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Independence Bowl 2004
Iowa State 17 Miami Ohio 13
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Meyer's weaving 23-yard run set up the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Iowa State held on to win a bowl game for the second time and spoil Terry Hoeppner's final game as Miami's coach.
Hoeppner was named Indiana's coach this month. Miami athletic director Brad Bates told the team just before the game that offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery would succeed Hoeppner.
"I know I usually have the last word, but now Mr. Bates is going to have it," Hoeppner told his players. Bates then introduced Montgomery as coach, and the team cheered.
If the timing of that announcement was meant to inspire the RedHawks, 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 128 yards rushing, kept pounding away at the Miami defensive front and finally regained the lead on Ryan Kock's 1-yard plunge with 13:02 left. Ellis Hobbs sealed the victory by intercepting Josh Betts in the final minute.
Hicks carried 27 times for 159 yards and scored on a 4-yard option pitch from Meyer, who had 122 yards on 23 carries. Meyer also was 10-of-28 for 114 yards passing.
Teammates rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time in the Independence Bowl's 29 years. The Cyclones finished with 295 yards on the ground, a school record for a bowl game.
The victory helped ease the sting of Iowa State's 14-13 loss to Alabama in this game in 2001. ISU's Tony Yelk missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt in the final minute of that game, a kick that the Cyclones insist to this day was good.
Betts kept Miami moving at times, but once Iowa State got its running game revved up, the Red Hawks couldn't keep the Cyclones off the field.
Betts' 28-yard touchdown pass to Luke Clemens with 25 seconds left in the first half cut the lead to 10-7, and the RedHawks carried that momentum into the first possession of the second half, driving 80 yards in 11 plays to take the lead on Mike Smith's 2-yard run.
Iowa State helped Miami on both scoring drives with penalties. A personal foul on Tim Dobbins put the RedHawks in position for their first touchdown. On their second drive, they got first downs on two pass interference penalties and a holding penalty when they had been forced to punt.
Betts finished 20-of-44 for 240 yards and the interception.
Miami's Michael Larkin caught two passes to extend his NCAA record to 50 straight games with a reception. |
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| Stevie Hicks got ISU on the board first and rushed for 159 yards. | |
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| Brett Myers | Josh Betts |
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Ryne Robinson caught 7 passes for 101 yards for Miami. |
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Clemens scores on pass from Betts. And, the stadium bigscreen caught the action (below). |
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Attendance- 43,000
Scoring Summary
First Quarter ISU- Hicks 4 run (Culbertson kick)
Second Quarter ISU- FG Culbertson 22 UMO- Clemens 28 yard pass from Betts (Parseghian kick)
Third Quarter UMO- Smith 2 run (PAT blocked)
Fourth Quarter ISU- Kock 1 run (Culbertson kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing UMO- Smith 9-46, Clemens 8-22 ISU- Hicks 27-159, Meyer 23-122
Passing UMO- Betts 20-44-240 ISU- Meyer 10-28-114
Receiving UMO- Robinson 7-101, Corbin 2-40, Clemens 1-28, Larkin 2-19, Kirkpatrick 2- 17 ISU- Blythe 3-42, Davis 3-30, Barkema 2-23, Miller 2-19
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SHREVEPORT, La. - Stevie
Hicks and quarterback Bret Meyer each ran for more than 100 yards in a
revived running game that carried Iowa State to a 17-13 victory over
Miami of Ohio in the Independence Bowl on Tuesday night. 
