The Preview: Iowa State heads to Iowa City for Cy-Hawk game

Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Beau Freyler (17) gets tackle by North Dakota Fighting Hawks tight end Jaden Norby (43) after an interception during the third quarter in the season opening game at Jack Trice Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024, in Ames, Iowa © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Game Day Info
Iowa State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) @ Iowa (1-0, 0-0 Big 10)
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.
TV: CBS (Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, Jenny Dell)
Radio: Varsity Network (John Walters, Eric Heft, Ryan Harklau)

Recent Results
2023: Iowa 20, Iowa State 13
2022: Iowa State 10, Iowa 7
2021: No. 10 Iowa 27, No. 9 Iowa State 17
2019: No. 19 Iowa 18, Iowa State 17
2018: Iowa 13, Iowa State 3

Players to Watch

Rocco Becht, redshirt sophomore quarterback (Iowa State)
I’ve keyed in Rocco Becht to be a player to watch in most, if not all of my content this week both here at C.F. and in Hawkeye Report’s Behind Enemy Lines story that their so gracious to have me for. Becht has improved significantly at protecting the football since his last Cy-Hawk game. In his last nine on-field performances, Becht has just three interceptions. Turnovers are massive in rivalry games, especially in this series.

Cael Brezina, freshman linebacker (Iowa State)
The freshman linebacker will make his first career start for the Cyclones Saturday, after an injury kept him off the field in the season opener. Iowa State is without two starting linebackers, and Iowa will try to attack that unit. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder is just one of the six linebackers that will likely play in this game, but it will be a big one to start off his career in Ames with.

Beau Freyler, senior defensive back (Iowa State)
Big plays dictate results in this series, and no player in a Cyclone uniform is more prepped to create one than Beau Freyler, at least that’s what defensive coordinator Jon Heacock will say. Freyler nearly stopped North Dakota’s only scoring drive with an interception last week and later came up with another pick to help keep the Fighting Hawks at bay. It typically isn’t the suspected heroes in this series, but don’t be shocked if Freyler is one.

Sebastian Castro, redshirt senior defensive back (Iowa)
The Hawkeye defensive back had the pick six that changed the game on Rocco Becht last season in Ames. Becht is the first to say just that, too. Castro was third on the team in tackles a year ago for the Cyclones behind linebacker duo Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson. Keeping the ball away from all three could be a major player in Saturday’s result.

Reece Vander Zee, freshman wide receiver (Iowa)
The Rock Rapids, Iowa native and Central Lyon High School star burst onto the scene his Hawkeye debut last week, leading the team with five receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Outside of tight end Luke Lachey’s six receptions, each of those stats were team highs. Yes, those numbers came against an FCS Illinois State, but those are eye openers for an Iowa offense who’s receivers have struggled in years past. He was a top 10 recruit in the state and I don’t believe that performance was all that much of an outlier.

Aaron Graves, junior defensive lineman (Iowa)
Another in-state product that started his season off with a bang. Graves currently leads the nation in sacks after collecting three in Iowa’s 40-0 win over Illinois State. That’s improved from 2.5 sacks during the entirety of his sophomore season a year ago.

Keys to the game

Don’t make the mistake
The inevitable turnover that leads to the biggest touchdown of the game – whether it happens in a fumble at the goal line like it did in 2022 or if it’s a pick-six that we saw last year… this game becomes monumentally harder to win if there’s a mistake like that. Finding the balance between being aggressive and protecting the ball will be integral.

Open things up early
Iowa hasn’t seen Iowa State open up the offense dramatically in Cy-Hawk games under coach Matt Campbell, at least in recent years. Get the ball in the air in the first quarter with the stout cast of this offense’s arial attack going to work. That might be the one thing Iowa isn’t ready to see out of Iowa State – at least it would be if I had to pick.

Win on first and second down
Iowa State captain Beau Freyler said after Saturday’s game that the defense didn’t attack enough on first and second down against North Dakota. One drive stretched 88 yards over 23 plays and took up the first 12 minutes of the second quarter where the defense couldn’t get off the field. Such a drive would make this Saturday’s game a lot less winnable for the Cyclones.

Friday, September 6
6:00 p.m. | BYU @ SMU (ESPN2)
Saturday, September 7
11:00 a.m. | Arkansas @ Oklahoma State (ABC)
11:00 a.m. | Kansas State @ Tulane (ESPN)
11:00 a.m. | Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati (ESPN2)
2:30 p.m. | Iowa State @ Iowa (CBS)
2:30 p.m. | Baylor @ Utah (FOX)
5:00 p.m. | Albany @ West Virginia (ESPN+)
5:30 p.m. | Sam Houston @ UCF (ESPN+)
6:00 p.m. | Kansas @ Illinois (FS1)
6:30 p.m. | Colorado @ Nebraska (NBC)
6:45 p.m. | Houston @ Oklahoma (SEC Network)
7:00 p.m. | Long Island @ TCU (ESPN+)
9:00 p.m. | Northern Arizona @ Arizona (ESPN+)
9:00 p.m. | Texas Tech @ Washington State (FOX)
9:30 p.m. | Mississippi State @ Arizona State (ESPN)