Flora’s all-around day leads Iowa State over Bowling Green

By admin — In News — September 19, 2026

   ​Iowa State punt returner Aiden Flora (21) breaks a tackle attempt by Bowling Green Falcons special team player Nick Sawyer (18) during a first-quarter punt return on Sept. 19, 2026, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co For the first time in school history, Iowa State returned a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown. Jaylen Raynor threw for 133 yards and one touchdown to true freshman Jamal Polite Jr. and Iowa State defeated Bowling Green 55-7 on Saturday.Cam Pettaway, a Bowling Green transfer, had three receptions for 47 yards and tight end Ty Claiborne two catches for 28 yards. On the Cyclones’ drive of the game, they drove 38 yards in eight plays, but a 54 yard field goal by Kyle Konrardy went wide right. The second drive by Iowa State saw a 34-yard touchdown pass from Raynor to Polite for a 7-0 ISU lead with 5:28 left in the first quarter. On the ensuing Bowling Green drive, the Falcon scored their lone points LDS the day as Jay Kastantin connected with Winn Sharp for a 59 yard reception.Two Cyclones, Jaheim Singletary and Willie Breland III collided on the play. Singletary was carted off the field. Jaheim Singletary was taken to Mary Greeley Medical Center. He has movement in his extremities and is continuing to be evaluated.— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) September 19, 2026Pettaway returned the Falcons’ kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. The return is the longest kickoff return in Iowa State history. On the final drive of the first quarter, Flora rushed 61 yards up the left side of the field to give the Cyclones a 21-7 lead with 19 seconds left in the first period.Arnold Barnes III, a Tulane transfer, went three yard on a rush to make the score 28-7 with 9:47 left in the second quarter. Flora then hit paydirt for a 42-yard score to push the lead to 35-7 with 5:12 left before halftime. Kyle Konrardy opened the second half with three points with a field goal from 39 yards out to increase the lead to 38-7 with 9:16 in the third quarter.On Bowling Green’s first possession of the second half, they went three-and-out. Their punt to Flora was returned by the Adel native 66 yards for a touchdown. Konrardy’s PAT was good and ISU went up 45-7 with 8:07 left in the third quarter. Flora recorded 296 all-purpose yards: 194 rushing yards, 10 receiving yards and 92 punt return yards.In the fourth quarter, Barnes rushed up the middle for eight yards, scoring a touchdown to make the score 52-7 with 8:27 left in the game. That drive took 7:51 off the clock. The final score came when Konrardy scored on a 40 yard field goal to push the lead to 55-7 with 2:22 to go in the contest.Iowa State (2-1) starts their conference schedule next week at home against Utah. Kickoff is schedule for 2:30 p.m.