The Iowa State Cyclones (1-0, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U) battle the Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U) in the big state rivalry game on Saturday afternoon. The Cyclones clobbered SE Missouri State in their first game of the season. The Hawkeyes registered a narrow win against South Dakota State in their season opener. The Hawkeyes posted a 27-17 win against the Cyclones last season.
The Iowa State Cyclones are in a rebuilding season after going 7-5 last year. The program lost many big names on the offense and it will likely take some time for the team to gel. However, the coaching is strong and this is a squad that cannot be taken lightly. They were 33-point favorites in a 42-10 home win against SE Missouri State last week.
The Cyclones no longer have star QB, Brock Purdy. The new QB is Hunter Dekkers. The sophomore learned by watching on the sidelines last year and should be productive. He was stellar in the opener, collecting 293 yards and four touchdowns.
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ISU had one of the best running backs in the FBS in Breece hall who is now in the NFL. Jirehl Brock is the #1 RB. He recorded 174 yards in 2021 and 104 yards in the opener. The good news is WR Xavier Hutchinson is primed for another big season after amassing 987 receiving yards in 2021. The senior logged 128 yards last week. The Iowa State offense likely won’t be as productive as last season.
The Cyclones' defense was outstanding in 2021 as well, placing 13th overall against the pass and 23rd against the run. The defense was decent last week, conceding 320 total yards. They will likely regress considering they lost several key players including the 2021’s tackling leaders. Iowa State averaged 32.8 points last season, ranking them 34th. The defense allowed an average of 20.6 points, good for 23rd in the FBS.