Luke Manderfeld

The final scoreline in Iowa State’s season-opening 31-7 rout of Northern Iowa on Saturday night may have ISU fans excited. 

But I’m not fooled.

The Cyclones’ first half was inconsistent at best. Falling behind 7-0 early, Iowa State squeaked out a 10-7 lead by halftime, entering the locker room with a litany of concerns.

The running game exploded on the first drive of the game, with red shirt sophomore Tyler Brown going 34 yards on the first rush from scrimmage. Following the opening drive, the ground game was barren, and Brown didn’t log another carry until the second half. 

The defense that impressed late in the game didn’t get going until the middle of the second quarter.

It’s not that Iowa State isn’t talented enough, my concerns stem from the inconsistencies. 

On the other side, Iowa romped Illinois State in its season opener. But unlike Iowa State, Iowa dominated throughout the game. 

This one will be close, like all rivalries, but Iowa will sneak one out in Ames. 

Iowa 24, Iowa State 17

Ryan Young

Look, I get it.

Iowa State won their first season-opener in three years — pretty handily too. And sure, the culture around this year’s team is different than I’ve ever seen before.

But I still have plenty of questions. While Iowa State impressed on both sides of the ball, they did so inconsistently. The run game came in patches, the defense couldn’t seem to stop UNI quarterback Aaron Bailey from running the ball, and the offensive line struggled to protect quarterback Sam Richardson — let alone provide the run game consistent assistance.

And sure, the Hawkeyes have their own problems, too.

But in their opening bout with Illinois State, the Hawkeyes had 431 total yards of offense, exactly double that of Illinois State. The run game impressed, and quarterback C.J. Beathard averaged a hearty 8.8 yards per pass (and ran for two touchdowns).

The Hawkeyes simply didn’t have an issue — at any point in the game — taking care of business.

So while it’ll be close for a while, because nearly all rivalry games are, Iowa is just the better team. There is no doubt about it.

(And come on, did you really expect me to pick this one any different?)

Iowa 31, Iowa State 27

Max Dible

As a former Hawkeye and current Cyclone, this game has been contributing to my chronic heartburn for a couple of decades now.

A fan for most of my life, I’ve engaged previously in the social media trash talking that makes this rivalry so delicious. Now, as a majestically neutral reporter with a mountain of integrity that would tower over whatever landfill serves as the highest point in Iowa, I find myself removed from the animosity of it all.

Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose — primarily because I have no rooting interest. You can’t lose if you don’t play. Okay, I’ll stop quoting iconic television shows now.

On Saturday, Iowa State and Iowa will play, however, and as the paradigm demands, there MUST be a winner and a loser.

My tendency is to lean toward the Cyclones. Winners of three of the last four and playing inside the new Jack Trice Stadium, circumstances appear to align in favor of the cardinal and gold.

But that’s the thing about this rivalry. None of that matters. The last three Cy-Hawk match ups have gone to the road team. The betting-line underdog wins so frequently because in reality, there is no underdog. Nor is there a favorite.

Throw the records along with which team won the recruiting battle in the state over the last few years off the rooftop of Friley and watch them shatter in their brittle irrelevance.

This game will come down to one thing: who wins in the trenches. Both defenses are solid, but Iowa’s offensive line is more equipped to deal with what the Cyclones bring on defense than vice versa. To me, it’s that simple.

Now, Beathard could chuck four interceptions and turn the whole damn shindig on its head, but I don’t see it going down like that. If Iowa State had a few more game-ready offensive linemen, I’d pick the Clones.

But they don’t. And that will be the difference.

Iowa 24, Iowa State 21

Former Daily sports editor and current vagrant, Beau Berkley

I’ve returned to bring the sports desk back to mediocrity! Unfortunately, I have a wordcount.

Now I don’t know much about much these days, but I do know what to expect from this game. Paul Rhoads and Kirk Ferentz will exchange pre-game pleasantries, surrounded by photographers snapping away as Kirk feverishly chews his gum and Paul tries out a new joke. Iowa will then go up early in the game, per usual, only to fall in the fleeting seconds.

Then some in the Iowa fan base will take to their keyboards using their outdated and misguided rhetoric to tweet, blog and write columns about the “little brother” and “Iowa State’s Super Bowl”. However, last I knew 36,001 was a bit bigger than 32,150 and if we’re talking about Super Bowls, then Iowa somewhat resembles the Buffalo Bills of the early 1990’s.

Iowa State 31, Iowa 24