October 24, 2009

Associated Press
Special to CycloneReport.com

LINCOLN, Neb.(AP) Nebraska matched a school record by committing eight turnovers, including four inside the Iowa State 5, and the Cyclones upset the Cornhuskers 9-7 for their first victory in Lincoln since 1977.

Iowa State also ended a 15-game Big 12 losing streak in games played away from Ames, Iowa.

Zac Lee was intercepted by Michael O'Connell and Jesse Smith in the final 3 minutes, ending Nebraska's comeback hopes.

Iowa State (5-3, 2-2), an 18 1/2-point underdog, scored on Grant Mahoney's 52-yard field goal and Jerome Tiller's 47-yard touchdown pass to Jake Williams. Tiller was filling in for regular starter Austen Arnaud, who was out with an injury to his throwing hand.

Tiller ran 19 times for 65 yards and completed nine of 19 passes for 102 yards.

Jeremiah Schwartz picked up 50 yards on 22 carries as the replacement for Big 12 rushing leader Alexander Robinson, who sat out with a groin injury.

Nebraska (4-3, 1-2), playing as an unranked team for the first time this season, lost its second straight at home. After last week's 31-10 loss to Texas Tech, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini reopened the competition for the starting quarterback's job. Lee, the season-long starter, played the whole game and finished 20 of 37 for 248 yards.

Iowa State converted two of Nebraska's three first-half turnovers into points.

Mahoney's field goal put the Cyclones up 3-0 after Roy Helu Jr. fumbled on the game's first play from scrimmage. Dontrayevous Robinson's 3-yard run gave Nebraska a 7-3 lead, and the Huskers were on the verge of adding to it after drving to the Iowa State 16.

That's when David Sims intercepted his fourth pass of the season on a freak play.

Mike McNeill looked like he would be able to snag a tipped pass over the middle, but James Smith stripped it from the tight end, and the closing-in Helu knocked it up in the air just enough to allow Sims to grab it before it hit the ground.

Tiller hit Williams on the touchdown pass the play after punter Mike Brandtner ran 20 yards for a first down on a fake. Mahoney had his extra-point kicked blocked, his fourth miss in four games.

Nebraska bungled another first-half scoring chance when Lee hit Niles Paul with a long pass along the sideline. But Paul was tripped up at the Iowa State 7, and the ball dropped out of his hands and into the end zone, where Smith recovered for the Cyclones.

The Huskers turned over the ball on their first three possessions of the second half. Helu fumbled into the end zone, the Cyclones' Nate Frere stripped the ball from Robinson at the Cyclone 5 and Menelik Holt fumbled after catching a pass from Lee.

The Huskers still had chances to rally late, but O'Connell picked off a tipped pass and, after Iowa State went three and out, Smith intercepted Lee.