No. 21 Iowa vs. Iowa State is a beautiful rivalry. Fans have already started chirping at each other on social media and likely have been since the 2023 season ended. The Cy-Hawk Trophy, which the two teams play for, is sponsored by Iowa Corn. It's perfect. It's reliable in a time where few things college football related are. Nothing needs to change about it.
Though Iowa has historically dominated the series, with a 47-23 advantage over the years, Iowa State has made things closer recently. The Cyclones won a 10-7 slugfest in 2022 to break a six-game losing streak to their in-state rival. Iowa reclaimed the throne last season to get its eighth win in the last 10 Cy-Hawks, but the margins are thinning. Six games in that span have been decided by just one possession. And Iowa State won the last time this game was played in Iowa City two years ago.
In fact, all three of the Cyclones' most recent wins in the series have come on Iowa's home turf. Maybe that bodes well for an Iowa State squad that's looking to make some noise in the Big 12 this year. Also, neither team has scored more than 30 points since Iowa won 2017's 44-41 overtime thriller.
Iowa vs. Iowa State: Need to know
Iowa's offense might be back: It was a small sample size against an overmatched team, but Iowa's offense looked improved in Week 1 -- after a slow first half, at least. The Hawkeyes scored 30 points in the second half of a 40-0 win over Illinois State and threw for three touchdowns in a single game for the first time since 2021. They had their best yardage total since 2019. Freshman wide receiver Reece Vander Zee had two touchdowns, which is more than any Iowa wideout has had in a single season since 2022. Iowa State provides much stiffer competition, but it was a good debut for new offensive coordinator Tim Lester.
Rocco Becht takes the big stage: This won't be Becht's first Cy-Hawk Game, but it certainly might be the biggest. Maybe it's due to the overall quality of quarterbacks in the Big 12, but Becht has largely flown under the radar despite a great first 14 games as Iowa State's starter. He was the 2023 Big 12 Freshman of the Year after completing 231 passes for 3,120 yards and 23 touchdowns -- all freshman records at ISU. He kept the momentum rolling in the 2024 season opener against North Dakota, completing a crisp 20 of his 26 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. A big performance against Iowa would definitely open some eyes.
Don't forget the defense:It would be disrespectful to the state of Iowa if we didn't at least shine a spotlight on defense. Both Iowa and Iowa State take pride in their ability to smother an opponent. The Hawkeyes finished top-five nationally in both total defense and scoring defense last season, while the Cyclones ranked top-three in the Big 12 in both categories. The two allowed a combined three points and 484 total yards of offense in their respective 2024 season openers, albeit against FCS competition.
How to watch Iowa vs. Iowa State live
Date: Saturday, Sept. 7|Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Kinnick Stadium -- Iowa City, Iowa
TV: CBS|Live stream: CBSSports.com,CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming onParamount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Iowa vs. Iowa State prediction, picks
On paper, these two teams seem fairly evenly matched, but Iowa has one glaring advantage: the run game. Hawkeyes backs Kaleb Johnson and Kamari Moulton combined for 185 yards rushing in the Week 1 win against Southern Illinois. Iowa State allowed 174 yards on the ground against North Dakota, while only running for 86 of its own. Iowa also has a strong secondary that should be able to at least limit the Cyclones' passing attack and take some of the explosiveness away from receivers like Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. As long as the Hawkeyes can limit glaring errors, they've got a good chance of winning a tight one.Pick: Iowa -3 (-115)
 Dennis Dodd |  Tom Fornelli |  Chip Patterson |  Shehan Jeyarajah |  David Cobb |  Jerry Palm |  Brandon Marcello |  Richard Johnson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IOWA -3 | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa |
| SU | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa |
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