Check out these 5 numbers that told the story of Iowa State football's win over TCU

AMES − Iowa State football earned a resounding win over TCU on Saturday, 27-14, thanks to some big plays in all three phases of the game.

The win brings the Cyclones to 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Big 12 Conference, marking the first time the program has been above .500 in league play since 2021. The win brought fans feelings that were a stark contrast to how they felt just a few weeks ago after the team lost to Ohio, and even just last Saturday when ISU lost by 30 points to Oklahoma. Thanks to Saturday’s win, Iowa State is halfway to a bowl game and still has all its goals in front of it.

Plenty of stats popped off the box score that helped coach Matt Campbell and Co. earn the win over TCU, but these five stood out the most from the victory.

More: Instant analysis: Big plays key in Iowa State football's 27-14 win over TCU

5.8 … as in 5.8 yards per carry

The Cyclones’ struggles on the ground haven’t been any secret so far this season. In three games the team failed to eclipse the 100-yard mark on the ground. But on Saturday night, Iowa State put up 215 yards, by far the most they’ve had in a single game this season. The previous high-water mark was 150.

While the raw rushing numbers were miles better than normal, the yards per rush was the best they’ve had in 2023 as well. ISU racked up those 215 yards on 37 carries. That’s an average of 5.8 yards per rush against the TCU defense. It’s also something to note that the rushing yardage was well-dispersed, with no single rusher hitting the 100-yard mark. Eli Sanders led the way with 99 yards on 16 carries.

4 ... as in 4 interceptions

The Iowa State defense nabbed four interceptions in Saturday's win, including two on TCU's first two possessions of the game. Safety Beau Freyler nabbed two for himself, including one in the red zone that stopped the Horned Frogs from drawing first blood and gaining momentum early on in the contest.

More: Peterson: Abu Sama's 55-yard touchdown run provides momentum for Iowa State win vs. TCU

The Cyclones grabbed two of the picks off starting quarterback Chandler Morris, one from a pass by backup QB Josh Hoover after Morris went out with an injury, and the final pick came off the arm of wide receiver JP Richardson on a trick play late in the game.

Those four interceptions bring the Cyclones' total for the year to 10. That's more than their total number of picks from the entire 2022 campaign (seven). It's also the first time the Iowa State defense has grabbed four interceptions in a single game since a 2016 win over San Jose State, which was Campbell's first win with the Cyclones.

2021 ... as in Iowa State is above .500 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2021

Iowa State started the 2022 season 3-0 before starting conference play, where they posted a dismal 1-8 mark. They lost five straight before earning a win over West Virginia.

In 2021, Campbell and Co. finished the season with a 7-6 overall record but were pretty solid in conference play, posting a 5-4 record that year. Though they did struggle at the tail end of that season, a 48-14 win over this same TCU program pushed them back up above .500 on the last game of the regular season.

3 ... as in Darien Porter has three punts blocked in his career

The Iowa State redshirt senior isn't a huge name in the defensive backfield, but he most definitely is when it comes to special teams.

More: RECAP: Iowa State football dominates TCU in all three phases for 27-14 win

With less than a minute left in the first half and the score tied at 7, TCU lined up to punt deep in its own territory to give the ball back to Iowa State. A clean punt probably would have resulted in a few conservative play calls before the break and change nothing on the scoreboard. But that's not what happened.

Porter burst through the Horned Frogs' line and got his hands on the punt and the Cyclones recovered at the TCU 11-yard line. Iowa State couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone, but Chase Contreraz drilled a short field goal, one of his two on the night, as time expired to give Iowa State a 10-0 lead at halftime.

That blocked punt was the third of his career. The school's sports information department is not aware of any Cyclone with more than three in program history.

24 ... as in Abu Sama's jersey number

Iowa State fans, get used to seeing the number 24 on your TV screens. True freshman Abu Sama has shown flashes of brilliance during his very short career, racking up 133 yards on just 32 carries heading into Saturday’s contest. That’s an average of 6.7 yards per clip.

More: Is Abu Sama, likened to David Montgomery, the future great Iowa State football running back?

But against TCU he really burst onto the scene. Sama, a Southeast Polk grad, had six carries for 59 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown scamper on which the Horned Frogs barely even touched him. It marked the first score of his Iowa State career.

Will Kennedy is the deputy sports editor for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at wkennedy@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByWillKennedy.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 5 numbers that show how Iowa State football earned a win over TCU