Iowa State emerged victorious in its last two trips to Iowa City, but that was under former coach Matt Campbell.
New Cyclones coach Jimmy Rogers matches wits against Iowa coaching legend Kirk Ferentz in the Cy-Hawk rivalry for the first time on Saturday night when Iowa State and the No. 21 Hawkeyes face each other for the 73rd time.
Iowa State has won three of the past four meetings. Iowa’s 2023 victory during that span was later vacated due to NCAA violations involving quarterback Cade McNamara. The Cyclones posted a 16-13 home win in Ames last season.
“It’s not just any ordinary game,” said Rogers, the former head coach at South Dakota State and Washington State. “There’s an intensity to it. … It will come down to focus and being able to handle adversity more than anything.”
The Cyclones (1-0) opened the Rogers era with a 38-10 victory over Southeast Missouri State.
Iowa (1-0) steamrolled Northern Illinois 40-0 in its opener.
Ferentz is in his 28th season as coach of the Hawkeyes, but his competitive juices increase when the Cy-Hawk Trophy is at stake.
“Really for 20-plus years it’s been a really competitive, tight series,” Ferentz said. “… I think that’s really what you can expect again Saturday. The two teams get together, and it is a really hotly contested game.
“I can’t imagine that being any different this week. We’ll see what that looks like.”
Iowa outgained Northern Illinois 507-120 and running back Kamari Moulton gained a career-best 183 yards on just 11 carries. He scored on runs of 50 and 37 yards.
“That’s as good as we’ve seen him,” Ferentz said of Moulton, a fourth-year Hawkeye. “He’s more confident, seeing things better. That’s the beauty of experience and playing.”
Ferentz continues to keep the identity of his starting quarterback a secret. Hank Brown started the opener and fared well, completing 12 of 20 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. Jeremy Hecklinski was the second option and hit on 7 of 16 passes for 76 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
“I don’t know the plan,” Brown insisted on Tuesday. “My plan is one day at a time.”
Rogers was hired after one season at Washington State when Campbell moved on to take over the Penn State program.
A lot of Washington State players followed Rogers, including defensive end Isaac Terrell, who had three sacks in the victory over Southeast Missouri State.
As a team, the Cyclones recorded six sacks in the opener. In 2025, they notched just 13 in 12 games.
Transfer quarterback Jaylen Raynor also fared well in his debut. The former Arkansas State standout passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more.
Raynor is preparing for stiffer competition in his second Iowa State start, and he will be at the center of the contest that sparks heated debate throughout the state.
“It’s a game that’s very important to so many people,” said Raynor, who grew up in North Carolina. “It’s a rivalry that’s been going on forever. I’m super grateful to be a part of it. … It will be an amazing atmosphere.”
Once the hype calms down and the players hit the field, Rogers believes the outcome will be determined by whether or not his squad matches the toughness of Iowa.
“They’re physical,” Rogers said. “We’ve got to come out and match their physicality and play just as hard as they do. We got to get ready to play a 60-minute game. Our guys are excited.”