The Breakdown
Tom Kakert | Editor
This one doesn't need much hype. It's the Hawkeyes vs. the Cyclones in the annual battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday night. We break it down from every angle and give you our predictions, including one from our guest picker this week, Julian Vandervelde, along with our Hawkeye picks to click.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Kickoff: 6:42 p.m.
Tickets: Game is sold out.
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Chuck Long, and Lisa Byington
Last Meeting: Iowa defeated Iowa State last year in Ames 31-17.
The Weather: Clear skies and game time temps in the mid 60’s at kickoff
The Line: Iowa is a 15 point favorite.
History: This will be the 64th meeting between Iowa and Iowa State with the Hawkeyes holding a 44-21 advantage in the series. The in-state rivals have competed for the Cy-Hawk Trophy since resuming the series in 1977 with Iowa holding a 25-14 advantage in those games. Iowa has won five of the last eight meetings, including last year when Iowa won 31-17 in Ames. The visiting team has won the last four games in this series. Kirk Ferentz is 8-9 against the Cyclones as the Iowa head coach. This will be the first Cy-Hawk game for Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.
C.J. Beathard leads the Iowa offense.
THE BREAKDOWN
Iowa rush offense vs. Iowa State rush defense
Iowa double dose of LeShun Daniels and Akrum Wadley lived up to expectations in the opening game. Both backs scored twice and they combined to rush for 204 yards on just 22 carries. If you are doing the math at home, that’s 9.27 yards per carry. Expect more of that on Saturday. Probably not up to that average per carry, but Daniels and Wadley will be the feature backs once again this weekend. Iowa’s offensive line was outstanding in the run game, opening up huge holes, and the downfield blocking by the receivers was also very good. One player that had a field day running the ball last year against Iowa State was C.J. Beathard, who rushed for 77 yards last year against the Cyclones, including a pair of back breaking long runs. Beathard didn’t run at all in the opener. Will he break from the pocket this weekend?
The Iowa State rush defense did struggle to contain a more mobile quarterback last weekend in UNI’s Aaron Bailey, who ran for 114 yards, but some of that was by design. Overall, the Cyclones gave up 232 yards on the ground and four yards per carry. Iowa State wasn’t great at stopping the run last year and they certainly seem to have their share of issues again this season. They also have limited depth. Iowa ran for 260 yards last year, but two of those Beathard runs were kind of fluky in nature. It still seems likely that Iowa should get to the 200 (or more) yard mark on the ground based on the numbers. ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Iowa pass offense vs. Iowa State pass defense
There were plenty of questions regarding Iowa’s passing game heading into the 2016 season. There was no question about the guy throwing the ball. C.J. Beathard proved last year he was able to make plays with his arm all season, even when he was banged up. The questions involved who would be catching the football. Overall, the receivers did very well. Matt VandeBerg did what he does. He caught everything and he makes plays with his feet better than many would every give him credit for being able to do. Jerminic Smith took advantage of his opportunity with a touchdown catch and three total receptions. Akrum Wadley also caught three balls, so he could be Iowa’s running back target this season. What was missing was the tight end. Only one ball thrown to George Kittle and it was a dropped. Also, no Jay Scheel. I’d expect to see Kittle get targeted more often this weekend and Iowa to get Scheel involved as well. And a reminder, Riley McCarron caught a TD last year against ISU.
ISU’s pass defense wasn’t bad last week, but then again, Northern Iowa didn’t come in with a big throwing offense. The Cyclones gave up 135 yards in the air on 15 completions, so those numbers are actually pretty good. Iowa State has three starters returning in the secondary and they have a redshirt freshman in Mike Johnson at one of the safety positions. Much of the success of failure of the Cyclones will be predicated on their pass rush. Last week, the Hawkeyes gave up three sacks and that was a cause for concern for the Iowa coaches. Iowa State had three sacks last week, but they were all generated from linebackers. Protection will have to improve, but if Iowa can give Beathard time, I think they should be able to make some hay in the play action game.ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Allen Lazard is the key player for the ISU offense. (Photo: USA Today Sports)
Iowa State rush offense vs. Iowa rush defense
Other than the outcome of the game, perhaps the biggest disappointment for the Cyclones in their opening game was the lack of a running game. Last season, Mike Warren was a real bright spot for Iowa State, rushing for 1,339 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. He was really good. Then in the opener, Warren was held to just 30 yards on 12 carries by UNI. Iowa State’s offensive line, which will be without Jake Campos this season, just didn’t open many holes for Warren. Overall the Cyclones only rushed for 51 yards and averaged just 2 yards per carry.
Iowa’s rush defense was thought to be a strength coming into the 2016 season. It wasn’t up to the standard set last season in the opener against Miami (OH). The Hawkeyes gave up 158 yards on the ground, which isn’t terrible, but the tackling wasn’t up to the level it was last season. Having said that, Iowa only gave up 3.9 yards per carry, which is actually near where they would hope to be during the season. One point that certainly needs to be made is Iowa was without Josey Jewell for all but one series. That needs to be taken into Iowa’s performance consideration. I think Iowa will be improved with Jewell back in there, but I also think Iowa State will figure out a way to get Warren going a bit more. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT EDGE TO IOWA
Iowa State pass offense vs. Iowa pass defense
In their opener, on the surface, ISU quarterback Joel Lanning wasn’t too bad. 18-28 for 256 and 3 touchdowns are pretty good numbers. What proved costly were the pair of interceptions to the Panthers. Make no mistake, his favorite target is going to be Allen Lazard. There’s no question that he’s a special talent at wide receiver. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s fast. In the opener, he caught 6 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. I would expect that ISU force feeds him the ball as much as possible with over a dozen targets on the evening. Other receivers to watch include Trevor Ryan, who had three grabs in the opener, and Diondre Daly along with Hakeem Butler, who both caught touchdowns against UNI. Also, Warren is a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.
Iowa’s pass defense wasn’t all that great in the opener. The Hawkeyes gave up 266 yards in the air, including a couple of big plays. Greg Mabin has come under fan fire this week because of a missed assignment and being handled on a touchdown pass. But, watching the tape, he also made some really good plays, so it wasn’t the disaster that some have suggested. Having said that, Iowa is going to have to tighten up their defensive against the pass. Miles Taylor suggested this week that they had some communication issues and that will need to be cleaned up this week. The one interesting note this week is Desmond King said he will be taking Lazard everywhere he is on the field on Saturday. Folks, that’s a prime time match-up if there ever was one between one of the better receivers in the country against the top corner in the nation. I think ISU will get their share of plays, if they can protect Lanning. I think that’s what this battle comes down to. If Iowa can get pressure, they can win this battle fairly easily and Lanning will throw at least three picks. But, I’m just not sure they can get enough given their limited bodies at defensive end. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT EDGE TO IOWA
Special Teams
There were plenty of questions heading into week one of the season for the Hawkeyes special teams unit with a new punter and placekicker. For the most part, they answered them. Ron Coluzzi did a nice job punting the ball, averaging 41.7 yards and he had seven of his eight kickoffs result in touchbacks. True freshman placekicker Keith Duncan connected on all of his PAT’s and hitting on a 22 yard field goal. The real remaining question is seeing Duncan hit a little further field goal. Desmond King was one again very good in the return game.
For Iowa State, they have experience kickers in Cole Netten and Colin Downing. They have both faced kicking in tough environments and are seasoned. Ryan and Lazard are the Cyclones punt returns and can certainly be dangerous. Ryan is also listed as their kickoff return man. Based on experience, ISU might have a bit of an advantage kicking the ball given that both of Iowa’s kickers are still only one game in as Hawkeyes. The return game, probably fairly equal. ADVANTAGE: PUSH
Tom Kakert | Editor
This one doesn't need much hype. It's the Hawkeyes vs. the Cyclones in the annual battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday night. We break it down from every angle and give you our predictions, including one from our guest picker this week, Julian Vandervelde, along with our Hawkeye picks to click.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Kickoff: 6:42 p.m.
Tickets: Game is sold out.
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Chuck Long, and Lisa Byington
Last Meeting: Iowa defeated Iowa State last year in Ames 31-17.
The Weather: Clear skies and game time temps in the mid 60’s at kickoff
The Line: Iowa is a 15 point favorite.
History: This will be the 64th meeting between Iowa and Iowa State with the Hawkeyes holding a 44-21 advantage in the series. The in-state rivals have competed for the Cy-Hawk Trophy since resuming the series in 1977 with Iowa holding a 25-14 advantage in those games. Iowa has won five of the last eight meetings, including last year when Iowa won 31-17 in Ames. The visiting team has won the last four games in this series. Kirk Ferentz is 8-9 against the Cyclones as the Iowa head coach. This will be the first Cy-Hawk game for Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.
C.J. Beathard leads the Iowa offense.
THE BREAKDOWN
Iowa rush offense vs. Iowa State rush defense
Iowa double dose of LeShun Daniels and Akrum Wadley lived up to expectations in the opening game. Both backs scored twice and they combined to rush for 204 yards on just 22 carries. If you are doing the math at home, that’s 9.27 yards per carry. Expect more of that on Saturday. Probably not up to that average per carry, but Daniels and Wadley will be the feature backs once again this weekend. Iowa’s offensive line was outstanding in the run game, opening up huge holes, and the downfield blocking by the receivers was also very good. One player that had a field day running the ball last year against Iowa State was C.J. Beathard, who rushed for 77 yards last year against the Cyclones, including a pair of back breaking long runs. Beathard didn’t run at all in the opener. Will he break from the pocket this weekend?
The Iowa State rush defense did struggle to contain a more mobile quarterback last weekend in UNI’s Aaron Bailey, who ran for 114 yards, but some of that was by design. Overall, the Cyclones gave up 232 yards on the ground and four yards per carry. Iowa State wasn’t great at stopping the run last year and they certainly seem to have their share of issues again this season. They also have limited depth. Iowa ran for 260 yards last year, but two of those Beathard runs were kind of fluky in nature. It still seems likely that Iowa should get to the 200 (or more) yard mark on the ground based on the numbers. ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Iowa pass offense vs. Iowa State pass defense
There were plenty of questions regarding Iowa’s passing game heading into the 2016 season. There was no question about the guy throwing the ball. C.J. Beathard proved last year he was able to make plays with his arm all season, even when he was banged up. The questions involved who would be catching the football. Overall, the receivers did very well. Matt VandeBerg did what he does. He caught everything and he makes plays with his feet better than many would every give him credit for being able to do. Jerminic Smith took advantage of his opportunity with a touchdown catch and three total receptions. Akrum Wadley also caught three balls, so he could be Iowa’s running back target this season. What was missing was the tight end. Only one ball thrown to George Kittle and it was a dropped. Also, no Jay Scheel. I’d expect to see Kittle get targeted more often this weekend and Iowa to get Scheel involved as well. And a reminder, Riley McCarron caught a TD last year against ISU.
ISU’s pass defense wasn’t bad last week, but then again, Northern Iowa didn’t come in with a big throwing offense. The Cyclones gave up 135 yards in the air on 15 completions, so those numbers are actually pretty good. Iowa State has three starters returning in the secondary and they have a redshirt freshman in Mike Johnson at one of the safety positions. Much of the success of failure of the Cyclones will be predicated on their pass rush. Last week, the Hawkeyes gave up three sacks and that was a cause for concern for the Iowa coaches. Iowa State had three sacks last week, but they were all generated from linebackers. Protection will have to improve, but if Iowa can give Beathard time, I think they should be able to make some hay in the play action game.ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Allen Lazard is the key player for the ISU offense. (Photo: USA Today Sports)
Iowa State rush offense vs. Iowa rush defense
Other than the outcome of the game, perhaps the biggest disappointment for the Cyclones in their opening game was the lack of a running game. Last season, Mike Warren was a real bright spot for Iowa State, rushing for 1,339 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. He was really good. Then in the opener, Warren was held to just 30 yards on 12 carries by UNI. Iowa State’s offensive line, which will be without Jake Campos this season, just didn’t open many holes for Warren. Overall the Cyclones only rushed for 51 yards and averaged just 2 yards per carry.
Iowa’s rush defense was thought to be a strength coming into the 2016 season. It wasn’t up to the standard set last season in the opener against Miami (OH). The Hawkeyes gave up 158 yards on the ground, which isn’t terrible, but the tackling wasn’t up to the level it was last season. Having said that, Iowa only gave up 3.9 yards per carry, which is actually near where they would hope to be during the season. One point that certainly needs to be made is Iowa was without Josey Jewell for all but one series. That needs to be taken into Iowa’s performance consideration. I think Iowa will be improved with Jewell back in there, but I also think Iowa State will figure out a way to get Warren going a bit more. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT EDGE TO IOWA
Iowa State pass offense vs. Iowa pass defense
In their opener, on the surface, ISU quarterback Joel Lanning wasn’t too bad. 18-28 for 256 and 3 touchdowns are pretty good numbers. What proved costly were the pair of interceptions to the Panthers. Make no mistake, his favorite target is going to be Allen Lazard. There’s no question that he’s a special talent at wide receiver. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s fast. In the opener, he caught 6 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. I would expect that ISU force feeds him the ball as much as possible with over a dozen targets on the evening. Other receivers to watch include Trevor Ryan, who had three grabs in the opener, and Diondre Daly along with Hakeem Butler, who both caught touchdowns against UNI. Also, Warren is a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.
Iowa’s pass defense wasn’t all that great in the opener. The Hawkeyes gave up 266 yards in the air, including a couple of big plays. Greg Mabin has come under fan fire this week because of a missed assignment and being handled on a touchdown pass. But, watching the tape, he also made some really good plays, so it wasn’t the disaster that some have suggested. Having said that, Iowa is going to have to tighten up their defensive against the pass. Miles Taylor suggested this week that they had some communication issues and that will need to be cleaned up this week. The one interesting note this week is Desmond King said he will be taking Lazard everywhere he is on the field on Saturday. Folks, that’s a prime time match-up if there ever was one between one of the better receivers in the country against the top corner in the nation. I think ISU will get their share of plays, if they can protect Lanning. I think that’s what this battle comes down to. If Iowa can get pressure, they can win this battle fairly easily and Lanning will throw at least three picks. But, I’m just not sure they can get enough given their limited bodies at defensive end. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT EDGE TO IOWA
Special Teams
There were plenty of questions heading into week one of the season for the Hawkeyes special teams unit with a new punter and placekicker. For the most part, they answered them. Ron Coluzzi did a nice job punting the ball, averaging 41.7 yards and he had seven of his eight kickoffs result in touchbacks. True freshman placekicker Keith Duncan connected on all of his PAT’s and hitting on a 22 yard field goal. The real remaining question is seeing Duncan hit a little further field goal. Desmond King was one again very good in the return game.
For Iowa State, they have experience kickers in Cole Netten and Colin Downing. They have both faced kicking in tough environments and are seasoned. Ryan and Lazard are the Cyclones punt returns and can certainly be dangerous. Ryan is also listed as their kickoff return man. Based on experience, ISU might have a bit of an advantage kicking the ball given that both of Iowa’s kickers are still only one game in as Hawkeyes. The return game, probably fairly equal. ADVANTAGE: PUSH
