AMES - Jimmy Rogers knows exactly what a night at Kinnick can feel like.
The first-year Iowa State coach was in the booth the last time he faced Iowa there, watching South Dakota State absorb a 7-3 loss on Sept. 3, 2022. That game turned on a pair of Hawkeye safeties in the second half, and Rogers still remembers how loud the place was even from up top.
“It was extremely loud there - and it got loud when I was at South Dakota State. I know the volume in which we’ll be in (at) (Kinnick) on Saturday, and it being a night game, right? There will be extra energy inside of the stadium, which is awesome.”
That atmosphere will greet the Cyclones on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on NBC, when Iowa State takes its 1-0 start into the Cy-Hawk game against No. 21 Iowa, also 1-0. The matchup has already tilted Iowa State’s way the last two years, with the Cyclones winning both meetings on 54-yard field goals from former walk-on kicker Kyle Konrardy.
This version of Iowa State wants the same kind of edge on defense that Rogers’ 2022 South Dakota State team brought into that loss. The personnel is different, but the identity is familiar: attack, squeeze the line of scrimmage and make the other team uncomfortable.
“We lived in the backfield that game,” said first-year ISU defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit, who coached South Dakota State’s safeties in 2022. “We attacked downhill.
We took away explosive plays. And then, obviously, we ended up losing.”
Still, Bobbit said the defense did plenty right.
“On defense, we played really well,” Bobbit said. “So I would say we’ve got to have that same mindset of winning the line of scrimmage.
That mindset showed up in Iowa State’s opener, a 38-10 win over Southeast Missouri State, when the Cyclones piled up six sacks. Isaac “Bobby” Terrell accounted for three of them.
Whether that kind of disruption shows up again against Kirk Ferentz’s team is the question, and it comes with a tougher assignment than just chasing one quarterback. Iowa’s quarterback battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski is expected to stretch at least another week, but Rogers pointed to the Hawkeyes’ perimeter talent as a bigger concern.
“The one thing that is different to this offense, I think, than the one that we prepared for (in) 2022, I think the wide receiver group and the tight ends are not just great on the perimeter blocking,” Rogers said. “They can stretch the field vertically.
The (Tony) Diaz kid is dynamic. DJ (Vonnahme) is a really explosive tight end (who) can catch the ball and separate.
They create mismatches. If you take away one, they can expose you to another, So we have to be really sound in what we do.”
That challenge is part of the draw for a defense loaded with new faces, including several players who followed Rogers and Bobbit from Washington State last season. One of them, defensive tackle Bryson Lamb, said the buildup around the rivalry has made the game feel different already.
“Just hearing all the in-state guys and people who have been on the team talk about it, you really understand the emotional appeal to the game and stuff,” Lamb said. “I want to know the significance behind this.
The history behind it. … I’m looking forward to seeing it in real life on Saturday.”
Rogers isn’t pretending the Cy-Hawk game is just another week. Even with Iowa State entering as roughly a two-touchdown underdog, he knows the intensity rises at Kinnick.
“It’s not just any ordinary game,” he said. “There’s an intensity to it.”
In Other News...
Iowa Just Landed An Early Recruiting Chance Fans Should Notice
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Kellys appeal is easy to see from an Iowa perspective. He brings shooting, playmaking, size and rebounding to the table, which makes him a fit for a modern frontcourt wing spot, even if evaluators still have questions about his quickness. With multiple Big Ten and Big East programs in the mix, this visit gives Iowa a chance to make an impression early and start shaping what could become a meaningful recruitment down the line. [Read more 🡒]
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Jaylen Raynors first start for Iowa State gave the Cyclones enough to build on, but it also showed why the next step feels so important. Against Southeast Missouri State, the quarterback accounted for four touchdowns and flashed more comfort on play-action and downfield throws, even as he finished just 8 of 16 through the air. For Iowa, that kind of mixed debut is worth watching closely, because the Hawkeyes are the kind of defense that can force a young passer to earn everything.
What may matter most in the rivalry matchup is how much help Raynor gets around him. The article points to Iowa States running game as a key piece in making his passing life easier, especially if the Cyclones want to stay on schedule and keep the Hawkeyes from putting him in obvious passing situations. Raynor showed he can make plays with his legs and hit some bigger throws, but Iowa is a different test, and it may require a much more complete offensive day than fans were hoping to see this early. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Unveiled A Defensive Tweak That Could Matter Later
Against Northern Illinois, Iowa rolled out a third-down look that quietly stood out: three linebackers, five defensive backs and just three defensive linemen. The package showed up only in those obvious passing situations, and it paid off quickly with two sacks in four plays, a reminder that the Hawkeyes are still willing to tinker when the matchup calls for it.
Kirk Ferentz described it as a tactical adjustment tied to the personnel on hand, a way to add versatility while getting more linebackers on the field and easing some of the burden on a less experienced defensive line. It was just one wrinkle in an early-season game, but for a defense that has built its identity on being difficult to solve, it could become a useful option as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]