Ames, Iowa ? The two children flipping a football back and forth in the Jacobson Athletic Building on Saturday could have cared less about their papa’s prized possession.

But for former Kansas University football coach Terry Allen, the football served as a poignant symbol of redemption.

“I got a game ball,” said Allen of the toy his daughter and son were playing with. “It’s been a long time since I got a game ball.”

While there weren’t many game balls to go around during Allen’s lean five-year coaching career in Lawrence, the Iowa State assistant head coach received one Saturday at the expense of his former team  which was walloped, 45-3, at Jack Trice Stadium.

“I really want to thank coach ‘Mac’ (ISU head coach Dan McCarney) and that football team. They were genuinely happy for me,” Allen said. “That means an awful lot to me.”

After starting 2-6 last season, Allen was fired by first-year athletic director Al Bohl with three games remaining in the season.

Allen, who was criticized for being too nice at times as a Jayhawk, received a great amount of sympathy from fans  and influential KU basketball coach Roy Williams  for the manner in which he was let go.

Saturday, Allen said he carried no ill will toward his former school, but did say the convincing win was gratifying.

“My frustrations are not with the players, but how the firing was handled,” said Allen, who had a 20-33 record while at Kansas. “But you try to focus on the game and not the people.”

Yet many of the Cyclones turned their attention toward their new coach.

“It meant a lot,” said Iowa State quarterback Seneca Wallace, a Heisman hopeful who picked apart the Jayhawks defense Saturday for 234 yards. “It was his old place, so we really focused on that and made sure we went out there and played hard for him.”

McCarney said Allen had been an instrumental tool to his team’s success so far this season and deserved the recognition Saturday.

“There was never a rally cry for T.A.,” McCarney said. “I’m proud to have him in our program. I’m proud to have him on our staff.

“He’s had a real, real positive impact in this program. It’s a great relationship he and I have and I’m glad we could do that for him. We had a lot of fun in the locker room.”

Allen said it was hard to play against many of the Jayhawks he helped recruit.

“That’s not a comfortable situation,” he said. “I made eye contact with quite a few of them. Obviously being in the press box didn’t give me the opportunity to go up and shake their hands.”

Allen said he did get a chance to talk to new coach Mark Mangino.

“I want to wish them the best,” Allen said. “There are some fine young men over there. They’re special kids, but the Cyclones were obviously a stronger and better football team today.”

Some KU fans in attendance, apparently, weren’t so happy to see Allen.

“I got kind of a rude awakening from some Kansas fans when I walked on the field, which I wasn’t expecting,” he said. “They’re not bad people in Lawrence. They’re good people.”

Allen said that while he provided a few hints on what Kansas might do, the game’s outcome was clearly decided by the Cyclones’ personnel.

“I’m thankful that’s over,” Allen said. “Then you guys (media members) don’t have to talk to me. I can be an assistant coach and don’t have to worry about getting a game ball.”

Allen’s wife, Lynn, said she was happy to see former friends from Lawrence, but that the family felt at home in Iowa. Allen was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and played and coached at Northern Iowa for 22 years before heading to Kansas.

“I was back in Lawrence last week to just see a few friends before I went to Kansas City,” Lynn Allen said of a reunion with friends because ISU was playing Florida State at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. “I had kind of a moment of trepidation  it felt OK, but it wasn’t home.”

Saturday, her only worry was keeping her husband’s newly earned treasure safe from 6-year-old daughter Angela and 4-year-old son Chase.

“He said to hold on to it, but whatever you do, DON’T lose it,” Lynn Allen said with a smile.