ORLANDO, Fla. – Rocco Becht scored from 1-yard out on fourth-and-goal with 56 seconds left, and No. 18 Iowa State capped the best season in school history by beating No. 15 Miami 42-41 on the pop -Tarts Bowl on Saturday.

Becht finished the game with 270 passing yards and three touchdowns for Iowa State (11-2), a program that began this season – the 133rd year of Cyclone football – never winning more than nine games in a year.

The Cyclones didn’t stop at 10 wins either. They rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit – with Miami quarterback Cam Ward looking on after a record-setting first half – to pick up win No. 11. Carson Hansen rushed for two touchdowns.

Ward caught three touchdowns in his final college game, while Damien Martinez rushed for a career-high 179 yards for Miami (10-3), which lost its sixth straight bowl game and ended the season losing three of four games.

Martinez and Mark Fletcher Jr. surged for points for Miami, which was seeking its first 11-win season since 2003. Elijah Arroyo, Jojo Trader and Jacolby George had touchdown catches for the Hurricanes.

A 15-play, 84-yard drive by Iowa State provided the winning score.

The first half was wild. Miami fumbled the ball away on the first snap of the game. And the next eight drives all ended in touchdowns, with neither team able to stop the other.

The teams combined for 625 yards — 358 for Miami, 267 for Iowa State — and 59 points at halftime, which Miami finished with a 31-28 lead. The only punt came midway through the second quarter from Iowa State’s Tyler Perkins; He was cheered as he walked onto the field during a first-half ping-pong game and the teams traded touchdowns like nothing.

Ward was 12 of 19 passing for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the first half before Emory Williams took over to start the second half. Fletcher’s 1-yard run midway through the third quarter gave Miami a 38-28 lead, but the Hurricanes scored just three points on their final three drives.

The takeaway food

Iowa State: The Cyclones had touchdown drives of 22, 75, 65 and 75 yards on their first four possessions for a total of 237 yards. They had a touchdown and 110 yards on their next five possessions, not counting one that was just a kneel-down to end the half.

Miami: The Hurricanes are 50-0 since the start of 2000 when they scored at least 38 points and gained at least 500 yards. They’re now 50-2 – the loss to Syracuse that cost Miami a spot in the College Football Playoff ended the streak, and the Hurricanes lost Saturday despite allowing 41 points and 524 yards.

Impact on the survey

If Miami stays in the AP Top 25, 2024 would be the first season since 2017 in which the Hurricanes appeared in every poll. Iowa State finished the season ranked ranked for only the second time since 2000.

school certificate

Andy Borregales’ field goal with 9:40 remaining gave Miami a 41-35 lead – giving him 11 points (five PATs, two field goals) on the day and 404 points in his career. That set a new Miami school record, one more than Michael Badgley.

Next

Iowa State: Opens the 2025 season on August 23 against Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland.

Miami: Opens the 2025 season at home against Notre Dame sometime on Labor Day weekend. The date – between Thursday, August 28th and Monday, September 1st – has not yet been set.

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