Iowa vs. Iowa State Football Recap
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On Saturday, September 9, 2023. The Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0) avenged their loss from the year prior against the Iowa State Cyclones (1-1), at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, by a score of 20-13.
Senior, Adrienne Hodges exclaimed, “The trophy is back where it belongs, go Hawks!”
It was a defensive struggle this last Saturday, with neither team getting to 300 all-purpose yards. The turnover battle was even, with each team throwing one interception, with Iowa returning theirs for a touchdown.
Junior, Jacob Zimmerman expressed, “It was interesting to watch because Iowa’s offense wasn’t productive, yet somehow it felt like Iowa State didn’t really have a chance.” A couple of big plays for the Hawkeyes included a pick-six from senior Iowa cornerback Sebastian Castro, and an 86-yard run from true sophomore Jaziun Patterson.
For Iowa State, late in the first half, a pair of really nice throws from sophomore quarterback Rocco Brecht to Jayden Higgins, and Daniel Jackson set up a 42-yard field goal, which cut the lead to 17-3 going into halftime. A big storyline coming into this game was would either of the offensive units be able to be productive. The answer sadly for the viewers was no. In the first half, the Hawkeye offense looked great, scoring on their first two drives, and utilizing their playmakers to create multiple explosive plays. In the second half, however, any momentum they had ground to a halt, resulting in only 91 all-purpose yards. While looking better on paper, the Cyclone offense wasn’t much better. The Cyclones failed to score a touchdown until their second-to-last drive of the game, and only averaged a measly 4.6 yards per passing attempt, combined with a 2.8 yards per carry on the ground.
Even so, Iowa’s quarterback, Cade McNamara, remains optimistic.
In an interview with ESPN, McNamara stated, “This was just an unbelievable team win.”
Coach Kirk Ferentz earned his 200th win in this game and is 3rd overall in wins amongst active coaches. Coach Ferentz is the 27th coach in the history of college football to hit such a number. For the Cyclones, Coach Matt Campbell and his team have been hit hard with gambling sanctions, crippling the team’s skill positions, losing their starting quarterback and running back. Currently, the Hawkeyes hold the all-time lead in the series, 47-23. The Hawkeyes will host Western Michigan in their next game, while the Cyclones will travel to Ohio to tangle with the Bobcats.