Last season's Cy-Hawk matchup left a sour taste in the mouths of all Hawkeye fans.
In typical Iowa fashion, the defense dominated and held Iowa State to under 21 points, but the offense's inability to move the ball and run out the clock cost the Hawkeyes big.
The Hawkeyes held a 13-0 lead at halftime, but the Cyclones put up 14 points in the third quarter to take a brief lead before Iowa made two field goals.
Iowa nursed a 19-17 lead heading into the late stages of the game, and multiple three-and-outs caused them to punt the ball back to Iowa State with time winding down.
Rocco Becht threw a dime to receiver Jaylin Noel for 30 yards and set up the game-winning 54-yard field goal.
The Hawkeyes started the season 1-0 after a 34-7 victory over Albany, and the Cyclones have started 2-0 with wins over Kansas State in week zero and South Dakota in week one.
Iowa travels to Ames for game No. 72 in the storied in-state rivalry, and it will be showcased as the Big Noon Kickoff matchup.
AMES WE'RE COMING TO YOUR CITY! 🔥
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) September 2, 2025
Big Noon Kickoff will be bringing the party to Ames, IA for one of the best rivalries in CFB 🌪️🌽
See you soon @CycloneFB & @HawkeyeFootball fans! pic.twitter.com/r7LzU9r243
The Big Noon crew is headed to Ames to showcase the rivalry between two teams that really do not like each other.
The Cyclones are coming into this game on a hot streak, having moved up to No. 16 in the AP Top 25 rankings.
The Hawkeyes won their first game, but their offense looked shaky in the performance. Iowa leads the all-time series 47-24, and have won the last six matchups in Ames.
The Hawkeyes must put together a complete performance at 11:00 a.m. Central Time at Jack Trice Stadium to leave Ames with an upset win on Saturday.