Iowa and Iowa State will meet again in the annual Cy-Hawk game on Saturday, Sept. 12, with Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City set for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff in Week 2 of the college football season.
The Hawkeyes enter the matchup after opening the 2026 season with a 40-0 win over Northern Illinois on Sept. 5. For anyone tracking the game from a betting, injury or viewing-angle standpoint, there’s plenty to sort through before kickoff.
NBC will carry the game, and viewers can also stream it on Peacock and Fubo.
On the betting board, DraftKings listed Iowa as a 14.5-point favorite as of Monday morning. The over/under is 41.5, with Iowa at -650 on the money line and Iowa State at +470.
Iowa’s injury situation includes a couple of names worth watching. Safety Tyler Brown, a James Madison transfer who was expected to push for a starting spot, sat out the opener because of a lingering soft-tissue injury that is believed to be a hamstring issue.
Running back L.J. Phillips also missed most of Saturday’s game after what appeared to be an ankle injury.
The biggest wrinkle in this year’s game is how little Iowa knows about the opponent. Iowa State has a new coach in Jimmy Rogers and more than 80 new players, which makes the Cyclones a much tougher team to pin down early in the season. They started with a convincing win over Southeast Missouri State, but this will be the game that tells the real story.
One prediction already points toward Iowa taking advantage. Chad Leistikow of Hawk Central noted that Matt Campbell, who guided Iowa State to a 3-1 record against Iowa in the last four meetings, will be coaching Penn State against Temple in Week 2.
He wrote that the Hawkeyes should be motivated by both the chance at revenge and Jimmy Rogers’ “let’s beat the (expletive) Hawks!” comment from the Cy-Hawk basketball game in December.
Leistikow also said the Cyclones need time to rebuild and that Iowa can “put on an offensive line clinic” to take back control of the series.
In Other News...
Iowa Just Sent A Telling Message Before The Cy-Hawk Game
Iowa heads into the Cy-Hawk game with a depth chart that says plenty about how the Hawkeyes are approaching Week 2. The most notable detail is the quarterback spot, where Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are both listed with an OR designation, a sign the staff is keeping the door open to shared playing time as it sorts through the position. At running back, the backfield will be thinner than expected with L.J. Phillips Jr. out because of a high-ankle sprain, leaving Nathan McNeil and Xavier Williams as the main options behind him.
There was also a small wrinkle on special teams that stood out after Week 1. Evan James, who had the kind of punt return performance that usually earns a bigger role, is still listed behind Reece Vander Zee on the depth chart. For a rivalry game that often turns on field position and a few timely snaps, those decisions suggest Iowa is still calibrating key spots even as the rivalry week pressure ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Keeps One Big Week 2 Decision Alive Before Iowa State
Iowas official Week 2 depth chart keeps the most interesting quarterback question intact heading into the Iowa State game. Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are still both listed as starters, which means the Hawkeyes are carrying the competition forward for at least another week while leaving the rest of the offense largely unchanged. Theres also continuity up front on both the offensive and defensive lines, a sign the staff is comfortable with the foundation even as one of the teams biggest decisions remains open.
Elsewhere on the chart, Kamari Moulton sits atop the running back spot with backups behind him, while L.J. Phillips Jr. is absent because of a lower-body injury. Tight end is listed with four players in starter or backup roles, giving Iowa some flexibility there, and Evan James shows up as the backup punt returner behind Reece Vander Zee. But all the attention still circles back to quarterback, where Iowa has made clear it is not ready to close the book before facing its in-state rival. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Backfield Suddenly Faces Pressure Before A Huge Iowa State Test
Iowas win over Northern Illinois came with a cost that could shape the next week of preparation, especially in the backfield. Offensive linemen Cael Winter and Kade Pieper both dealt with heat-related issues during the game, and running back L.J. Phillips Jr. came away with a high-ankle sprain that is expected to keep him out against Iowa State.
The Hawkeyes have built enough depth at running back to absorb the loss, but the timing is still less than ideal with a rivalry test looming. Any reshuffling behind the line will only add to the challenge of getting the offense settled before a matchup that already carries plenty of pressure for both sides. [Read more 🡒]