(Ames, IA) — Iowa State running back Aiden Flora was recognized for his remarkable performance against West Virginia, earning AP National Player of the Week and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors Monday. The Cyclones’ offensive line was also named the Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week.
Flora delivered the best performance of his career in Iowa State’s thrilling 45-42 victory over West Virginia on Saturday, accounting for five total touchdowns — the most by any running back in the nation in a game this season.
The redshirt sophomore rushed for 212 yards and three touchdowns while adding two touchdown passes. His performance made him just the ninth FBS player since 1996 to record at least 200 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in the same game. He is the first non-quarterback to accomplish the feat and the first Big 12 player to do so.
Flora now owns the two best rushing performances in the Big 12 this season, rushing for 212 yards against West Virginia and 194 against Bowling Green. He is also one of only two FBS players this season with multiple games of at least 190 rushing yards.
His biggest run against the Mountaineers came in the fourth quarter, when Flora broke loose for a career-long 63-yard touchdown. He has now recorded three rushing touchdowns of at least 40 yards this season, including runs of 63, 61 and 42 yards. Overall, he has been responsible for five scoring plays of 40 or more yards, including a 46-yard touchdown pass and a 66-yard punt return.
The Adel, Iowa, native also turned back the clock to his high school quarterback days, throwing for 48 yards and two touchdowns. That made him just the second running back in Big 12 history to throw two touchdown passes in a game, joining Rex Burkhead, who accomplished the feat at Nebraska in 2010.
Flora’s first touchdown pass, a 46-yarder to Cody Jackson, was Iowa State’s first touchdown pass by a running back since 2009 and the first by an ISU non-quarterback since 2021. He later connected with his high school teammate, Vince Benetti, on a 2-yard touchdown pass.
Flora averaged 9.6 yards per carry against West Virginia and is averaging 8.1 yards per rush this season. That mark ranks third nationally and is the best in the Big 12. He has rushed for 594 yards this season, ranking seventh in the country and second in the conference.
The Iowa State offensive line played a major role in Flora’s success, helping the Cyclones rush for 265 yards against West Virginia. Iowa State has now recorded at least 100 rushing yards in 22 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the Big 12 and the sixth-longest in the FBS.
The Cyclones are averaging 197.4 rushing yards per game this season, with Flora and the offensive line continuing to establish Iowa State as one of the nation’s most productive rushing attacks.
