Iowa State and Iowa take the field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC) for the 73rd time in the rivalry's history. While the Hawkeyes have dominated the Iowa State vs. Iowa rivalry, they've won the Cy-Hawk Trophy just once since 2022 (and that win was vacated).
However, with Matt Campbell, the winningest coach in Iowa State history, gone, Iowa is a 13.5-point favorite as it looks to win its 47th game in the Cy-Hawk series. And our college football picks expect the Hawkeyes to get back on track and reclaim the Cy-Hawk Trophy in front of their home fans.
Iowa State vs Iowa 2026 preview
 Iowa State |
Category |  Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Rogers (1-0) | Head coach (record with school) | Kirk Ferentz (210-128) |
| 1-0 | Record | 1-0 |
| 1-0 | ATS record | 1-0 |
| 0-1 | Over/Under | 0-1 |
| No. 57 | SP+ ranking | No. 16 |
| No. 84 | SP+ offense | No. 30 |
| No. 39 | SP+ defense | No. 11 |
| No. 27 | SP+ special teams | No. 9 |
Iowa State vs Iowa odds
Iowa State vs Iowa prediction
While Iowa State has won three of the last four Cy-Hawk games, the man running the program for those victories is at Penn State now. With Matt Campbell leaving Ames and taking the vast majority of the Cyclones' best players with him, Iowa State is a completely different team this season.
New head coach Jimmy Rogers leaned heavily on the portal to build his team this season, but the lack of continuity - Iowa State is outside the Top 100 in returning production (45%) - and lack of high-end transfers (67th-ranked portal class) could kill the Cyclones' momentum.
Iowa is built to run through Iowa State this season. This year's Hawkeyes are built like some of Ferentz's best teams. They have an offensive line featuring multiple All-American talents, a stud tight end in DJ Vonnahme, a physical running back, and a defense ranked Top 15 by SP+.
Even running a two-QB system, Iowa should handle Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk game this year and cover as a 13.5-point favorite.
Score prediction: Iowa 27, Iowa State 10
Who are the stars of Iowa State vs Iowa 2026?
- Jaylen Raynor, QB, Iowa State
Iowa State's success in Rogers' first season at the helm will be tied heavily to Jaylen Raynor, who was a three-year starter at Arkansas State before making the Power Four leap. An undersized QB, Raynor's mobility is his X-factor, and he was ultra-productive for the Red Wolves, compiling 8,000+ passing yards, 1,000+ rushing yards, and 67 total TDs.
- Isaac Terrell, DL, Iowa State
One of the best players on Rogers' Washington State team that went 7-6 last season, Isaac Terrell is the face of the Cyclones' defense. Terrell racked up 39 pressures, 12 TFLs, and seven sacks last season with Wazzu, and he's coming off a Week 1 performance that was the most impactful of his career (three sacks). He might be the most important player for Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk this year, given Iowa's dominant offensive line.
- Kade Pieper/Trevor Lauck, OL, Iowa
Iowa is an offensive line factory, and despite losing three starters to the NFL from last year's Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, including two All-Americans, the O-line is a strength one again. Both guard Kade Pieper and left tackle Trevor Lauck are preseason All-Americans and projected first-round picks in April. They've combined to allow just one sack in their Iowa careers and will set the tone against Iowa State this year.
- Zach Lutmer, DB, Iowa
Under Ferentz, Iowa has produced versatile defensive backs at nearly the same rate it's produced tight ends and defensive linemen, with the latest Swiss Army Knife on the back end being Zach Lutmer. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker deploys Lutmer all over the place (box, nickel, safety, cornerback), and he could be Raynor's worst nightmare in the Cy-Hawk game with his blitzing ability.
Iowa State vs Iowa rivalry history: Cy-Hawk series
| Iowa State |
Category | Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Wins | 46 (1 win vacated) |
| 5 (1998-2002) | Longest win streak | 15 (1983-1997) |
| 31 (1978) | Largest margin of victory | 54 (1985) |
| 587-686-46 (.462) | Program record | 711-587-39 (.546) |
| 0 | Claimed national titles (recognized) | 5 (1) |
| 2 | Conference championships | 13 |
| 0 | Heisman winners | 1 |
| 6 | Consensus All-Americans | 17 |
| 92 | Weeks in the AP Poll | 369 |
| 19 (6-13) | Bowl games (record) | 38 (19-18-1) |
| 133 | NFL draft picks | 294 |
| 2 | First-round picks | 26 |
Iowa has long been the better college football program and the more dominant team in the Cy-Hawk Series. The Hawkeyes have won 63.8% of the matchups (if you count the vacated win) since the rivalry's inception in 1894.
Only recently has Iowa State somewhat closed the gap in the Cy-Hawk series, winning 13 of its 25 rivalry victories over the last 27 matchups. Before that, legendary Iowa head coach Hayden Fry dominated the series as the architect behind 15 straight wins against the Cyclones. Fry went 16-4 in the Cy-Hawk series.
Even outside of the rivalry, Iowa has been the far more consistent program, making more bowl games under current head coach Kirk Ferentz (22) than Iowa State has made in program history. The Hawkeyes even have a Heisman winner to their name in Nile Kinnick, who never played in the Cy-Hawk series due to the rivalry's 43-year hiatus.
This is very much a big brother, little brother in-state rivalry, but one that has seen the Cyclones grow up over the last quarter-century.
Recent Cy-Hawk results
| Date | Score | ATS | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 6, 2025 | 16-13 (Iowa State) | Iowa (+3.5) | Under (42.5) |
| Sept. 7, 2024 | 20-19 (Iowa State) | Iowa State (+2.5) | Over (35.5) |
| Sept. 9, 2023 | 20-13 (Iowa) | Iowa (-3.5) | Under (34.5) |
| Sept. 10, 2022 | 10-7 (Iowa State) | Iowa State (+3.5) | Under (40) |
| Sept. 11, 2021 | 27-17 (Iowa) | Iowa (+4.5) | Under (46.5) |
| Sept. 14, 2019 | 18-17 (Iowa) | Iowa State (+2.5) | Under (42.5) |
| Sept. 8, 2018 | 13-3 (Iowa) | Iowa (-3.5) | Under (47) |
| Sept. 9, 2017 | 44-41 (Iowa) | Iowa State (+3.5) | Over (49) |
| Sept. 10, 2016 | 42-3 (Iowa) | Iowa (-15.5) | Under (49) |
| Sept. 12, 2015 | 31-17 (Iowa) | Iowa (-3.5) | Push (48) |
History of the Iowa State vs Iowa rivalry
When did the Iowa State vs. Iowa rivalry start?
The Iowa State vs. Iowa rivalry began on Oct. 1, 1894, when the Iowa Agricultural College (now known as Iowa State) defeated the State University of Iowa (now known as Iowa). That game was the first of 24 played between 1894 and 1934 before a 43-year hiatus.
Why did the Cy-Hawk series stop for 43 years?
The Cy-Hawk series abruptly ended following Iowa State's 31-6 win in 1934, when Iowa athletic director and head coach Ossie Solem stopped scheduling the Cyclones, despite the Hawkeyes winning 16 of the 24 rivalry games.
However, after more than four decades and Iowans across the state pleading for the rivalry's return, the state legislature got involved. The Iowa state legislature passed resolutions to demand the game be played each year.
Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray then got involved and acted as a mediator at the negotiating table with the two schools. Iowa and Iowa State ended up signing a six-year deal to restore the rivalry, starting in 1977.
To ensure the rivalry would continue past the six-year deal, a local group, Greater Des Moines Athletic Club (made up of alumni from both sides who were bowling buddies), got involved and created the Cy-Hawk Trophy.
Why is it called the Cy-Hawk Trophy?
The Cy-Hawk Trophy is relatively new in the grand scheme of rivalry trophies, and it only came into existence with the return of the rivalry in 1977 thanks to a local group of Iowans.
In 1976, the Greater Des Moines Athletic Club created the Cy-Hawk Trophy as a traveling trophy given to the winner of the in-state rivalry. To represent both programs, the trophy's name is an amalgamation of the schools' nicknames, the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes.
The first Cy-Hawk Trophy was awarded to Iowa, following a 12-10 win, by Ray in 1977. Since the initial Cy-Hawk Trophy was awarded in 1977, the trophy has seen multiple changes.
In 2011, the Iowa Corn Growers Association introduced a revamped trophy that was met with backlash, including from Governor Terry Branstad. So a temporary trophy was awarded that year.
In 2012, a trophy was designed with fan input and is the Cy-Hawk Trophy you see today, featuring both programs' mascots.
Best moments in the Iowa State vs. Iowa rivalry
- The return of the rivalry (1977)
After a 43-year hiatus, the much-anticipated return of the Iowa State vs. Iowa rivalry didn't disappoint. In front of a sellout home crowd, the Hawkeyes upset the Cyclones and took home the first-ever Cy-Hawk Trophy.
- The Seneca Wallace comeback (2002)
Arguably the best game in the history of the Cy-Hawk Series, Seneca Wallace led an improbable comeback win on the road for Iowa State. Down 24-7 at halftime, Wallace put together the third-biggest comeback in school history by leading Iowa State to 29 consecutive points on the way to a 36-31 win.
- Temporary Cy-Hawk Trophy game (2011)
Playing for a temporary Cy-Hawk Trophy following the gaffe by the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa State and Iowa played a three-overtime thriller in Ames (the first overtime in the rivalry game's history). Iowa State came away with a 44-41 victory to snap Iowa's three-game Cy-Hawk series winning streak. In 2017, the two teams went to overtime again, this time Iowa won 44-41.
Key figures in the Iowa State vs Iowa rivalry
- Hayden Fry, Iowa
One of the best coaches in the history of college football, Hayden Fry didn't just take Iowa to another level nationally; he routinely kicked Iowa's biggest rivals' teeth in. Fry arrived in 1979, and after a shaky start to the Cy-Hawk series (1-3), he won 15 straight between 1983 and 1997. However, the Cyclones did beat the College Football Hall of Famer in his final Cy-Hawk game in 1998.
- Troy Davis, Iowa State
No player has been more important to Iowa State than Troy Davis. The two-time consensus All-American is one of just two Cyclones in the College Football Hall of Fame after rushing for 2,000+ yards in back-to-back seasons in 1995 and 1996. In his two years as the focal point of Iowa State's offense, he never beat the Hawkeyes, but he did rush for 291 yards against them.
- Chuck Long, Iowa
The signal-caller for some of Iowa's best teams, Chuck Long didn't just beat Iowa State as a player; he spent a few years beating them while on Fry's coaching staff, too. Long was a catalyst for Fry's 15-game winning streak against Iowa State, as the star QB for the first three wins (1983-1985). He then added another three victories over the Cyclones as Fry's defensive backs coach from 1995 to 1997.
- Seneca Wallace, Iowa State
Before Brock Purdy, who never won a Cy-Hawk Trophy, there was Seneca Wallace making big-time plays in Ames. The dual-threat QB was one of the most exciting players in Iowa State football history and helped the Cyclones beat Iowa in both his seasons as Dan McCarney's triggerman. That includes leading the historic comeback in 2002 as a senior.
Biggest upsets in Iowa State vs Iowa history
| Rank | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36-31, Iowa State | Sept. 14, 2002 |
| 2 | 23-3, Iowa State | Sept. 10, 2005 |
| 3 | 27-9, Iowa State | Sept. 12, 1998 |
| 4 | 15-13, Iowa State | Sept. 15, 2007 |
| 5 | 12-10, Iowa | Sept. 17, 1977 |
Biggest blowouts in Iowa State vs Iowa rivalry
| Rank | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 57-3, Iowa | Sept. 28, 1985 |
| 2 | 63-20, Iowa | Sept. 20, 1997 |
| 3 | 51-10, Iowa | Sept. 10, 1983 |
| 4 | 42-3, Iowa | Sept. 10, 2016 |
| 5 | 48-9, Iowa | Sept. 19, 1987 |
Iowa State vs Iowa schedule & future matchups
The Cy-Hawk series is scheduled through 2031.
| Date | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|
|
Sept. 11, 2027 |
Iowa at Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium (Ames, Iowa) |
|
Sept. 9, 2028 |
Iowa State at Iowa | Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa) |
|
Sept. 8, 2029 |
Iowa at Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium (Ames, Iowa) |
|
Sept. 7, 2030 |
Iowa State at Iowa | Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa) |
|
Sept. 6, 2031 |
Iowa at Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium (Ames, Iowa) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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