AP PHOTO - Iowa State linebacker Mike Rose (23) celebrates with teammate Spencer Benton after returning a fumble 21 yards for a touchdown during the second half of a Big 12 Conference football game against Kansas State on Saturday night at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. Iowa State won 42-38.

AMES — If anyone was worried Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy might still be stuck in a rut after the loss at Texas last week, he showed otherwise right out of the gates.

He threw three bombs to three different receivers in the first half — Tarique Milton (41-yard gain), Hakeem Butler (65-yard gain) and Charlie Kolar (29-yard gain) — and was 10-for-12 passing in the first half.

Despite defensive and special teams mistakes, the Cyclones were only down 21-14 against the Kansas State Wildcats at the half Saturday. A 50-yard connection to Butler early in the second half tied the game back up.

But those deep passes came back to haunt Purdy. Down three after a Wildcat field goal with a little more than eight minutes to go in the third quarter, Purdy threw an interception on a deep throw. It turned into seven points for the Wildcats.

And, again, with less than two minutes left in the third quarter, a second interception led Kansas State to another touchdown, going up 38-21. The third quarter was all Wildcats by every statistic.

But no one said Iowa State gives up.

Call it a miracle, call it luck or call it execution, but the Cyclones came back. An offensive touchdown, defensive pressure that led to returning a fumble for a score and another offensive touchdown — all with no Wildcat response — put the game away at 42-38.

“Today was a powerful day. I think powerful in terms of I challenged our football team last week that I really hope that they got to tell our stories. … Winning and losing, we all are judged by, but the loyalty that this team has stayed to itself when the chips were against them. It’s been really fun to coach,” said Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.

After the game, Campbell said it was the first game he really felt like his team went and took since he’d been with the program.

“It’s who we are. We’re not flashy, we’re not always pretty, but you better not count us out,” Campbell said.

Iowa State certainly had flashy plays, though, between the fumble recovery for a touchdown, Purdy’s bombs to Butler and Montgomery’s three touchdowns. Butler said they didn’t focus on the score and the players were telling each other not to quit.

“Process fuels emotion … and creates results. When you prepare, it shows on the field,” Montgomery said. “Every detail counts.”

It’s a team culture Campbell has helped instill in the players since taking over as head coach. He said they aren’t made of five-star players and coaches, so they have to work hard for what they get.

“This team has continued to stay the course — and no, it’s never been perfect — but these kids have continued to believe in each other,” Campbell said.

UP NEXT

Iowa State returns to Jack Trice Stadium next week for its last game of the season against Drake. The game just recently got on the schedule after Iowa State’s opponent Incarnate Word, the team scheduled after Iowa State had to cancel its first game of the season due to inclement weather, made it to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The Cyclones take on the Bulldogs next Saturday at 11 a.m. The Kansas State game was considered senior night because it was established as that before the first game was cancelled. And it was an emotional one for Campbell.

“I thought it was fitting on senior day when you’ve got 19 seniors and to be honest with you, maybe one of the most unselfish groups of young men I’ve ever been around,” Campbell said. “There are not a lot of superstars in that group, but there’s a lot of character. There’s a lot of superstar character.”

The Cyclones secured a bowl game for the second-straight season back in October, but a lot of factors are still up in the air as to where they’ll end up.

No. 25 Iowa St. 42, Kansas St. 38

At Ames

Kansas St. 0 21 10 7 — 38

Iowa St. 7 7 7 21 — 42

First Quarter

ISU–Butler 1 pass from Purdy (Assalley kick), 5:15

Second Quarter

KST–Barnes 10 run (Lynch kick), 14:26

ISU–Montgomery 3 run (Assalley kick), 12:15

KST–Thompson 4 run (Lynch kick), 6:50

KST–Zuber 6 pass from Thompson (Lynch kick), :30

Third Quarter

ISU–Montgomery 11 run (Assalley kick), 12:23

KST–FG Lynch 36, 9:07

KST–Taylor 9 pass from Thompson (Lynch kick), 4:25

Fourth Quarter

KST–Zuber 4 pass from Thompson (Lynch kick), 12:27

ISU–Seonbuchner 3 pass from Purdy (Assalley kick), 10:18

ISU–Rose 21 fumble return (Assalley kick), 8:34

ISU–Montgomery 18 run (Assalley kick), 4:34

A–54,430.

TEAM STATISTICS

KST ISU

First downs 21 22

Rushes-yards 47-245 32-156

Passing 183 337

Comp-Att-Int 18-27-0 20-27-2

Return Yards 113 136

Punts-Avg. 4-37.75 0-0

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties-Yards 7-61 5-56

Time of Possession 35:18 24:42

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Kansas St., Barnes 28-184, D.Warmack 6-39, Thompson 13-22. Iowa St., Montgomery 19-149, Purdy 10-37, Croney 1-(minus 2), (Team) 2-(minus 28).

PASSING–Kansas St., Thompson 18-27-0-183. Iowa St., Purdy 20-27-2-337.

RECEIVING–Kansas St., Zuber 7-65, Schoen 2-54, Taylor 2-17, Barnes 2-8, Gammon 2-7, Reuter 1-20, Gill 1-9, D.Warmack 1-3. Iowa St., Butler 5-144, Kolar 3-42, D.Jones 3-21, Montgomery 3-20, Milton 2-71, Seonbuchner 2-5, Eaton 1-28, C.Allen 1-6.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–Iowa St., Assalley 38.