As the Iowa State vs. Iowa game approaches, players prepare for the biggest rivalry in the state.

A rivalry that grants bragging rights and trash talk for a year, the Iowa–Iowa State game may be rounding the corner into a new era.

ISU running back Jeff Woody described it as pure excitement, and he said the players are using that excitement to fuel practice. 

“Guys are chomping at the bit just to get to Saturday,” Woody said with a slight grin on his face. “They’re just so excited to play in this big rivalry game.”

Looking back at the Cyclones’ win in triple overtime to defeat the Hawkeyes last season, Woody said the battlefield has been evened out more so now.

“It’s been different than in years past where one team has blown out the other,” Woody said. “Now, it’s a true game. It’s not going to be one team rolls out there and smacks the other.”

Practice has been good because of the excitement, Woody said. And with the excitement, the intensity in the atmosphere is rising as well.

Woody is coming off of a minor ankle injury he sustained in the Cyclones’ win against Tulsa last Saturday. Woody said he’s been back in practice and will be good to go for the game against Iowa.

Brun steps up

In the win against Tulsa, wide receiver Ernst Brun played in his first game as a Cyclone.

After redshirting last season, Brun caught his first reception for a touchdown. In his mind, Brun went back to Saturday, and in his eyes, he looked back up to the crowd.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Brun said. “I knew I was going to catch it and I knew it was going to be a touchdown. But I looked at [Josh] Lenz and he asked: ‘How does it feel?’ And I didn’t say anything. I was speechless.”

Brun had originally played quarterback all throughout most of high school. Only in his senior year was he moved to the tight end position.

His high school offense switched to a triple-offense, and he wasn’t much of a running quarterback.

“We had a running quarterback, so they moved me to a receiver and a tight end,” Brun said. “I was in a four-point stance, and I wasn’t big, so I was going up against kids like [NFL defensive end] Cameron Heyward.”

Brun said all his life he knew he wanted the ball in his hands, but he definitely preferred quarterback. 

Brun and the rest of the Cyclones will make the trip to Iowa City this Saturday to play in the annual in-state rivalry.