The Cy-Hawk game is headed into a different kind of spotlight this year, and that shift alone makes Week 2 feel a little sharper for Iowa and Iowa State. The familiarity that had settled over this rivalry has been broken up by changing personnel and uncertainty, and that should help turn a sold-out Kinnick Stadium into a stage for someone to grab the moment.
One of the biggest names to watch is Iose Epenesa, who had a quiet Week 1 with just one tackle. That number doesn’t tell the whole story, though, because Iowa was still sorting through rotations and trying to get players experience in the extreme heat.
This week should look different. With Iowa expected to lean on its starting defensive line for more snaps, Epenesa gets a real chance to make noise at home.
That opportunity gets even better if Iowa’s defense does what it is built to do: control the run and force Iowa State into obvious passing situations. Iowa’s front seven has the size and speed to handle interior runs and edge looks, and that matters against a Cyclones offense that wants to run with Jaylen Raynor and Aiden Flora.
Iowa State didn’t get much going on the ground against Southeast Missouri State, finishing with 108 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry. If Iowa can bottle that up, the pressure shifts quickly toward Raynor, and that’s where Epenesa can attack.
A sack, a forced fumble, or steady heat - any of it would fit the script.
On the other side of the ball, Iowa’s ground game should help set the tone early. If the Hawkeyes can stay ahead of the chains, chew clock, and build a lead, it changes the entire feel of the game. It also helps the defense by putting Iowa State in passing downs, where Iowa can send pressure, sit on routes, and dictate more of the action.
The problem is that Iowa still has something to clean up near the goal line. Last week, the Hawkeyes were stuffed twice in short-yardage situations.
One drive was rescued by a weak pass interference call, and another ended with an interception. That has to get better, but this week the answer may come through the air rather than on the ground.
L.J. Phillips is out with a high-ankle sprain, which leaves a hole in Iowa’s short-yardage run game.
That could push the Hawkeyes toward a spread look near the goal line, where they can create size mismatches with Reece Vander Zee or use DJ Vonnahme on play-action. Iowa should move the ball well on the ground until it gets close, but the creativity will need to show up once the field tightens.
In the end, that’s where the scoring may come - through three touchdown passes.
In Other News...
Iowa Is Using Cy-Hawk Weekend To Win Over Priority Targets
The Cy-Hawk game has long been one of the biggest dates on Iowas calendar, and this weekend it is doubling as a recruiting showcase. More than 20 football prospects are expected to be on hand, giving the Hawkeyes a chance to put their atmosphere, tradition and game-day routine in front of a group that includes both committed and uncommitted targets.
It is not just football being spotlighted, either. Iowa is bringing in recruits across womens basketball and mens basketball as part of the weekend push, turning one of the states signature sporting events into a broader pitch for the program. Former Hawkeyes quarterback CJ Beathard is also set to serve as honorary captain, adding another familiar face to a weekend designed to connect current targets with Iowas past and present. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Turns To A Familiar Tone Setter For Huge Cy-Hawk Night
The Cy-Hawk rivalry is set for a familiar kind of spotlight Saturday night at a sold-out Kinnick Stadium, with Iowa leaning into the kind of setting that has long defined these games. The Hawkeyes will be in all-black uniforms for the annual showdown with Iowa State, and the occasion will carry extra weight with the quarterback competition still unfolding as Iowa looks for a clear answer behind center.
C.J. Beathard, who quarterbacked Iowa from 2013 to 2016, is part of the nights build-up and gives the program a direct link to one of its steadier recent eras. For a team trying to find its next leader under center, having a former quarterback from a successful stretch back around the program is the sort of familiar tone setter that can matter on a stage like this, even before the first snap is taken. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa May Have A Rare Chance To Dominate Cy-Hawk Again
The 73rd meeting of the Cy-Hawk rivalry is shaping up as one of those games that can say as much about momentum as it does about bragging rights. Iowa and Iowa State have spent years trading blows in a series that tends to distort expectations, and this matchup has drawn attention because it comes with the kind of context Hawkeye fans know well: a familiar in-state opponent, plenty of history, and a national audience that always seems ready to treat September football in Iowa as something bigger than it looks.
The comparison that keeps surfacing is the 2016 game, when Iowa turned the rivalry into a runaway and left little doubt about which sideline controlled the day. The setup this time is different enough to make the projection interesting, with both programs in new coaching eras and plenty of fan anticipation around whether Iowa can once again turn a rivalry game into a statement. The numbers point toward a lopsided feel, but the real question is whether this Cy-Hawk meeting can match the rare kind of dominance that made that earlier result so memorable. [Read more 🡒]