Final update (9:25 p.m.): It didn’t take long in the second half for Texas to get its first touchdown of the game. It appeared to have done so on a 37-yard score from freshman quarterback Shane Buechele to junior receiver Armanti Foreman, but an offensive facemask penalty near the goal line negated the apparent touchdown.
It didn’t matter. Buechele found a wide-open sophomore receiver Jerrod Heard on the sideline, and Heard made the catch in the endzone for the score. Texas took its first lead, 10-6, on the play.
Iowa State entered Texas territory on its next drive, looking to take the lead back. But faced with a fourth and one, the Cyclones were stymied by the Texas rush defense.
Buechele and the offense went back to work, and it didn’t take long for the freshman to toss another long touchdown. He found freshman receiver Devin Duvernay for a 75-yard touchdown to give Texas a 17-6 lead.
Now looking to just stay in the game, the Cyclones fired back with a long pass of their own. Lanning completed a 42-yard pass to freshman Deshaunte Jones, putting Iowa State into field goal position.
But junior linebacker Naashon Hughes sacked Lanning with authority. The Cyclones lost eight yards on the play, forcing them to punt it away to the surging Texas offense.
Texas didn’t score quickly on its third possession of the half, but it scored methodically. A 13-play, 96-yard drive culminated in a D’Onta Foreman 18-yard rushing touchdown. Suddenly, it was 24-6, Longhorns.
Still leading by 18 early in the fourth quarter, Texas drove the ball down the field into Iowa State territory once more. The offense showed no signs of stopping until it was faced with fourth and one. Texas elected to pass on the play, but Buechele’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted, ceasing the 12-play, 57-yard drive.
Iowa State went nowhere but backwards when it took over after the turnover. A penalty on first down backed the Cyclones up 14 yards, and they wouldn’t gain another yard, punting it away for the seventh time on the night.
Texas tacked on three more on its fifth drive of the half. The march spanned 57 yards on 11 plays before fizzling out in the redzone. But Domingue knocked in a 29-yarder to give the Longhorns a 27-6 lead.
That’s where the score would stay as Texas improved to 3-3 on the season.
Halftime update (7:41 p.m.): As he’s done every time Texas has won the coin toss this season, Charlie Strong deferred to the second half and elected to put his defense on the turf to open the game.
His defense came through, forcing Iowa State to punt it away after a six-play, 15-yard drive. The Longhorns took over on offense just over two minutes into the contest.
Junior running back D’Onta Foreman ripped off an 18-yard rush into Iowa State territory, and it appeared the Longhorns were on their way to an opening-drive score.
But junior receiver Jake Oliver was flagged for offensive pass interference later in the drive, ceasing any momentum Texas had from Foreman’s long scamper. Sophomore punter Michael Dickson punted two plays later.
It wouldn’t be the only time Dickson came on to kick for Texas in the first half. He became a familiar face throughout the game’s first 30 minutes, booting the ball three more times for the Longhorns.
Iowa State manufactured a field goal on its second drive of the game, going 58 yards on 12 plays before the score. On Texas’ ensuing possession, Foreman fumbled on third and short, giving the ball back to the Cyclones deep in Texas territory.
But Iowa State could only come up with three more points, going 10 yards on six plays before the kick extended its lead to 6-0 with 3:11 left in the first quarter.
Texas had its chances to take a lead throughout the first half, but penalties plagued the Longhorns on multiple drives. Texas totaled five penalties for 50 yards.
The Longhorns embarked on their final drive of the half with 1:46 remaining. Foreman led the team down the field, bringing his halftime yardage total up to 78. But the drive stalled on third and goal when freshman quarterback Shane Buechele’s pass intended for junior receiver Armanti Foreman drifted out of the endzone and incomplete.
Senior kicker Trent Domingue drilled the 21-yard field goal, pulling Texas to within three, 6-3, with 15 seconds left in the half. Texas outgained Iowa State 161-140 in total yards in the first half but failed to make it count on the scoreboard.
Original story: The Longhorns will attempt to get back into the win column on Saturday as they face Iowa State. Texas has lost its past three contests, surrendering 48 points game. A win will put the burnt orange at 3–3 on the year, and give them their first conference win of the season. Follow us here and @TexanSports on Twitter for live updates.
