Iowa State Runs Past Miami of Ohio, 17-13

Iowa State returned to its foundation to finally get the Big 12 Conference a victory in the Independence Bowl.

Stevie Hicks and quarterback Bret Meyer each went for more than 100 yards in a revived running game that carried Iowa State to a 17-13 victory over Miami of Ohio on Tuesday night.

After building its program under Coach Dan McCarney around running the ball, Iowa State struggled in that area much of the season. But the Cyclones (7-5) piled up 295 yards on the ground -- a school record in a bowl -- to spoil Terry Hoeppner’s final game as Miami’s coach.

Hoeppner is leaving to become the coach at Indiana.

“If you look back at the tradition of all the great running backs that have come out of Iowa State ... just to get back to the old ways of what Iowa State rushing used to do, it’s great,” center Luke Vander Sanden said.

Vander Sanden helped spring Hicks for 159 yards in 27 carries, including a four-yard touchdown run on an option pitch from Meyer, who was named the game’s offensive most valuable player.

Meyer, a freshman, carried a season-high 23 times for 122 yards and added 114 yards on 10-for-28 passing. His weaving 23-yard run set up the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and Iowa State held on to end the Big 12’s drought in the Independence Bowl.

Big 12 teams had been 0-6 in this game, including Iowa State’s 14-13 loss to Alabama in 2001.

“I thought the game would be how we matched up with them in the trenches,” Hoeppner said. “They ran the ball better than we expected.”

Just before the game, Miami Athletic Director Brad Bates told the team that offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery would succeed Hoeppner as coach. If the announcement was meant to inspire the RedHawks (8-5), it didn’t do so right away. Miami fell behind 10-0 before rallying to a 13-10 lead in the third quarter.

But the Cyclones, who were averaging just 128 yards a game rushing, kept pounding away at the Miami defensive front and finally regained the lead on Ryan Kock’s one-yard plunge with 13:02 left.

Ellis Hobbs secured the victory by stepping in front of receiver Ryan Busing to intercept Josh Betts’ pass in the final minute.

It was the first time in the 29-year history of the Independence Bowl that two players on the same team rushed for more than 100 yards.