The Insight Bowl: Someone’s Going Above .500 Here

Tempe, AZ (Sports Network) - Alexander Robinson ran for 137 yards on 22 carries, and Iowa State forced a late turnover to escape with a 14-13 win over Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.

Ter’ran Benton recovered a fumble at the Cyclones’ 15 with under two minutes to play, as Iowa State (7-6) ran out the remainder of the clock to record a winning season in Paul Rhoads’ first year as the coach. It is the school’s first winning campaign since going 7-5 in 2005.

Austen Arnaud completed 19-of-26 passes for 216 yards and a score with two interceptions and ran for 76 yards and a touchdown in the win. Jake Williams caught six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown for the Cyclones.

Adam Weber threw for 261 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-32 efficiency for Minnesota (6-7), which has lost the Insight Bowl in three out of the past four seasons. Weber was also intercepted once, while Da’Jon McKnight had 124 receiving yards on seven receptions in defeat.

Eric Ellestad missed a 34-yard field goal early in the third quarter with a chance to draw the Gophers to within eight, but Minnesota used some trickery to score on its next possession.

On 4th-and-4 from the Minnesota 37, punter Blake Hauden faked the kick and threw a short pass to Kyle Theret for a 40-yard gain. On the following play, Weber floated a 23-yard touchdown pass to Nick Tow-Arnett for a 14-10 game.

Arnaud fumbled the ball away on the next possession for Iowa State, leading to a 21-yard field goal from Ellestad with 21 seconds left in the third.

Minnesota got the ball at its own one-yard line with seven minutes left and a chance to go in front. After driving down to the Iowa State 17, MarQueis Gray fumbled the ball away, as Benton scooped it up for the Cyclones.

As the Gophers had only one timeout remaining, Iowa State was able to run off the remainder of the clock to win the game.

Minnesota used a McKnight 41-yard reception on its opening drive to take the lead on Ellestad’s 36-yard field goad.

Iowa State, meanwhile, struggled to get points early on. A 4th-and-1 on the Gophers’ 26 went for no gain to end the first series, and Arnaud was intercepted on two of the next three drives.

With nine minutes left in the first half, the Cyclones finally got some momentum on offense and drove 71 yards in 10 plays. Arnaud capped the set with a tough nine-yard run to the end zone, dragging a defender past the goal-line for a 7-3 lead with 4 1/2 minutes on the clock.

Minnesota drove to the Iowa State 20 on its next possession, but David Sims intercepted a Weber pass in the end zone after a receiver fell down. The Cyclones subsequently went 89 yards in a minute, as Arnaud found Williams from 38 yards away after a defender slipped for a 14-3 halftime lead.

DeLeon Eskridge led the Minnesota rushing attack with just 44 yards on 13 carries...The Gophers lost five of seven to finish the season...Iowa State had not won a bowl game since the 2004 Independence Bowl...The Cyclones beat Minnesota for the first time since 1898, having lost the last four meetings. The Gophers still dominate the all-time series, 22-3-1.