A closer look at Cy-Hawk Week for the Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY — A week of blood, sweat, pride and glory on the line — what else would fans expect?

The annual Cy-Hawk football game is here, and it features two teams that have had very different starts to this season. On one hand, Iowa’s season debut wasn’t perfect, but it was a win. Meanwhile, No. 16 Iowa State’s first two games were littered with promise of a program destined for a Big 12 championship run.

Nearly 100 players on both sides grew up watching this game across the state, and now they’re a part of it.

Betting odds have just a 3.5-point difference between these two teams. It’s set to be another nail-biter at Jack Trice Stadium, but which program gets the trophy and bragging rights for the year?

Three Keys to Victory

1. Limit Rocco Becht’s passing game

Iowa State is heavily reliant on quarterback Rocco Becht’s arm, particularly against Iowa. The Cyclones had less than 100 rushing yards against the Hawkeyes in last year’s Cy-Hawk game, but more than 200 passing yards.

Becht has a plethora of capable receivers to make the catch, and limiting those options will be the biggest tests Iowa’s defense of the entire season.

“Just the way he runs a team and doesn't make big mistakes is really impressive,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “So we have to be at our best. We're a different group than we were last year, too. It's a whole new matchup, and challenges us getting ready this week, knowing that it's going to be tough.”

He’s got almost 500 passing yards through just two games. He’ll cross that marker against Iowa, that’ll be a given, finding ways to create third-and-long situations, making it hard for tight ends like Gabe Burkle and Ben Brahmer to make plays — those are the details the Hawkeyes have to perfect.

2. Take advantage of special teams

Getting decent field position, knowing when it’s time to kick the all-important field goal and pinning the Cyclones deep in their own territory — just not necessarily in that order.

The Hawkeyes special teams unit will have their hands full against the Cyclones. It’ll be like a game of chess. Who can make the right call and have the better return team when it matters most? Kaden Wetjen has shown he can get Iowa into good field position, and Sam Phillips had an explosive return for 46 yards in his first attempt with the Hawkeyes.

Then, of course, it can all come down to a kick. Cy-Hawk Week features two impressive kickers, Iowa’s Drew Stevens and Iowa State’s Kyle Konrardy. Konrardy had his chance to be the hero against Iowa last season, and both kickers made career-long field goals last week. Stevens said playing against another highly regarded kicker is fun, and it may just be that position that once again decides the winner.

“I feel like, if we do our jobs the best we can, nobody's gonna beat us,” Stevens said “Because all three phases are really good when they're on.”

3. Improve the passing game

Iowa knows how to run the ball. It has for a long time, and the Hawkeyes had players like running backs Xavier Williams and Terrell Washington Jr. break out against Albany as potential leading rushers. It was the passing game that left a strange taste in fans’ mouth.

Hawkeye quarterback Mark Gronowski didn’t have the cleanest day against Albany, though he improved as the game progressed. He admitted his disappointment in his performance postgame, but Ferentz is adamant there will be significant improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.

If Iowa can get Gronowski moving the ball successfully, that opens up opportunities for the Hawkeyes receiving room to create a much more balanced offense. The offensive line will give Gronowski the pocket time, it’s just about connecting those passing when the time comes.

Prediction

Cy-Hawk Week always is a coin toss. Historically, these games have fallen in favor of the road team — but it’s always close.

It’s the kind of game that can change the entire outlook of this early season, but it’s also a game where every detail matters.

A one-score affair sounds right, but it should still be the low-scoring, pad-pounding battle this rivalry is known to be.

Iowa 17, Iowa State 13

Comments: madison.hricik@thegazette.com, sign up for my weekly newsletter, Hawk Off the Press, here.