“It’s the second game on the schedule.”

That’s what ISU football coach Paul Rhoads said last week with a smile on his face, in an attempt to downplay, or at least slow down, the hype machine that is the Cy-Hawk Series.

The rival Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Jack Trice stadium for an 11:10 a.m. kickoff against the Cyclones on Saturday, and the team took Labor Day to game plan and watch tape of the Hawkeyes to prepare.

Given two extra days to prepare for the game because of Thursday’s season opener, as opposed to the typical Saturday starter, Rhoads was active and prepared for the week ahead at his weekly press conference on Monday.

“There’s room for improvement in every phase of our program, and that is and will remain the number one expectation in the first season as we’ve taken over,” Rhoads said.

The Hawkeyes’ 17–16 scrape past FCS Northern Iowa raised plenty of eyebrows across the country, including many in Ames who have been anticipating a difficult task ahead. While Iowa doesn’t appear to be as intimidating as its national-ranking would indicate, Rhoads wasn’t worried that his players would take the Hawkeyes lightly.

“I promise you that will not be the case. Iowa is a nationally ranked football team, and very well deserving of that,” Rhoads said. “These kids play them every year, they know how physical Iowa is, they know Iowa’s tradition of winning. The fact that the Northern Iowa-Iowa game was so close in score will have no effect on what they expect coming into this football game.”

The first-year coach said his wife’s shopping needs came before watching the entire Iowa-UNI game live, but that he was well aware of the challenge ahead. Iowa State has won seven of the last 11 contests, and the two schools have won every home game in the rivalry since 2004.

North Dakota State is a quick reminder for the Cyclones of the style of play they will likely encounter against Iowa, not necessarily talent-wise, but in formations and team philosophies. Giving up the big play on the ground, getting a pass rush and maintaining gaps are keys to the game for Iowa State in Saturday’s Cy-Hawk matchup, but most will be easier said than done.

The Cyclones went three quarters without a sack against North Dakota State on Thursday, and while Rhoads feels there is room for improvement, he felt comfortable with the play the defensive front provided in week one.

“When you’re really set on stopping the run against a physical football team, you don’t pin your ears back and rush the passer as much as you would with a team that’s going to drop back and throw it 35 or 40 times,” Rhoads said.

“I think that you did see it late in the [North Dakota State] game, whether we wore them out physically at that time or we just knew they were in a passing situation. I believe we have guys that can rush the passer, I hope we bring added pressure as well, and I think it’s something we can do effectively over the course of the season.”

Filling gaps on defense will be up to the defensive speed of coordinator Wally Burnham’s squad, as the Hawkeyes will bring more size and strength than the Bison did on Thursday. Rhoads made a mention of defensive end Rashawn Parker playing an “outstanding” football game that included two sacks, and the progressing play of true freshman returnman Josh Lenz on special teams.

The Cyclones will need Parker to step with linebacker Jesse Smith, who recorded a career high 15 tackles on Thursday, to slow down Hawkeye quarterback Ricky Stanzi and the balanced threat Iowa provides. Without one skill player to key in on, Rhoads feels the same way he has all offseason and since the team moved to 1–0 on Thursday: the onus lies on the Cyclones for their success.

“The key in this game is really no different, and I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, [but] we’ve got to be what we’re supposed to be,” Rhoads said. “We’ve got to be in the gaps; we can’t get knocked out of there; we can’t be slow; we can’t let them get to the second level in their blocking scheme, which they do exceptionally well; and when we get everybody where they’re supposed to be, we gotta tackle.”

Rhoads has been a part of big rivalries in his coaching career, facing the “Backyard Brawl” against West Virginia during his time at Pitt, and the “Iron Bowl” against Alabama at Auburn. He characterized the Iowa-Iowa State game as “competitively friendly” and holds high regard for the rivalry at his first head coaching job.

“It’s right at the very top, and probably because it’s my home state,” Rhoads said. “So being part of a rivalry is always special, but when you grow up a part of it, it becomes cardinal and gold and black and gold wherever you are. Whether you’re in a grocery store or at the water fountain, you’re going to hear about this game. Everybody’s got an opinion of it, everybody’s got a deciding vote on who they think is going to come through, so this game is special.”