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.