WACO, Texas - The time for teething is over.

The Iowa State Cyclones, like Saturday night's counterpart, Baylor, feature a roster with a host of freshmen. Both the Cyclones and Bears are also led by relatively young head coaches.

And, both squads have been praised simply for being competitive in recent weeks.

Gene Chizik, for one, doesn't like being patted on the back and being told "you'll get 'em next time" - a subtle suggestion that he's a pushover, leading a league doormat.

Saturday, however, proved that the Cyclones' growing pains have yet to subside.

Actually, on this night - which ended in a 38-10 loss to Baylor - Iowa State's pride was wounded severely.

"I don't really have a word to describe it," Chizik said afterward.

"It was just bad football. We weren't in sync."

"Young or old, we shouldn't make excuses," Iowa State receiver Marquis Hamilton said.

"We weren't even in the game for the most part. We can't go any further down."

The Bears were on a high, however, thanks to freshman Kendall Wright's seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

BC-FBC-Iowa St.-Baylor Stats

BAYLOR 38, IOWA ST. 10

_^Iowa St. _0 3 0 7_10

_^Baylor _7 14 10 7_38

First Quarter

Bay- Wright 34 pass from Griffin (Parks kick), 5:43.

Second Quarter

Bay- Finley 12 run (Parks kick), 14:18.

ISU- FG Mahoney 34, 5:36.

Bay- Griffin 4 run (Parks kick), 1:41.

Third Quarter

Bay- Baker 93 kickoff return (Parks kick), 14:42.

Bay- FG Parks 36, 3:01.

Fourth Quarter

Bay- Wright 51 pass from Griffin (Parks kick), 12:14.

ISU- Se.Johnson 9 pass from Arnaud (Mahoney kick), 9:41.

A- 30,548.

- - -

_ _^ISU Bay

_First downs _ 16 27

Rushes-yards

_ 18-81 50-147

Passing

_ 176 288

Comp-Att-Int

_21-41-1 22-26-0

_Return Yards _ 0 0

Punts-Avg.

_ 7-42.6 3-43.3

Fumbles-Lost

_ 1-0 2-0

Penalties-Yards

_ 10-70 7-39

_Time of Possession _ 24:20 35:40

- - -

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING- Iowa St., Bass 6-36, Robinson 9-32, Arnaud 3-13. Baylor, Finley 15-60, Sanders 10-33, Ja.Jones 5-25, Sims 3-20, Wright 2-13, White 2-11, Blaylock 1-7, Team 3-(minus 7), Griffin 9-(minus 15).

PASSING- Iowa St., Arnaud 21-41-1-176. Baylor, Griffin 21-24-0-278, Szymanski 1-1-0-10, Wright 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING- Iowa St., Darks 5-18, Jones 4-32, Hamilton 3-60, Se.Johnson 2-22, Bass 2-17, Sumrall 2-12, Robinson 1-6, C.Franklin 1-5, Catlett 1-4. Baylor, Wright 7-132, Gettis 5-73, White 4-26, Taylor 3-33, Fenty 1-10, Baker 1-8, Akers 1-6.

Oddly enough, both clubs entered the weekend hoping to shake ugly trends that involved the number 13. Iowa State, as has been well-documented, had lost 13 straight road games. Baylor (3-3, 1-1), meanwhile, had lost 13 straight Big 12 contests.

The Cyclones' road skid is the longest for any member of a BCS conference. Iowa State hasn't won away from Ames since Oct. 29, 2005 - at Texas A&M - and is just 9-40 all-time in Big 12 road tilts.

Baylor's Mikail Baker returned the second half's opening kick for a 93-yard score, sucking any suspense from this contest.

The Bears didn't let up until they picked the Cyclones' carcass clean.

Iowa State (2-4, 0-2), which had averaged 32.2 points before Saturday's setback, was limited to just 257 total yards, and failed to force a turnover for the first time all season.

On a day that featured 86-degree heat in central Texas, the penalty-plagued first half was often theater of the absurd. Midway through the second quarter, for instance, Iowa State's offense committed five penalties on goal-to-go plays - on the same series.

The Cyclones were flagged for just 25 yards eight days ago against Kansas. Yet, an old bugaboo reared its ugly head, as Chizik's squad was penalized nine times in the first 30 minutes alone and 10 times all told.

"It's very frustrating, dumb penalties," Iowa State receiver Darius Darks said. "We just weren't all clicking."

The Bears clearly weren't intimidated by their guests, evidenced by the three times the hosts went for it on fourth down in the first half. The initial such play resulted in a score, as Baylor's freshman quarterback, Robert Griffin, hit a diving Wright in the back of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown toss.

Right before half, the hosts rolled the dice again, and benefited from a James Smith pass-interference penalty in the end zone. One play later, Griffin ran it in from four yards out, handing the hosts a decisive, 21-3 advantage at the break.

Griffin, who began his college career with 104 consecutive passes without an interception, went a ridiculous 14-for-15 in the first two quarters, good for 161 of his eventual 278 total yards through the air.

"Man, (Griffin) is a really good player," Cyclone cornerback Devin McDowell said. "He played fast and confident."

"I don't get any warm and fuzzy feeling from losing," Chizik said. "(The Cyclones) all wanna win - they're very adamant about that - and I think the character and the mark of the man comes out when you struggle."

Trying to win in your white jerseys is never easy. But, on this evening, Iowa State played the antithesis of assignment-sound football.

As a result, Baylor - a team that has won just nine games in its history against the Big 12 North - toyed with what appeared to be an unworthy foe.

"The only thing I can think of is it's a lack of concentration," Chizik sighed. "It was just bad football - all around."

BATES UPDATE: Late Saturday night, for the first time since talented quarterback Phillip Bates quit the Cyclones on Thursday, Chizik met with the media.

The second-year head coach still seemed stung by Bates' abrupt departure, yet ready to move on.

"Number one, we wish Phillip all the best," said Chizik, who gave Bates playing time in all but one game before the Omaha, Neb., native expressed a desire to transfer.

"I want him to achieve all the things he's dreamed of doing. I wish him all the best.

"I wish I would've had a chance to talk to him in person. I requested that, and basically (he) refused to talk to me."

Bates, a 6-foot-1, 218-pound sophomore, passed for 137 yards this season and rushed for 166 yards on 6.9 yards per carry.

His 4.5-second forty-yard dash speed offered Iowa State perhaps its best quick-strike option, evidienced by a 56-yard run he rattled off against Kent State on Sept. 6.

RECRUITING UPDATE: Iowa State's foray deep in the heart of Texas this week directly coincided with it securing commitments from two up-and-coming recruits.

D.J. Beshears of Denton, Texas, may have the most upside of the two recruits. Beshears, a wideout some have dubbed a poor man's Devin Hester, committed to Iowa State because it was the first school to offer him a scholarship.

Earlier in the week, Iowa State also secured a verbal commitment from tailback James White, tabbed a three-star recruit by rivals.com. White, of tradition-rich Skyline High School in Dallas, has been clocked as fast as 4.41-seconds in the 40-yard dash. Minnesota, Utah and Colorado also coveted the talented rusher.

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com

Baylor 38,

Iowa State 10

Iowa State 0 3 0 7 - 10

Baylor 7 14 10 7 - 38

FIRST QUARTER

Baylor - Wright 34 pass from Griffin (Parks kick), 5:43.

(Drive: Eight plays, 56 yards, 3:23. Key play: Gettis 13 yard screen to ISU 34 yardline).

SECOND QUARTER

Baylor - Finley 12 run (Parks kick), 14:18.

(Drive: Fourteen plays, 81 yards, 5:06. Key play: Griffin scrambles, passes for 22, to ISU 27).

ISU - FG Mahoney 34, 5:36.

(Drive: Seventeen plays, 45 yards, 8:42. Key play: Bass 12 run to Baylor 10).

Baylor - Griffin 4 run (Parks kick), 1:41.

(Drive: Nine plays, 79 yards, 3:55. Key play: Wright 15 pass, to ISU 42).

THIRD QUARTER

Baylor - Baker 93 kick return (Parks kick), 14:42.

(Drive: NA).

Baylor - FG Parks 36, 3:01.

(Drive: Thirteen plays, 73 yards, 5:51. Key play: Gettis 25 pass to ISU 41).

FOURTH QUARTER

Baylor - Wright 51 pass from Griffin (Parks kick), 12:14.

(Drive: Seven plays, 80 yards, 2:50. Key play: Wright 11 pass).

ISU - Se. Johnson 9 pass from Arnaud (Mahoney kick), 9:41.

(Drive: Seven plays, 59 yards, 2:33. Key play: Baylor pass interference, to Baylor 23).