Iowa State came out of Iowa City with a 16-13 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes, but the Cyclones still left plenty of reason to feel good about what they showed on Saturday night.
The defense was the headliner. Against an Iowa offense that entered 2026 with real buzz - Kamari Moulton, a strong group of receivers, and an offensive line that ranks among America’s best - Iowa State refused to get run over. The Hawkeyes had opened the season by beating NIU 40-0, but they never came close to that kind of control against the Cyclones.
Instead, Iowa State held Iowa to 16 points and got useful work from just about every level of the defense.
The linebackers set the tone. Sullivan Schlimgen once again looked like the engine of the unit, finishing with nine tackles, a team high.
Carson Willich added six tackles and one for a loss, and his veteran presence showed up in a big way. Beau Goodwin chipped in four tackles as well, helping keep Iowa’s run game from taking over.
Up front, the defensive line didn’t record a sack or a tackle for loss, but it still did enough to make Iowa work for everything. The Cyclones held up against the run and forced Hank Brown to make plays, which he was able to do. Caden Crawford posted three tackles against his former team, while Bryson Lamb and Malaki Ta’ase each finished with three more.
The corners also answered the call. Iowa State limited the number of deep completions, and Seth Johnson delivered a big hit that helped establish the tone.
David Coffey had four tackles, though a missed tackle nearly came back to haunt the Cyclones in the fourth quarter. Even with that moment, the group bounced back from a rough week one showing and held up well overall.
At safety, the Cyclones were steady. Drew Surges finished with six tackles, second on the team behind Schlimgen, and freshman Brody Miller added three tackles of his own while making plays on a big stage.
For Iowa State, the night ended in frustration. But the defense gave the Cyclones a real chance, and if a few more plays had gone their way, the Cy-Hawk trophy would be headed back home for a third straight year.
In Other News...
Iowa State Suddenly Has A Passing Game Problem To Solve
Iowa States passing game took a hit in the Cyclones game against Iowa when wide receiver Evan Boyd went down with a knee injury, and head coach Jimmy Rogers said he will miss the rest of the season. Boyd arrived as a transfer with Power Four experience and was expected to be a meaningful part of the offense, so his loss changes the early shape of the receiver room in a hurry.
Carter Pabst and freshman Jamal Polite Jr. are now among the players with a chance to absorb some of those snaps and targets. For Iowa State, the challenge is not just replacing one receivers production, but finding a way to keep the passing game balanced enough to support the rest of the offense after losing a player it had counted on. [Read more 🡒]
Tamin Lipsey Could Change Iowa States Biggest 2026-27 Question
Tamin Lipseys future could end up shaping one of Iowa States biggest questions for the 2026-27 season, and it has nothing to do with what happens on the floor in the near term. Lipsey and other student-athletes have joined a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking a fifth year of competition eligibility, arguing that players from the Class of 2022 were improperly left out of the associations Five-for-Five model.
The case is still moving through the courts, with both sides ordered to submit legal findings by Sept. 17, 2026. For Iowa State, the issue carries obvious weight because Lipsey has been central to the programs recent success, and his eligibility status could eventually affect how the Cyclones approach their roster planning for the next season and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Raised Expectations For Jimmy Rogers In A Big Way
The first two weeks under Jimmy Rogers have given Iowa State a far different early read than the one many projected in the summer. With a nearly rebuilt roster and a new coaching staff, the Cyclones handled Southeast Missouri State in Week 1 and then went toe-to-toe with Iowa before falling just short in the rivalry game, a start that has already pushed this group beyond the preseason chatter that had them buried near the bottom of the Big 12.
Now comes the part that will really define how much this start matters. Iowa State still has a demanding run ahead, with conference play and a mix of home and road tests set to tell whether this is simply a promising opening or the start of something more durable, and bowl eligibility will depend on how the Cyclones respond once the schedule stiffens and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]