Iowa State used a dominating defensive effort and a stellar performance by place-kicker Alex Giffords in 1982 to hand then-coach Donnie Duncan his third-straight triumph over Iowa.

“The Iowa game is so emotional, so intense,” Cyclone defensive tackle Chris Boskey said in summing up the rivalry. “It’s always going to be a defensive game.”

Boskey’s statement on the defensive nature of the game was a vast understatement in this encounter, as the Cyclones completely stuffed the Hawkeyes’ offensive attack, limiting Iowa to a microscopic 105 yards of total offense.

Cyclone defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said ISU was able to tighten its coverage against Iowa after having to play back a few steps against the speedy Tennessee Volunteers the week before.

“We were able to squeeze Iowa a little more,” Coyer said. “Against Tennessee, our secondary’s first move was backing up.”

Maybe the Cyclones squeezed the Hawks a little too hard, as the Hawks managed only 46 yards through the air and just six yards per completion. ISU was equally impressive in stopping Iowa’s ground attack, as the Hawkeyes averaged fewer than two yards per run in accumulating a measly 56 yards rushing.

The Hawkeye defense held the Cyclone offense in check throughout the first half, and a 26-yard field goal by Giffords in the second quarter provided the only points ISU managed by intermission. The half ended with Iowa clinging to a 7-3 advantage after an interception return for a TD.

During the second half, Giffords chipped in a trio of field goals to put ISU on top, 12-7.

“The little guy did it to us again,” Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry said of the 5-8, 165-pound kicker, a thorn in Iowa’s side for three years.

ISU put the game away a short while later when quarterback David Archer hooked up with senior flanker Frankie Leaks on a 46-yard touchdown strike with 7:33 remaining. Leaks used an array of shifty moves to out-maneuver the Hawkeye secondary.

“I bought those moves in a dime store,” Leaks joked about his nifty touchdown grab. “I twisted around outside, then went inside. I always try to fake out the first defender.”

The Cyclone defense took care of the rest, as the Hawks managed only 14 yards of total offense in the second half. When the final gun sounded, ISU had won, 19-7.

“It not only took skill,” Duncan said, “but it took guts to win this game.”