Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State Rally Past Iowa State in Wild 4th Quarter

Behind big performances from quarterback Mason Rudolph and running back Justice Hill, the No. 15 Oklahoma State Cowboys defeated the No. 21 Iowa State Cyclones in a 49-42 shootout Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.

Rudolph overcame a slow start to finish with 376 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Hill rushed for 134 yards and three scores. He also had six catches for 35 yards.

Iowa State running back David Montgomery had a big day of his own with 105 rushing yards and three touchdowns, as well as six receptions for 44 yards, but the Cyclones' inability to lock down OK State squandered that showing.

Oklahoma State outgained Iowa State 522-491, and it overcame 105 penalty yards from nine infractions.

The win moved the Pokes to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in conference play. It also kept them in the mix for the Big 12 Championship Game. Iowa State fell to 6-4, and the loss left it behind Oklahoma, TCU, Oklahoma State and West Virginia in the Big 12 at 4-3.

Iowa State quarterback Kyle Kempt began the game by completing 12 of his 18 attempts for 101 yards and one touchdown, but an undisclosed injury forced him to leave in the second quarter.

Freshman Zeb Noland stepped in, prompting Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register to note Iowa State's quarterback troubles this season:

Noland had a strong game in Kempt's absence, as did quarterback-turned-linebacker Joel Lanning, who rushed for a short touchdown and threw a 22-yard score.

With 263 yards on 17-of-28 passing, Noland looked impressive and even caught the eye of former NFL quarterback Matt Flynn:

He played so well at times that Ross Thede of the Marshalltown Times-Republican wondered if he was Iowa State's best option at quarterback:

The combination of Kempt, Noland and Lanning outplayed Rudolph in the first half, as he relied on Hill to provide the bulk of the offense.

Although the score was tied 21-21 at halftime, Rudolph had the worst opening half of his career from a yardage perspective, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Hill was the early saving grace for Oklahoma State, as two of his three touchdowns came in the second quarter.

As ESPN.com's Jake Trotter mentioned, Hill has raised his game to another level in recent weeks:

Hill's recent play has been better than most running backs in the country, and Kyle Boone of CBSSports.com expressed his belief that a Heisman Trophy candidacy could be in his future:

Hill is arguably a bigger name nationally and will receive more attention coming out of Saturday's game since Oklahoma State won, but Montgomery's performance for Iowa State can't be discounted.

He made multiple Cowboys defenders miss throughout the game, leading David Ubben of The Athletic to pay him a high compliment:

After Rudolph helped put Oklahoma State on top 49-42 with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Dillon Stoner with 3:47 remaining, Montgomery nearly brought the Cyclones back.

He converted a 4th-and-13 on a short pass from Noland that required him to juke past several defenders en route to the first down.

Iowa State had a chance to either tie the game or go for the win, but Noland made his only glaring mistake of the day when he underthrew a fade pattern and was intercepted by OK State cornerback A.J. Green to end it.

The loss ended Iowa State's two-game winning streak over ranked opponents (Oklahoma and TCU).

Even so, Iowa State may have found its quarterback of the future in Noland, as he made some big-time throws despite the late miscue.

As for Oklahoma State, it leaned heavily on its high-octane offense once again, and the combination of Rudolph and Hill makes it a legitimate threat to win the Big 12 championship.