AMES - Oklahoma State arrived in Ames as an ornery bunch Saturday, a week after getting gored by the Texas Longhorns.

Unfortunately for Iowa State, the Cowboys unleashed a week's worth of aggression, dealing the Cyclones a resounding 34-8 defeat.

It was a second straight uninspired effort by the Cyclones. When the dust settled, Iowa State was done in by a lack of intensity, immaturity and its inadequate team speed.

"Oklahoma State is a very good football team," said first-year Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads, "and they executed very well.

"We did a very good job of kickoff coverage today," Rhoads added, "and I thought our kickoff return unit was a bright spot - that's where she ends. From there, we were outcoached (and) we were outplayed on offense, defense and everywhere else that you look."

"It's real disappointing," said Cyclone tight end Collin Franklin. "We just didn't show up."

Iowa State (5-5, 2-4 Big 12), which allowed 6.5 yards per play in a 25-point loss at Texas A&M eight days ago, surrendered 331 total rushing yards to Oklahoma State, including 206 to Keith Toston alone.

"That is a great team," said Iowa State safety James Smith, "and they had some pretty big holes they were running through."

A year ago, Dez Bryant left a vapor trail throughout the Cyclone secondary, pulling down four touchdown grabs. On Saturday, Bryant was sidelined, due to suspension.

The Cowboys' rushers, however, picked up the slack. Oklahoma State churned up 6.1 yards per carry and ate up 39 minutes, 38 seconds of clock.

Oklahoma State (7-2, 4-1) ran behind left tackle Russell Okung - a 6-foot-5, 300-pound potential top-10 NFL draft pick next spring - early and often. That helped stake the visitors to a quick, 13-0 lead.

Oklahoma State especially imposed its will on the hosts when it rattled off a 14-play, 98-yard drive early in the second quarter. That scoring march was capped when receiver Tracy Moore pulled down a wide-open 10-yard touchdown pass.

The Cyclones averaged just 3.3 yards per play in the first 30 minutes, prompting Rhoads to lament his team's tentative play.

"That starts with coaching, that starts with Paul Rhoads," the coach noted. "I've gotta provide the leadership and direction of this football program ... and make sure we can match an opponent's energy - and we did not do that" on Saturday.

Iowa State has acknowledged its need to stop spread offenses by using relentless gang tackling. Saturday, the hosts were hardly relentless.

By the time Toston rolled around right end, untouched, for a 17-yard scoring sprint midway through the third quarter, Oklahoma State had the game in a stranglehold, up 27-0.

Saturday's showdown featured the Big 12's top rushing offense, Iowa State (200.3 yards per game), versus Oklahoma State's 13th-best rush defense (99.0 yards per game). The Cowboys defense won out, limiting the hosts to just 54 total rush yards.

Last year, the Cowboys humbled the Cyclones, 59-17. In 2009, the talent-scale again tipped heavily in Oklahoma State's favor, as players like cornerback Perrish Cox, a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, put their skills on display.

But Rhoads' young club also showed a lack of composure at times, too. Early in the second half, for instance, Bailey Johnson was whistled for a horse-collar violation when the Cowboys' quarterback had been flushed from the pocket and was simply throwing the ball away. Later, after an Austen Arnaud interception in the end zone, sophomore left tackle Kelechi Osemele looked visibly upset, stomping his foot.

"It was just critical mental errors that held us back," said Arnaud, who went 14-for-27 with 188 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in his first start since Oct. 17.

"Talent is everywhere in this league," said Rhoads, so "you've got to play with game-length execution."