Get ready for a slugfest on Saturday when the Iowa Hawkeyes square off with the Iowa State Cyclones in the latest edition of the Cy-Hawk rivalry.
Offense tends to be optional when these two foes get together, with the last three games seeing a combined 50 points scored by the winning team.
We’ve keyed on three player props, and I break them all down in my college football picks for September 6.
Iowa vs Iowa State props for Week 2
Hansen u50.5 rushing yards (-114)
Gill o20.5 receiving yards (-114)- Gronowski u31.5 rushing yards (-114)
Prop bet #1: Carson Hansen Under 50.5 rushing yards
Carson Hansen has carried the ball 25 times already this season, and he has yet to top 100 rushing yards. After having a solid season a year ago where he averaged five yards a carry, the Iowa State running back is struggling to gain traction in 2025.
Last week against South Dakota, Hansen picked up just 19 yards on nine attempts. Meanwhile, fellow Cyclones running back teammate Abu Sama III totaled 14 carries for 43 yards against Kansas State, while quarterback Rocco Becht ran 12 times.
Iowa ranked 26th last season in rushing yards allowed per game, and they continue to boast a very strong front seven.
Hansen had just two carries against the Hawkeyes last season, picking up two yards. His lack of explosiveness and running lanes will be an issue for him, and we could see Sama getting more action in this matchup.
Prop bet #2: Jacob Gill Over 20.5 receiving yards
If you’re giving me Jacob Gill’s number this low, I’m taking the Over. He was Iowa’s leading receiver from last year, and Gill finished with at least 23 receiving yards in eight of his 13 starts.
That includes 47 yards against Iowa State, as Gill caught four passes on the day. He had just one catch for 13 yards against Albany on two targets, but the Hawkeyes were focused on the run most of the day.
Kansas State averaged 13 yards a catch against the Cyclones, and South Dakota had three different players with 20+ receiving yards. Gill should top his total with just a couple of catches.
Get on this quickly, as the number is already up four yards as of Friday afternoon.
Prop bet #3: Mark Gronowski Under 31.5 rushing yards
Mark Gronowski is a dual-threat QB who had success running the ball with the Jackrabbits. Against Albany, the Hawkeyes pivot picked up 39 yards on 11 carries and scored a touchdown from one yard out.
However, a lot of those runs came from scrambles. Many of them could’ve been avoided had he gotten the ball out quickly, but Gronowski repeatedly stood in the pocket for long periods of time, which allowed the Great Danes to get pressure on him.
Last season, Gronowski rushed for over 20 yards in just five of his 15 starts, including topping 30 yards on only three occasions. He picked up only 17 yards on 10 carries in the season-opening defeat at Oklahoma State and was sacked twice.
Iowa State limited Avery Johnson to just 21 rushing yards on 10 carries, an improvement on how the Cyclones defended mobile quarterbacks last year. If Gronowski holds onto the ball again on Saturday, those small gains from a week ago will turn into sacks and lost yardage.
Gronowski’s rushing total has now gone north of 31 yards, up from 26.5 earlier in the day. I’ll gladly take that movement.
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