Iowa and Iowa State clashed in Carver Hawkeye Arena for the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk dual.

After a beatdown last year, the Cyclones nearly upset the No. 3 Hawkeyes but ultimately fell 19-18. In a dual like this, a couple moments swayed the outcome.

Cyclones start strong

A lot of the attention will be drawn to the dramatic finish with ranked 133-pounders Austin DeSanto and Austin Gomez — rightfully so — but the start of the dual was key for Iowa State.

With Gomez and DeSanto slotted for the finale, the dual started at 141-pounds. For Iowa State, Ian Parker kicked off the rivalry dual against Max Murin.

Parker fell behind 4-1, but the redshirt sophomore stormed back in the third period. Parker managed a late takedown and put Murin under the one minute riding time threshold to win 5-4.

The gutty performance was followed by another one. Jarrett Degen scrapped with Pat Lugo at 149.

Degen grinded from behind to head to a tiebreaker at a 4-4 tie. Degen escaped with Lugo on top and tacked on a takedown to push Iowa State’s lead to 6-0.

The early performances from Iowa State athletes helped later on, when senior 197-pounder Willie Miklus lost on a last-second reversal to Jacob Warner in a match that favored him on paper.

Rough Cyclone finish before intermission

Chase Straw attempted to build off the six-point team lead at 157-pounds. Freshman David Carr was listed as an option next to Straw, but the Cyclones didn’t use him, preserving his ability to redshirt.

After the dual, Kevin Dresser said he never planned on burning the redshirt, but he wanted Carr to experience an environment like Carver Hawkeye Arena to benefit him for the future.

Straw struggled to generate offense against Iowa’s Kaleb Young and fell behind 5-1 after two periods. In the third period, Young tacked on three more points and won 8-3.

With a three-point cushion, Iowa State turned to 165-pounder Brady Jennings. Jennings had a tough matchup with No. 4 Alex Marinelli.

Marinelli overpowered Jennings, rattling off a 12-2 first period. Down 10, Jennings was pinned in the second period, handing Iowa a 9-6 lead.

No. 14 Austin Gomez versus No. 10 Austin DeSanto

The clearcut match of the day on paper was the 133-pound match. It lived up to expectations. Gomez needed a pin or a technical fall to win the dual for the Cyclones, and DeSanto looked for a ranked win to add to his resume.

The two were neck-and-neck entering the third period. Tied at five, Gomez took control in the final period. The redshirt freshman exposed DeSanto’s back to the mat twice, including the second time when it lasted for about 20 seconds.

DeSanto managed to stay off the mat, sealing a team win in his 14-9 loss. The win marks Gomez’s biggest win in college.