(Photo: The Des Moines Register)

Campus Clash 

Iowa Hawkeyes at (16) Iowa State Cyclones 

Iowa (1–0)

Scores can be misleading at times, and they don’t always tell the full story. If I can be blunt, it was a lackluster performance — and that’s just my honest opinion. Now, don’t get me wrong, they did some things well: they won the time of possession battle, outgained Albany by 181 yards, earned 20 first downs, and were solid on third downs — what I call “the money down.” In Week 1, they ushered in a new quarterback, Mark Gronowski. He didn’t have the best debut on Saturday night — but many new quarterbacks didn’t, which seemed to be the theme of opening weekend. Mark completed just 8 of 15 pass attempts for only 44 yards in their season-opening win. Kirk Ferentz has been around for a long time, and his philosophy is simple: build up the trenches. The Iowa Hawkeyes always have an elite offensive line — something I’ll never doubt — and they run the football with consistency. On Saturday, the big guys up front looked as strong as they were a season ago, dominating the trenches and winning that battle. As a team, Iowa ran the ball 53 times for 310 yards. Say what you want — but that’s their bread and butter. This is one of the reasons I’ve always respected Kirk so much. He stays within his identity and doesn’t try to get fancy. These days, too many coaches try to do too much and drift away from what they’re built to do. That approach will cost a team every time. Iowa won’t try to get into a shootout because they know that’s not their game — and when they try, it usually ends in defeat. This Saturday, they’ll head to Ames for their annual showdown against their in-state rivals.

Iowa State (2–0)

I watched them in Week 0 in Dublin, Ireland, when they took down Kansas State in a close game. Then they came back to the States and dominated South Dakota. When I made my weekly appearances on The Betting Window and College Football Showdown, I said on both shows how much I like Matt Campbell as a head coach. I also think he’s one of the more underrated coaches in the country. He’s a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and has been in Ames since 2015 after the university parted ways with Paul Rhoads. Matt is a young guy who connects with his players, and honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t been considered for bigger jobs. But I also don’t see Iowa State letting him just walk away. This Iowa State team plays hard. They leave everything on the field and want to prove they can compete in the Big 12. Let’s talk about their quarterback, Rocco Becht. This kid is as good as advertised and has gradually improved each year as the starter. In 2023, he threw 23 touchdown passes, and last season, he had 25. In Week 1, Rocco was incredibly efficient — completing his first 14 passes and finishing 19 of 20 for 278 yards and three touchdowns. That was his 20th consecutive game with a touchdown pass. Just think about those numbers: 19 of 20? That’s a 95% completion rate, a school record. Pay close attention to this group — I’m not saying they’ll win a national title, but they can absolutely shake things up in the Big 12. This Saturday, they’ll welcome Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes to town.

Iowa X-Factor: Xavier Williams

As I mentioned earlier, the Iowa offense was far from stellar. But once they leaned into the run game, everything changed. After Kamari Moulton exited with an injury, Xavier Williams stepped in — and the ground game didn’t skip a beat. He finished the game with 122 yards and a rushing touchdown. Xavier is a powerful yet shifty runner who can burst through lanes when they open. The more they gave him the ball, the better the offense looked. Kirk Ferentz has a knack for finding players who step up when the team needs them most. I expect Xavier to be the focal point of this offense again on Saturday.

Iowa State X-Factor: Gabe Burkle

The Cyclones have a dominant tight end duo in Ben Brahmer and Gabe Burkle. If I were a quarterback, I’d love throwing to these big targets. Gabe is a tree — 6’6″ and around 255 pounds — and he moves well off the snap. He knows how to use his frame to shield defenders and make catches. Frankly, he creates mismatches across the board. With his size and wide catch radius, the quarterback just needs to throw it in his vicinity — and Gabe is coming down with it.

Final Thoughts

The first time I previewed this matchup was back in Week 2 of September 2021. Iowa was ranked 10th, Iowa State was ranked ninth, and Brock Purdy was under center for the Cyclones. Now, they meet again to battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy. Once again, we have two contrasting styles of football — something I always love to point out. Iowa wants to punch the ball between the tackles and play strong defense. Iowa State has a more balanced attack — they can run it or sling it. I know what Iowa’s rushing attack will bring to the table, but the million-dollar question is: Can Gronowski make a throw when the opportunity presents itself? That’s what I’ll be watching closely. I expect Iowa State to try and turn this into a run-and-gun contest — a track meet, if you will. But they’ll also be fine playing ugly if they need to. Last season, Iowa State escaped with a one-point victory, and whenever these two meet, it’s always close. I trust Rocco Becht far more than I trust Mark Gronowski, and that’s why I’m picking the Cyclones to win and retain the Cy-Hawk Trophy.

Prediction: 

Iowa State 24, Iowa 14