Iowa State missed two golden touchdown opportunities and fell to Kansas State for the ninth straight time, 31-26 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones dropped two passes that would have resulted in seven points, one in each half.

Kansas State improved to 5-3, 3-2 in the Big 12 while Iowa State fell to 1-7, 0-5.

Wildcats quarterback Jesse Ertz recorded a career high 106 yards rushing while completing 18 of 28 passes for 151 yards. Jacob Park threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns for the Cyclones.

Iowa State had multiple chances to get back into the game. Trailing 17-3, the Cyclones seized momentum at the start of the second half by recovering an onside kick and marching 52 yards in seven plays before capping the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Park to Deshaunte Jones.

The momentum was short-lived. Kansas State took the ensuing kickoff and marched 85 yards in 14 plays, capped by a 1-yard run by Winston Dimel for a 24-10 lead. It was the Wildcats' third scoring drive of at least 10 plays.

Redshirt freshman Alex Barnes followed with his first career touchdown, an 8-yard scamper up the middle in the waning seconds of the third quarter that pushed the advantage to 31-10.

Iowa State came back on a 5-yard touchdown run by Joel Lanning and had a chance to cut the deficit further on the next drive but three failed runs from the 1-yard line and a missed connection from Park to a wide-open David Montgomery in the end zone kept the Cyclones off the board.

Iowa State recorded a safety on the ensuing play. The Cyclones then went 76 yards on nine plays to cut the lead to 31-26 on a pass from Park to Jones, but could not recover the onside kick.

After the teams traded field goals in the first quarter, Ertz hit Deante Burton with an 11-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to give K-State a 10-3 lead. Then, following Duke Shelley's interception, the Wildcats went on an 86-yard drive that was capped by Justin Silmon's 3-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Kansas State dominated the stats in the first half. The Wildcats held almost a 2-to-1 advantage in total yards (257-133), an 18:12-11:48 lead in time of possession, and a 16-7 advantage in first downs.

Iowa State had a chance to cut the lead to seven points when Trever Ryen got behind the safety, but Ryen dropped the pass in full stride at the K-State 10-yard line.