73rd meeting set for Saturday night
Iowa State has won its last two trips to Iowa City. Matt Campbell was on the sideline for both of them.
Jimmy Rogers gets his first taste of the Cy-Hawk on Saturday night. Across from him is Kirk Ferentz, now in his 28th season in charge of the Hawkeyes. The two programmes meet for the 73rd time.
The Cyclones have taken three of the last four. Iowa’s win in 2023 was later wiped out because of NCAA violations tied to quarterback Cade McNamara. Last year, Iowa State edged it 16-13 in Ames.
Rogers knows exactly what this one means. “This isn’t a regular game. There’s an edge to it. It’ll come down to focus and how well you handle adversity, more than anything else.”
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Two openers, no argument
Both teams are 1-0. Iowa State beat Southeast Missouri State 38-10. Iowa blew out Northern Illinois 40-0 and outgained them 507 to 120.
Kamari Moulton was the star of the night: 183 yards on just 11 carries, a personal best, with touchdowns from 50 and 37 yards. “That’s the best we’ve seen him,” Ferentz said. “He’s more confident, he’s seeing things better. That’s what experience and game reps do for you.”
The coach is keeping his starting quarterback under wraps, though. Hank Brown started and went 12-for-20 for 129 yards and a touchdown. Jeremy Hecklinski followed with 7-for-16, 76 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Brown isn’t getting any extra clues. “I don’t know the plan. My plan is one day at a time.”
Six sacks and counting for the Cyclones
Rogers was hired after one season at Washington State, when Campbell left to take over at Penn State. Several of his players followed him. Defensive end Isaac Terrell had three sacks against Southeast Missouri State.
The team finished with six in that one game alone. In 2025, Iowa State had managed just 13 across 12 games.
Transfer quarterback Jaylen Raynor also made a strong start, throwing two touchdown passes and running for two more scores. The former Arkansas State man knows the stage is bigger now. “It’s a huge game for a lot of people. A rivalry that’s been around forever. I’m very thankful to be part of it. The atmosphere is going to be incredible.”
Rogers keeps bringing it back to the trenches. “They’re physical. We have to go out there and match that physicality, play as hard as they do. We have to be ready for 60 minutes.” Whether the players who came over from Pullman fully grasp what this trophy means in this state is another matter.
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