WACO, TEXAS — The Iowa State football team jumped out to an early 10-point lead and piled up 472 yards of offense Saturday, November 7, 2026, but a costly second-quarter collapse and an explosive Baylor attack sent the Cyclones to a 42-31 defeat at McLane Stadium, despite another impressive performance from running back Aiden Flora.
Iowa State fell to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in Big 12 Conference play, while Baylor improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the league.
The Cyclones controlled much of the opening 20 minutes and held a 17-7 advantage midway through the second quarter. But the Bears responded with 28 unanswered points, turning a 10-point deficit into an 18-point lead that Iowa State could not overcome.
Flora rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the season and continuing one of the strongest individual rushing campaigns in the Big 12.
Quarterback Jaylen Raynor completed 22 of 37 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on the ground.
The Cyclones also received a record-setting performance from kicker Kyle Konrardy, whose 57-yard field goal established a McLane Stadium record and made him Iowa State’s all-time leader in career field goals of at least 50 yards.
Despite those achievements, Baylor’s ability to produce explosive scoring plays ultimately determined the outcome.
Iowa State struck first with a 91-yard touchdown drive in the opening quarter.
Flora delivered the biggest play, breaking loose for a 40-yard touchdown run with 6:31 remaining in the period.
Konrardy’s extra point gave the Cyclones a 7-0 lead.
Less than four minutes later, the Iowa State kicker added another memorable highlight, drilling a 57-yard field goal to extend the advantage to 10-0.
The kick surpassed the previous McLane Stadium record of 54 yards and tied for the fifth-longest field goal in Cyclone history.
It also marked Konrardy’s seventh career field goal of at least 50 yards, breaking the Iowa State record he previously shared with Jeff Shudak.
The Cyclones appeared to be in control, moving the ball effectively while keeping Baylor’s offense off the scoreboard throughout the first quarter.
But the game’s momentum began shifting in the second period.
After Iowa State missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt, Baylor later scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass from DJ Lagway to Tony Livingston, cutting Iowa State’s lead to 10-7 with 7:41 remaining before halftime.
The Cyclones responded almost immediately.
Raynor found Cameron Pettaway for a 50-yard touchdown reception, completing a three-play, 75-yard scoring drive in just 88 seconds.
Konrardy’s extra point restored a 17-7 lead with 6:13 remaining in the second quarter.
But Iowa State’s defense could not protect that advantage.
Baylor answered with a five-play, 75-yard possession capped by Lagway’s 54-yard touchdown run.
The play reduced the Cyclones’ lead to 17-14 and gave the Bears renewed momentum.
Baylor struck again before halftime, marching 78 yards in eight plays.
Offensive lineman Koltin Sieracki finished the drive with a short rushing touchdown with just 23 seconds remaining in the half.
What had been a promising opening for the Cyclones suddenly became a 21-17 halftime deficit.
The second half brought more trouble for Iowa State.
After the Cyclones failed to generate momentum on their early possessions, Lagway delivered another decisive blow.
The Baylor quarterback connected with Taz Williams Jr. for a 62-yard touchdown pass, extending the Bears’ lead to 28-17 with 10:16 remaining in the third quarter.
The scoring drive required just 14 seconds.
Baylor then added another touchdown when Ryelan Morris broke free for a 33-yard scoring run, pushing the advantage to 35-17.
The Bears had scored 28 consecutive points while Iowa State’s early offensive momentum disappeared.
The Cyclones finally ended their scoring drought early in the fourth quarter.
Raynor directed an 11-play, 75-yard possession that consumed six minutes and ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vince Benetti.
Iowa State’s ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Cyclones trailing 35-23.
The touchdown was Benetti’s fourth receiving score of the season, tying for the sixth-most by an Iowa State tight end since 1996.
With the deficit reduced to 12 points, Iowa State still had an opportunity to make the closing minutes competitive.
But Baylor again delivered an answer.
Morris scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on an 11-yard run with 4:11 remaining, restoring the Bears’ comfortable advantage at 42-23.
Iowa State refused to quit.
Raynor guided another 75-yard touchdown drive, finishing the possession himself with a three-yard scoring run.
The Cyclones converted the two-point attempt on a pass from Flora to Raynor, producing the final 42-31 score with 1:45 remaining.
Although the Cyclones generated 14 fourth-quarter points, the comeback came too late.
Flora’s performance was among the most impressive individual efforts of the afternoon.
His 182 rushing yards gave him 1,119 for the season, making him the 26th player in Iowa State history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a single campaign.
That total already ranks 20th on the school’s all-time single-season list.
Flora has also produced four of the six highest single-game rushing totals in the Big 12 this season, including performances of 221, 212 and 194 yards.
His 40-yard touchdown against Baylor was his ninth rushing score of the season and the 11th of his collegiate career.
He has now scored five rushing touchdowns of at least 40 yards, the most by any Football Bowl Subdivision player this season.
Flora also caught four passes for 20 yards, finishing with 202 yards from scrimmage.
Raynor’s 256 passing yards marked his third game this season with at least 250 yards through the air.
He also recorded his third multi-touchdown passing performance of the year.
Pettaway led Iowa State’s receiving attack with 52 yards on two catches, highlighted by his 50-yard touchdown.
Tyler Fortenberry and Jamal Polite Jr. each caught three passes for 35 yards, while Omari Hayes added three receptions for 28 yards.
For Baylor, Lagway was particularly difficult to contain.
The Bears quarterback passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 119 yards and another score.
Morris added 50 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Gavin Freeman led Baylor’s receivers with six catches for 60 yards.
Williams Jr. contributed the 62-yard touchdown reception that helped Baylor pull away in the third quarter.
The final statistics illustrated how frustrating the defeat was for Iowa State.
The Cyclones outgained Baylor 472-423 in total offense, recorded 25 first downs compared with 20 for the Bears, and controlled possession for 36 minutes and one second.
Iowa State also gained 216 rushing yards and completed a season-high 23 passes as a team.
But the Cyclones committed seven penalties for 65 yards, compared with just one penalty for 15 yards against Baylor.
Iowa State also lost a fumble, while Baylor played without losing a turnover.
Baylor’s offense needed only 63 plays to generate its 423 yards, while Iowa State ran 80 plays, its most in a game this season.
The Bears averaged 6.7 yards per play compared with Iowa State’s 5.9.
Defensively, Sullivan Schlimgen led the Cyclones with five tackles, including three solo stops and a tackle for loss.
Bryson Lamb recorded his first sack as a Cyclone, while Blake Hawkins collected the first sack of his collegiate career.
Iowa State finished with two sacks, but its defense surrendered 42 points after allowing 49 the previous week.
The Cyclones have now allowed 91 points across their last two games, the most in a two-game stretch since allowing 111 combined points against Texas Tech and TCU in October 2015.
The loss also marked another disappointment away from Ames.
Under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers, the Cyclones face an increasingly narrow path toward securing bowl eligibility.
At 4-5, Iowa State must win at least two of its final three regular-season games to reach the six-win threshold commonly required for postseason consideration.
The Cyclones will return to Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, November 14, to face Cincinnati in another Big 12 Conference matchup.
Iowa State will then travel to UCF on November 20 before closing the regular season at home against Kansas State on November 28.
With only three games remaining, the Cyclones must find a way to translate their offensive production into victories while addressing the defensive breakdowns that have allowed opponents to score 91 points over the past two weeks.
For Iowa State, the disappointment in Waco was not a lack of offensive firepower. It was watching a promising 17-7 lead disappear under a Baylor scoring avalanche.
Additional information and statistics are available through Iowa State Athletics.