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AMES, Iowa -- Iowa States Joel Lanning never complained as his hold on the starting quarterback job slowly loosened week after week.Instead, Lanning focused on excelling in the run-based package the coaching staff developed for him -- and last week he had arguably the best rushing performance of any quarterback in the country this season. Lanning, a junior, tied the school record with five rushing TDs in Saturdays stunning 66-10 blowout of Texas Tech .Lanning finished with 171 yards on just 17 carries and became the first Cyclones player to rush for five touchdowns since Heisman finalist Troy Davis in 1996.Lanning, the only FBS quarterback with five TDs on the ground in one game in 2016, will try to help the Cyclones (3-8, 2-6 Big 12) close out 2016 with a win when they host 19th-ranked West Virginia (8-2, 5-2) later this week.Hes such a key piece of what we are offensively, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. Hes a guy thats eclectic in his talents...were only starting what we can do with Joel Lanning. The opportunities are endless down the road.When Campbell took over at Iowa State 11 months ago, Lanning appeared to be the one sure thing he had.Lanning took over as the starter midway through last season and put up solid numbers, completing 59 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns, three interceptions and 330 yards rushing. Lanning displayed athleticism and a strong arm in 2015, but he was also plagued by bouts of inaccuracy.Heading into this season, Lanning was the unquestioned starter. But after throwing two ugly picks in the opener and then playing poorly in a 42-3 loss to Iowa, the coaching staff began to use sophomore backup Jacob Park -- a more natural passer -- in selected series.By the end of October, Park had emerged as Iowa States top quarterback. But the coaching staff knew Lanning had too much talent to simply sit on the sidelines and they found ways to use that ability to jumpstart an inconsistent offense.Lanning acknowledged the change wasnt easy to do so.I just tried to be a bigger person and not let those little things affect me. At the end of the day, Im a captain on this team, and I cant let my situation affect the rest of the team. Ive got to stick up for my team. Ive got to lead these guys, Lanning said. Im going to do whatever I can to turn this program around. I came here for a reason.If Lanning and Park can stay healthy and make strides in the offseason, Iowa State could enter 2017 with one of the best quarterback situations in the Big 12.The two have combined for over 2,600 yards passing with 22 TDs and eight interceptions this season, and Lanning (1,247 yards passing) has rushed for over 500 yards with 11 touchdowns.Such a rotation wont work again unless both players have bought in, and Lanning said Monday that he intends to return in 2017 despite knowing that he could likely start elsewhere as a graduate transfer.Joel wants to be great ... and he wants to do it here, Campbell said. The thing I love about Joel Lanning is how much this program means to him, and his ability to lead this team, as hes done even through some rough patches.---More college football at www.collegefootball.ap.orgAnthony Rizzo Jersey . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. Javier Baez Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. https://www.cheapcubs.com/1250t-danny-hultzen-jersey-cubs.html . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. Dennis Eckersley Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Manny Trillo Jersey . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The bend-but-dont-break defense of the Kansas City Chiefs has so far done an exceptional job of making coach Andy Reid rip out whatever red-tinted fuzz is left of his hair.You see, the Chiefs are masters of giving up yards when it doesnt matter.Theyll give up passes under their coverage, long runs between the tackles, quick crossing routes as opponents drive downfield.When they get close to the end zone? Its a whole different story.The Chiefs have become one of the best teams in the NFL when it comes to red zone defense, a big reason why theyre off to a 2-1 start .Not only do they usually hold opponents to field goals rather than touchdowns, they also have forced a slew of turnovers.We do a good job with that. I dont know why, Reid said. You always talk about the 12th man there, the end zone. Our guys know how to space it out. We worked hard on it at training camp.There was reason for the emphasis. The Chiefs gave up a touchdown on three of every five trips opponents made inside their 20-yard line last season, putting them in the bottom third of the league.Through three games this season? Just three touchdowns on 13 trips.The Chiefs red-zone touchdown rate of 23.1 percent is best in the NFL, just ahead of the New York Giants -- a crucial mark considering only New Orleans and Oakland have allowed more red-zone scoring opportunities.Thats not just bend-but-dont-break. Thats Gumby doing yoga.Reid may not know exactly why Kansas City has become so adept at defending the end zone, but he is willing to hazard a guess. And for a guy who made his bones in the NFL on inventive schemes, studying trends and dissecting film, it only makes sense that he offered an Xs and Os solution.So much of that is just eliminating the seams in there, he said, because theyll just try to pull you apart. You only need a small area to deliver on. Teams will try to pull you apart and test your discipline. Everything is going a little faster down there. Your weaknesses are going to be exploited; your strengths are going to show up.So ffar, the Chiefs biggest weakness is getting pressure on the quarterback, a problem that could be alleviated later this season if star pass rusher Justin Houston returns from knee surgery.ddddddddddddOtherwise, there are a whole bunch of strengths.The defensive front of Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard, Allen Bailey and Chris Jones has been able to plug up the run near the goal line, forcing teams to the air.And when they put it up, one of the most opportunistic secondary groups in the NFL has had a penchant for picking off passes.Three of the six interceptions thrown by the Jets Ryan Fitzpatrick last week were in the end zone.It was all about executing the game plan to a `T, said cornerback Marcus Peters, who had two picks and one of those in the end zone . We dotted our Is and crossed our Ts. We let our pass rush get there, we played underneath, we let our safeties play over the top and we made plays.As a result, the Chiefs have not allowed a touchdown in more than seven quarters.Building on that impressive streak should be a challenge Sunday night, when the Chiefs visit Pittsburgh and a prolific offense led by Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and recently returned LeVeon Bell.The Steelers are fifth in the NFL in percentage of touchdowns scored in the red zone.Our guys, Ill tell you right now, are staying disciplined, Reid said. This will be a good challenge for them because they are good in the red zone. You have to know how to space the field, particularly in the pass game, and then you have to trust it.Game notesCB Marcus Peters, the AFC defensive player of the week, missed practice for the second straight day. He has the flu. ... CB Phillip Gaines was held out of practice because of a knee injury. He was limited in Wednesdays workout. ... OL Jah Reid (knee) and RB Charcandrick West (ankle) also did not practice.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '