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

The Iowa State football team moved to 3-3 and 2-1 in the Big 12 Conference on Saturday night with a big 27-14 over TCU (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) at Jack Trice Stadium.

The defense held steady all night long, never giving TCU a lead and only being tied once, at 7-7, early in the second quarter. That gave Iowa State enough time to find its footing on offense and score 20 unanswered points.

The Cyclones earned four interceptions, including back-to-back picks on the opening drives of the game, for the first time since 2016. ISU also had a blocked punt on the night.

All in all, it was a pretty exciting way to spend an evening in the fall. Check out the full highlights of Iowa State’s triumph down below.

More: Peterson: Iowa State football players, coaches are emotional about Jack Trice's legacy

FINAL: Iowa State 27, TCU 14

Here are our instant analysis stories from Randy Peterson and Travis Hines:

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

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

4Q/1:17 TCU adds on, but game is already well out of reach

The Horned Frogs tack on a touchdown on a nine-yard touchdown strike from Josh Hoover to Blake Nowell.

Iowa State up 27-14 with just under two minutes to play.

4Q/3:22 Fourth interception of the day for Iowa State

TCU tries a trick play with a double pass but Beau Freyler is having none of it. He picks off a pass from JP Richardson that falls well short of the intended target, who was in triple coverage anyway.

Iowa State takes over deep in their own territory. They should be able to run the clock out on this one.

4Q/11:27 20 unanswered points for Iowa State

The Cyclones go up 27-7 after a Chase Contreataz 21-yard field goal caps an eight-play, 72-yard drive. An Eli Sanders 28-yard rush was the highlight of the possession.

END 3Q: Iowa State 24, TCU 7

3Q/1:23 a THIRD interception for Iowa State

Cyclones get their third turnover of the night (fourth if you count a turnover on downs), when Malik Verdon picks off a Josh Hoover pass. ISU takes over at their own 25-yard line.

ISU up 24-7

3Q/3:27 Cyclones extend lead with Rocco Becht scoring strike

Iowa State gets more points on the board on a less explosive drive that spans 38 yards in 11 plays. The possession was capped off by a touchdown pass from Rocco Becht to Easton Dean from one yard out. That brings the score to 24-7.

3Q/10:30 Quarterback change for TCU

After Chandler Morris goes down with an injury, Josh Hoover comes in to replace him behind center.

3Q/11:30 Abu Sama hits paydirt

For the first time in his Iowa State career, true freshman Abu Sama finds the end zone. The true freshman running back scampers 55-yards untouched through the middle of the TCU defense.

The Southeast Polk grad makes it 17-7 in favor of the Cyclones.

3Q/15:00 Back underway from Jack Trice

Cyclones have the ball at their own 25 to start things off in the third quarter.

HALFTIME: Iowa State 10, TCU 7

Chase Conteraz splits the uprights on a 26-yard field goal attempt to give the Cyclones a 10-7 lead at the break.

Iowa State gets the ball to start the second half. But it feels like a TD was needed there after the big momentum swing of the blocked punt. An offensive pass interference call on Jayden Higgins gave the Cyclones third-and-long and they couldn't convert

Still, hard to scoff at a halftime lead in the Big 12.

2Q/0:44 Blocked punt sets Iowa State up in great field position

Darien Porter breaks through the line to get his hand on the TCU punt. Iowa State scoops the ball up and returns it to the TCU 11 and is in prime position to take the lead.

That's the third career blocked punt for Porter.

2Q/1:34 TCU takes back over on offense

A third-down drop by Abu Sama on a wide-open wheel route forces Iowa State to punt the ball back to TCU. They’ll start at their own 12 with a chance to take the lead right before the break.

2Q/5:20 Iowa State kick sails wide left, still knotted at 7

A Chase Conteraz 49-yard field goal attempt sails way wide to the left and things remain tied at 7 here in Ames.

That was a nice drive for ISU, but they get nothing to show for the 10-play, 34-yard possession, outside of draining over five minutes off the clock.

TCU takes over at their own 31.

2Q/10:28 TCU answers back to tie it up

The Horned Frogs’ offense is moving the ball down the field well. They answer Iowa State’s scoring drive with one of their own, capped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Chandler Morris to Savion Williams to tie it at 7.

That was an 11-play, 78-yard drive. Lots of missed tackles by the ISU front on that drive too.

END OF 1Q: Iowa State 7, TCU 0

1Q/0:23 Iowa State strikes first with TD from Eli Sanders

Rocco Becht took the ball on an option play from the 4-yard line, ran to the right side and pitched it out to Eli Sanders for the score. That’s his second score of the season.

Drive went five plays and 49 yards.

Iowa State up 7-0 late in the opening frame.

1Q/2:36 Iowa State defense steps up again

The offense hasn’t been great so far for Iowa State. But the defense has been bend-but-don’t-break. They get another turnover, this one on downs, stuffing TCU rusher at fourth-and-short right around midfield.

1Q/8:02 Another pick for Iowa State

After an ISU drive that gained just one yard, the Cyclones punted back to TCU and the Horned Frogs proceeded to drive down the field with relative ease.

But then Chandler Morris reared back to throw and Beau Freyler took it away from the intended receiver to earn another interception for ISU. That’s two picks in as many drives.

Iowa State's offense comes back out onto the field deep in their own territory. They’ll start this drive from the 13 after a short return from Freyler.

1Q/12:17 Iowa State picks off TCU

Will McLaughlin picks off a Chandler Morris pass that seemed intended for the defender. No Horned Frogs really anywhere nearby.

McLaughlin returns the pick to around midfield and the Cyclones offense will hit the field.

7:04 We are underway from Ames

Iowa State wins the coin toss and elects to defer. That means the Cyclones will start on defense and get the second-half kickoff.

Let's have some fun, y'all.

6:45 Looks like we may be in store for some shakeups on the offensive line

Our ISU beat writer, Travis Hines, has reported that true freshman Brendan Black is taking the first-team reps at right guard. If he starts, it’ll be the first time a true freshman starts a game on the offensive line since 2008.

6:30 Abu Sama might be the next big RB for the Cyclones

Sama, a true freshman out of Southeast Polk High School in Des Moines, has already become a fan favorite among the Iowa State faithful. He’s already getting some pretty lofty comparisons, too.

“He had as good of a (prospect) camp as I’ve seen,” Campbell said. “David Montgomery had that type of a camp for us when we were at Toledo and recruited (him). And Abu did the same thing.”

Montgomery, an Iowa State legend at the running back position, racked up 2,925 yards and 26 scores on the ground during his time in Ames. It says a lot about how highly the coaching staff thinks of Sama to even mention him in the same breath as Montgomery.

Sama had his best game as a Cyclone last week, putting up 67 yards on just seven carries. He’s yet to find the end zone this season, but could tonight be the night?

Alyssa Hertel spoke to Campbell, Scheelhaase and wideout Jaylin Noel earlier this week about Sama. Read her full story on the freshman right here.

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

6:00 Can Iowa State’s offense get moving on the ground?

The rushing attack for the Cyclones has left much to be desired so far in the 2023 season. The passing game has seemed to progress week by week as redshirt freshman Rocco Becht gets more and more comfortable as the starter.

The run game got going a bit more against Oklahoma last week, in a 50-20 loss for Iowa State, as the team rushed for a total of 150 yards. Still, the team is averaging just over three yards per carry on the season, good for second to last in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs’ defense is allowing just three yards per carry on average, so it might not be smooth sailing for Abu Sama, Cartevious Norton, Eli Sanders and Co. tonight.

Travis Hines, our ISU beat writer, spoke with Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and did a deep dive on the ground attack. Check it out here.

More: Iowa State's running game improving, but remains a work in progress

5:30 p.m. Iowa State to honor Jack Trice on Saturday

Saturday's tilt with TCU is being billed as the "Jack Trice Legacy Game". The program is honoring Trice, the only Black man whose name is attached to a major college football stadium. Trice played for the Cyclones in 1923 and took the field when the team took on Minnesota. Some opposition players intentionally tried to knock Trice out of the game. Just days later, Trice died as a result of injuries he suffered during a game against Minnesota.

The entire season is being used to honor Trice, but Saturday is the culmination of it all. The 50-yard line at the stadium that bears Trice's name will have a new look. Instead of the standard Iowa State logo at midfield, fans will see a set of alternating red and white lines, resembling the uniform Trice wore with the Cyclones 100 years ago. Iowa State will also take the field in uniforms resembling the ones Trice wore back in 1923. Instead of an Iowa State logo on the helmet, the white lid will just say 'Ames,' which the school's athletic programs used to be referred to as in the early 1900s.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Recap: Iowa State football cruises over TCU for second Big 12 win