefully the Cyclones (and tailgating) will give my boss many reasons to come back to Ames in the future!
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