Iowa and Iowa State meet again Saturday night in a Cy-Hawk matchup that has already been framed by the numbers: kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, with NBC and Peacock carrying the game.
Iowa enters at 1-0 and opened as a 14.5-point favorite, with the over/under listed at 41.5. Iowa State is also 1-0, setting up another rivalry game between two teams that both handled their openers with ease. The Hawkeyes rolled past Northern Illinois 40-0, while the Cyclones beat SEMO 38-10.
This year’s meeting comes with a few twists. It’s the fifth night game in the history of the rivalry, and the sold-out game continues Iowa’s three-game homestand. The Hawkeyes are looking to take back the Cy-Hawk trophy after Iowa State has won the last two meetings, both by a field goal.
The all-time series still belongs to Iowa, 47-25, but the recent edge has shifted to the Cyclones, who have taken three of the last four. The two schools have been playing since 1894, and the programs have already agreed to keep the Cy-Hawk game on the schedule through 2031.
There won’t be a huge amount of carryover from previous editions of the rivalry on either sideline. Iowa State head caoch Jimmy Rogers is coaching the game for the first time and brings in an entirely new roster. The one familiar figure for the Cyclones is kicker Kyle Konrardy, who drilled the game-winning field goal in both of the last two matchups.
Iowa has more history in the rivalry, but there is still uncertainty surrounding Iowa’s starting quarterback heading into this one.
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Iowa State Needs To Know These Hawkeyes Before Kinnick Turns Hostile
The Cy-Hawk buildup always comes with a little extra edge, and this one is no different as Iowa State heads into Kinnick for a nationally televised kickoff at 6:30 p.m. The matchup brings plenty of familiar names into focus, from Iowa quarterbacks Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski to playmakers like running back Kamari Moulton, tight end DJ Vonnahme, defensive tackle Bryce Hawthorne and safety Zach Lutmer, all of whom could shape how hostile the environment feels for the visitors.
For Iowa State, the intrigue goes beyond just the rivalry backdrop. Head coach Jimmy Rogers brings his own coaching history into a game that has stayed tight in recent seasons, and the Cyclones know the Hawkeyes are built to make every possession feel heavier than it should. The next wrinkle is the one Iowa has not fully sorted out yet, and it could matter a lot once the crowd settles in and the first real pressure hits. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State May Have Found A New Threat In Its Receiver Battle
Iowa States opener against Southeast Missouri State offered the kind of first impression a new staff hopes for, with Jimmy Rogers picking up a win in his debut and the Cyclones rolling to a 38-10 finish. Jaylen Raynor set the tone with four touchdown passes, Isaac Terrell piled up three sacks, and the game quickly turned into a showcase for a team that looked sharp in several phases right out of the gate.
Amid all that, Dominic Overby made himself impossible to ignore in the receiver mix. He was not listed as a starter on Iowa States first official depth chart, but he finished with two catches for 85 yards and both receptions came on explosive plays of 40-plus yards. For a depth chart battle that was supposed to sort itself out over time, Overby gave the Cyclones a new name to watch very early. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Has A Real Opening In The Cy-Hawk Fight For The Trophy
The Cy-Hawk game has a familiar feel to it again: plenty of noise, plenty of history, and not much separating Iowa and Iowa State as they head into a rivalry that rarely gives either side much breathing room. Iowas quarterback situation remains unsettled, which adds another layer to a matchup that already tends to turn on small edges, while the battle up front figures to be a major factor in whether the Cyclones can control the pace and keep the trophy chase on their terms.
Jaylen Raynors first outing in a Cyclone uniform gave Iowa State a glimpse of what the passing game can look like when he is comfortable, and that makes the stakes in this one even more interesting for a team looking to build on that start. Still, the setting matters too, because Kinnick Stadium has not exactly been a welcoming place for the Cyclones in this series, and the recent run of tight finishes suggests this one could come down to the same kind of late-game edge that has defined so many of these meetings. [Read more 🡒]