DALLAS (FWAA) The Iowa State Cyclones
set an early tone with a dominant first half, then the defense finished
the job with its first shutout in two seasons, a 24-0 triumph over
Texas. The Cyclones posted their first home win over the Longhorns
in six tries, which also them the AutoNation National Team
of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 24.
Iowa
State's defensive crush started in the first half, when it held
Texas to just 98 total yards. The second half was just as dominant,
as Texas crossed midfield only twice in the game and only gained
204 total yards, the third-lowest total for an ISU opponent in a
Big 12 game. The shutout was Iowa States first since holding Kansas
scoreless in a 34-0 win in 2013, as the Cyclones became the first
unranked team to shut out Texas since 1961.
The Cyclones rolled up 223 yards in the first half while posted
a 10-0 lead on a 10-yard scramble by Joel Lanning and a 28-yard
field goal from Cole Netten on the final play before halftime. Mike
Warren rushed for 157 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown,
marking the third consecutive season that ISU has had a 100-yard
rusher against Texas.
"We accomplished all the things that we felt we needed to
beat Texas. We won the turnover margin, we stopped the run, we threw
and ran against their pressure, we were fantastic in special teams,
and we started fast," Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads said. "People
questioned whether we could do that or not. Our confidence level
will be up another notch with this.
Other AutoNation National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend
of Oct. 31 included:
Florida (7-1): The Gators swarmed all
over rival Georgia, forcing five turnovers in a 27-3 win in
jackonville that put them one win away from clinching the Southeastern
Conference East Division title. Florida opened a 20-0 first-half
lead and staved off any hope of a comeback with three second-half
interceptions. The Gators have already matched their win total
from last season with at four regular-season games remaining.
Miami (5-3): The Hurricanes became the
latest team to win a game with a jaw-dropping special teams
touchdown on the final play, as Corn Elder returned a kickoff
91 yards via eight laterals to stun Duke, 30-27 in Durham. The
win gave interim head coach Larry Scott a win in his first game.
As part of AutoNation's history of charitable involvement, AutoNation
will donate $1,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF)
in Iowa State University's name. This charitable college football
initiative culminates with the AutoNation Cure Bowl, a new post-season
NCAA football game that kicks off bowl season at the Citrus Bowl
Stadium in Orlando, Fla., and will be aired by CBS Sports Network.
The aptly named AutoNation Cure Bowl also serves as a fund raiser
for the BCRF, CharityWatch's only A+ rated breast cancer organization
in the country.
"We want to celebrate the very best of college football, while
also helping to raise awareness for the importance of finding a
cure for cancer," says AutoNation CMO Marc Cannon. "This season-long
partnership with the FWAA, leading up to the AutoNation Cure Bowl,
puts a spotlight on a cause that we're determined to tackle."
"In our 75th season of existence, this a marvelous platform to
get our players and the team of the week series excellent exposure
as well as helping AutoNation in its effort to fight cancer and
contribute to the educational funds of deserving student-athletes,"
said FWAA 2015 President Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald.
"It is very exciting to be able to help our organization as well
as others in this splendid effort."
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national
team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the first season
AutoNation has presented the award. Members of the FWAA All-America
Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during
the 2015 college football regular season, the FWAA will name a National
Team of the Week. Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide
the weekly honor.
AutoNation is also the presenting sponsor of the FWAA's national
offensive and defensive players of the week announced each
Tuesday, the 2015 FWAA All-America Team and the 75th Anniversary
FWAA All-America Team. The 2015 AutoNation FWAA All-America Team
will be announced at the AutoNation Cure Bowl on Dec. 19.
About AutoNation, Inc.: AutoNation is transforming
the automotive retail industry through bold leadership. We deliver
a peerless automotive retail experience through our customer-focused
sales and service processes. Owning and operating 293 new vehicle
franchises, which sell 35 new vehicle brands across 15 states, AutoNation
is America's largest automotive retailer, with state-of-the-art
operations and the ability to leverage economies of scale that benefit
the customer. As an indication of our leadership position in our
industry, AutoNation is a component of the S&P 500 Index.
About
the AutoNation Cure Bowl: The AutoNation Cure Bowl a
new post-season NCAA football game whose net proceeds benefit the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The AutoNation Cure Bowl takes
place December 19 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, and will be broadcast
by CBS Sports Network. The bowl is scheduled to involve teams from
the American Athletic and Sun Belt conferences.
About the Football Writers Association of America:
Founded in 1941, the FWAA consists of 1,400 men and women who cover
college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters
and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that
involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day
operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more
information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve
Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
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