AMES, Iowa (Interstat) — Aiden Flora rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns, returned a punt 66 yards for another score and helped Iowa State rout Bowling Green 55-7 on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Jack Trice Stadium in a Football Bowl Subdivision game. The Cyclones improved to 2-1 and remained unbeaten at home. The Falcons dropped to 0-3. Iowa State scored 14 points in the first quarter, 10 in the second, 10 in the third and 21 in the fourth. Bowling Green scored its seven points in the first quarter.

Iowa State entered the game after a 16-13 loss at Iowa on Sept. 12. Iowa State opened the season with a 38-10 home win over Southeast Missouri State on Sept. 5. Bowling Green had lost 56-7 at Nebraska on Sept. 12 and 20-13 to Tarleton State on Sept. 5. The Cyclones took control early, though Kyle Konrardy missed a 54-yard field-goal attempt with 7:19 remaining in the first quarter. Jaylen Raynor then found Jamal Polite Jr. for a 34-yard touchdown pass with 5:28 left in the opening period. Bowling Green answered with a 59-yard touchdown pass from Jay Kastantin to Winn Sharp with 3:58 remaining. Flora closed the first-quarter scoring with a 61-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left.

Iowa State pulled away in the second quarter. A. Barnes scored on a 3-yard run with 9:47 remaining, and Flora added a 42-yard touchdown run with 5:12 left. The Cyclones kept rolling after halftime. Raynor scored on a 9-yard run with 11:20 remaining in the third quarter. Konrardy made a 39-yard field goal with 9:16 left in the period. After a Ryan Kingston punt, Flora returned the ball 66 yards for a touchdown with 8:07 remaining in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Barnes scored on an 8-yard run with 8:27 remaining and Konrardy made a 40-yard field goal with 2:22 left. Iowa State finished with 55 points.

Flora, a running back from Adel, Iowa, finished with 12 carries for 194 yards and two rushing touchdowns, two receptions for 10 yards and three punt returns for 92 yards and one touchdown. Cameron Pettaway, a running back from Farmington Hills, Michigan, contributed four carries for 12 yards, three receptions for 27 yards and a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Dominic Overby, a wide receiver from West Jordan, Utah, had two receptions for 15 yards. Vince Benetti, a tight end from Adel, Iowa, caught one pass for 20 yards. Ty Claiborne made two receptions for 28 yards. Omari Hayes, a wide receiver from Sarasota, Florida, had one reception for 8 yards and one punt return for 1 yard. Caleb Francois ran five times for 16 yards. Carson Robbins, a wide receiver from Altoona, Iowa, returned one punt for 9 yards, and Carter Pabst, a wide receiver from Wichita, Kansas, returned one kickoff for 14 yards. Ethan Gurney punted once for 38 yards. Kyle Konrardy, a kicker from Dubuque, Iowa, converted extra points and field goals throughout the game.

Iowa State’s defense held Bowling Green to seven points. Sullivan Schlimgen, a linebacker from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, recorded five tackles. Donovan Fitzmaurice, a tackle from St. Louis, Missouri, Seth Johnson, a defensive back from Frisco, Texas, Beau Goodwin, a linebacker from Kingsley, Iowa, Montreze Smith Jr., a linebacker from Temple, Georgia, Max Baloun, a defensive end from Redfield, South Dakota, and Connor Welsch, a defensive back from Ankeny, Iowa, each made two tackles. Goodwin also intercepted a pass. Jack Janikowski and Willie Breland III each had three tackles. Carson Willich, a linebacker from Blue Springs, Missouri, posted six tackles and one quarterback hurry. Bryson Lamb, a tackle from Bellingham, Washington, added two tackles. Jace Gilbert, a defensive lineman from Waukesha, Wisconsin, had one tackle and two quarterback hurries, and Blake Hawkins had one tackle and one quarterback hurry. Brody Miller, Tyrone Cotton III, Tristan Exline, Matthew McClain, David Coffey, Rylan Barnes, Zaimir Hawk, Jareb Ramos, Duhron Goodman, Eddie Lemos, Malcolm Jones and Micah Harper each recorded one tackle.

Bowling Green was led defensively by Dorian Pringle’s nine tackles. Preston EstoEsta made eight tackles. Eriq George and Cashmire Lewis each had seven tackles, and Lewis added a sack. Drey Braxton recorded four tackles and an interception. Mike Wright III had four tackles. Offensively for the Falcons, Winn Sharp caught one pass for 59 yards and a touchdown. Jeremiah Scoby had two receptions for 17 yards. Brennan Ridley caught one pass for 7 yards. Trey Johnson had one reception for 5 yards. Eli Jacon-Duffy caught one pass for minus 3 yards. Marceles Carey was listed without a statistic. Iowa State’s win came after its first loss of the season and gave the Cyclones a second home victory. Bowling Green remained winless.

Iowa State is scheduled to host Utah on Saturday, Sept. 26, then West Virginia on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Cyclones play at BYU on Friday, Oct. 9, at Arizona on Saturday, Oct. 24, against Oklahoma State at home on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Baylor on Saturday, Nov. 7, against Cincinnati at home on Saturday, Nov. 14, at UCF on Friday, Nov. 20, and against Kansas State at home on Saturday, Nov. 28. Bowling Green is scheduled to host South Florida on Saturday, Sept. 26, then plays at Miami of Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Falcons host Sacramento State on Saturday, Oct. 10, Ball State on Saturday, Oct. 17, play at Buffalo on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 31, host Kent State on Tuesday, Nov. 10, play at Toledo on Friday, Nov. 20, and host Massachusetts on Saturday, Nov. 28.

Before the game, Interstat’s game simulator projected Iowa State 29, Bowling Green 28. Interstat’s ELO system gave Iowa State a 98.7 percent probability to win. Bowling Green had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +23.5. The over/under line was 43.5. The total score was 62.