Aiden Flora's career day leads Cyclones' offensive onslaught in 55-7 win over Bowling Green

AMES, Iowa -- — Aiden Flora ran for 179 of his career-high 194 yards in the first half and returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown, and Cameron Pettaway scored on a 100-yard kick return against his old team as Iowa State rolled past Bowling Green 55-7 on Saturday.

The Cyclones (2-1) amassed 507 yards of offense against their overmatched opponent from the Mid-American Conference in their final tuneup before they open Big 12 play at home next week against No. 17 Utah.

Not including their five-game 2020 pandemic season, the Falcons (0-3) are out to their worst start since losing their first five games in 2017.

Flora, who walked on in 2024 and was awarded a scholarship in January, finished with 296 all-purpose yards for the most by an Iowa State player since Leonard Johnson piled up 319 against Oklahoma State in 2008.

Flora led a rushing attack that totaled 365 yards, most since the Cyclones ran for 368 against Texas Tech in 2011.

“It’s kind of what we’ve seen at times in practice,” Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers said. “It's what we believe we can do. We’re going to have some tougher games coming up and we’ve got to be able to strain for some of those yards. They may not come as easy at times. I was happy to see the body of work come together and the effort we preach.”

Play stopped for about 15 minutes in the first quarter as medics tended to Iowa State cornerback Jaheim Singletary. He was taken off the field on a backboard after he collided with teammate Willie Breland III as they chased after Bowling Green’s Winn Sharp on a 59-yard scoring play. Breland was not injured.

Singletary showed movement in his extremities at an Ames hospital and was continuing to be evaluated, the school announced.

When play resumed, Pettaway busted through Bowling Green's kick coverage, angled toward the right sideline and picked up a key block from Dominic Overby on his way to a 100-yard touchdown. Pettaway ran back a kick 98 yards for a touchdown last season while earning Mid-American Conference freshman-of-the-year honors for Bowling Green.

Flora followed with touchdowns of 61 and 42 yards as the Cyclones went to halftime leading by four touchdowns, and his long punt return in the middle of the third quarter put them up 45-7.

It was the first time in program history that Iowa State had punt and kick returns for touchdowns in the same game.

“Those guys are dynamic,” Rogers said. “Cam was just doing that for that team last year, and for him to spring one like that in a critical moment... An injury like that kind of sucks the life out of your team. To respond like he did was huge and kind of flipped momentum back into our favor and got the sideline and the fans back engaged again. Just explosive plays by both guys.”

The takeaway

Bowling Green: The Falcons' 27 points through three games are fewest in the program's Division I era that began in 1962. They ran two plays on Iowa State's side of the field in the first half and never got past the ISU 35 except for Sharp's 59-yard TD reception. The defense has allowed 295.7 yards rushing per game so far.

Iowa State: The Cyclones were able to blow out their offensive engine after losing 16-13 at Iowa last week. Though the run game produced numbers not seen in 15 years, the going will get much tougher when a Utah defense giving up 85 yards per game on the ground comes to Ames.

“It may look boring to the fans because it's not run-and-gun and shoot,” Rogers said. “We take all the (time) off the play clock and we run the football. You can wear people out. It's the style of ball I believe in playing. Can you play that way against everybody? No. But you can build your identity around toughness running the football and stopping the run.”

Up next

Bowling Green: hosts South Florida next Saturday.

Iowa State: hosts Utah next Saturday.

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