No. 17 Cyclones overcome turnovers, rally past Baylor
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes in the second half after throwing three interceptions in the first, and No. 17 Iowa State came from behind to beat Baylor 38-31 Saturday night.
The Cyclones (5-2) are 5-1 in conference play for the first time in the program's 128-year history and are first in the Big 12 by a half-game.
Breece Hall went over 100 yards rushing for the seventh straight game, finishing with 133 and two touchdowns. He also caught a TD pass.
The Cyclones won for the first time since 2012 when committing four turnovers. Baylor scored its first 24 points off Iowa State turnovers, the last coming when Greg Eisworth muffed a punt.
Iowa State linebacker Mike Rose sealed the victory when he intercepted Charlie Brewer's pass in the end zone with 57 seconds left.
Purdy was intercepted on Iowa State's first two possessions, and Baylor turned them into points. Jalen Pitre's 30-yard interception return put the Bears ahead 21-7.
The Cyclones wiped out a 24-10 deficit on Purdy's 22-yard pass to Charlie Kolar and on Hall's 17-yard run. Purdy's TD passes of 6 yards to Chase Allen and 6 yards to Hall put Iowa State up 38-24.
Trestan Ebner's 58-yard catch-and-run pulled Baylor within a touchdown before Rose made his third interception of the season in the final minute.
THE TAKEAWAY
Baylor: The Bears were left without their top two running backs when Craig Williams suffered what appeared to be a serious leg injury in the first half. John Lovett was already out with an injury. The Bears also lost linebacker Terrel Bernard to injury in the second half.
Iowa State: Purdy's second interception, with Iowa State at the Baylor 14-yard line, was his first red zone turnover in 29 career games. The junior had previously accounted for 43 red zone touchdowns.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
A victory could vault No. 17 Iowa State into the top 15. Just five previous Cyclone teams have climbed that high after seven games, with the most recent coming in 2017, coach Matt Campbell's second season.
UP NEXT
Baylor visits Texas Tech on Nov. 14.
Iowa State hosts Kansas State on Nov. 21.