Improved offense still isn't enough for Iowa State in 35-20 loss to No. 14 Oklahoma

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State doubled the number of points it scored against Oklahoma in the Bob Stoops era ... and it still made no difference.

The gap between the two programs, while no longer gaping, remained wide enough for the Sooners to continue their incredible mastery of the Cyclones.

Landry Jones and his receivers made one big play after another Saturday in No. 14 Oklahoma's 35-20 victory, its 21st straight over the Cyclones in Ames.

"That football team is full of men," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said of the Sooners. "That team is big all around and is skilled at every position. They played to the level of their physical ability."

The one consolation for the Cyclones: They never before had scored more than 10 points against Oklahoma since Stoops became the Sooners' coach in 1999. The Sooners had won those previous seven games by an average of 32 points.

But when Jones is as precise as he was in this one, 20 points aren't enough.

"They were very fast paced. Their quarterback was on point all game," ISU defensive lineman Jake McDonough said. "They just kept coming at us."

Oklahoma (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) outgained Iowa State 325-84 in the first half and finished with 593 yards. Jones threw for 405 yards and a season-high four touchdowns and Brennan Clay ran for a career-best 157 yards as the Sooners (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) bounced back from a loss to Notre Dame.

It was victory No. 145 for Stoops, which moved him into a tie with Bud Wilkinson for second place on the school's career list. Barry Switzer is the leader with 157.

"Landry Jones, he was on fire," McDonough said. "He was putting the ball where the receivers were able to make plays. It was frustrating."

Perhaps the most frustrating moment for the Cyclones came when cornerback Jeremy Reeves batted the ball away in the end zone and Justin Brown still caught it for a 20-yard touchdown.

"You see that week in and week out in this league," Rhoads said. "This league is loaded with talent."

Jones' TD pass to Brown to open the second half put the Sooners up 21-6, and they put it away when Jones' 31-yard TD pass to Kenny Stills made it 35-13 with 10:59 left.

Steele Jantz threw for 191 yards for Iowa State (5-4, 2-4), which ran into an Oklahoma team far more efficient than the one that was held to a season-low point total in the 30-13 loss to Notre Dame. But it took a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Stills with 14 seconds left in the first half to put the Sooners up 14-6.

The Cyclones answered Brown's touchdown catch quickly, as Jarvis West scored on a 19-yard end-around run to pull them within 21-13. Oklahoma systematically wore down Iowa State's defense, running 68 plays through three quarters, and Clay's 18-yard TD run made it 28-13 Sooners with 2:04 left in the third quarter.

It was the 10th time Jones has thrown for 400 yards in his career, and the Sooners converted on nine of 14 third downs.

Oklahoma was held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season. But Iowa State couldn't keep Jones and the Sooners off the board forever, as Jones threw a 20-yard TD pass to Sterling Shepard with 10 minutes left in the first half to give Oklahoma a 7-0 lead.

Jones completed 16 of his first 22 passes. But his 23rd and 24th tries landed in the waiting arms of Iowa State safety Durrell Givens.

Givens came across the field to make his first interception and returned it 47 yards. His second came on a ball tipped by teammate Jeremiah George.

"His first interception was a big-time play," Rhoads said. "It was a big-time catch and a great break on the ball. They say that defensive backs should be able to cover one-third of the pass distance while the ball is in the air, and he did that and maybe more on that play."

The Cyclones turned their good fortune into field goals of 27 and 51 yards by Edwin Arceo late in the second quarter. Settling for three points instead of seven, however, came back to haunt Iowa State.

The Sooners are now 70-5-2 against Iowa State and a perfect 8-0 under Stoops.

The last time the Cyclones beat Oklahoma in Ames was in 1960 — three days before John F. Kennedy was elected president.