Sept. 9, 2000

Box Score?|? Quotes

By CHUCK SCHOFFNER
AP Sports Writer

AMES, Iowa - Sage Rosenfels passed for 286 yards and two touchdowns and Iowa State added three scores in a span of 2 1/2 minutes to beat UNLV 37-22 on Saturday.

Iowa State overcame a strong debut by UNLV's highly touted quarterback, Jason Thomas, to go 2-0 for only the second time since 1985.

Thomas, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound sophomore who transferred from Southern California, threw two touchdown passes, scored on a 45-yard run and hurt Iowa State with his scrambling. But the Rebels (0-1) couldn't overcome their 12 penalties and Iowa State's 17-point flurry midway through the first half.

Leading 7-6 late in the first quarter, Iowa State converted a fumble, an interception and a blocked punt into two touchdowns and a field goal to break it open.

The first turnover came when James Reed knocked the ball from Thomas and Doug Densmore recovered for Iowa State at the UNLV 25. The Cyclones did not score after any of the four turnovers they forced in their opener, but they capitalized this time.

Michael Wagner finished a seven-play drive by taking a pitchout from Rosenfels on an option play to the left and zipping 3 yards through a big hole into the end zone.

Dustin Avey intercepted Thomas on the next play and Mike McKnight followed with a 40-yard field goal. Iowa State then stopped UNLV in three plays and Atif Austin smothered Ray Cheetany's punt just as his foot was striking the ball.

Lane Danielsen picked it up and scrambled into the end zone, making it 24-6 with 12:56 left in the half. Iowa State also blocked a field goal attempt by Cheetany in the fourth quarter to preserve a 34-22 lead.

Rosenfels hit Chris Anthony on a perfectly thrown 39-yard touchdown pass against a 21 mph wind on the game's first series. Then, after UNLV pulled to 27-15 late in the third quarter, Rosenfels answered with a 78-yard touchdown pass to J.J. Moses.

Moses caught the ball on a crossing pattern and got good block from Craig Campbell as he outran the pursuit down the left sideline.

Rosenfels finished 16-of-31 with one interception. His 55-yard pass to Danielsen set up a 26-yard McKnight field goal that made it 27-6 at halftime.

Thomas, playing for the first time since he was a high school senior in 1997, looked rusty at first but got sharper as the game went on. On his touchdown run, which came on the Rebels' first series, Thomas freed himself for the final 10 yards by faking defensive back Jamarcus Powers off his field.

Later, he threw touchdown passes for 56 and 31 yards to Nate Turner and finished with 297 total yards. Just 3-for-13 in the first half, Thomas ended up 9-of-25 for 190 yards. He added 107 yards rushing in 21 carries.