Iowa
2023 Hawkeye Football Opponent Preview: Iowa State Cyclones
It’s that time of year again: I crack open my trusty laptop which still has Yahoo! as the default search engine and begin the football previews. Up next are the Iowa State Cyclones whose 2023 season faces a ton of questions.
Who: Iowa State Cyclones (Ames, Iowa; Big 12 Conference)
Head Coach: Matt Campbell, 46-42 (.523) in 7 seasons at Iowa State, 81-57 (.587) in 12 overall
What: the 70th iteration of the Cy-Hawk
When: September 9th, 2023; 2:30p God’s Time
Where: Jack Trice Stadium; Ames, IA
Why: because Iowa isn’t playing 10 Big Ten games/season yet
20.2: the Clones scored & allowed the same per game number of points. The offense ranked 114th while the defense was 18th. The offensive concerns were address, as described below, The defense faces its own set of challenges as they’ll have to replace mainstays Will McDonald (their first first round draft pick since a long time agos days) and O’Rien Vance.
1: after ISU’s worst points/game output since 2007 (still better than Iowa’s!), Matt Campbell’s staff experienced an overhaul on the offensive side of the ball. Just one coach is in the same position he was in last year (TE coach Taylor Mouser) as Tom Manning and others were shown the door. Nate Scheelhaas has been promoted to offensive coordinator and they’ve brought in outside help at offensive line, wide receivers, and running backs.
1978: the last time an Iowa State coach left Ames with a winning record was Earl Bruce and his .529 mark. If Matt Campbell has another 4-8 season, he’ll be right at .500 for his Iowa State career.
-0.7: Iowa State’s 2022 turnover margin, which ranked 117th. Under Matt Campbell, they’ve had positive turnover margins just twice (2017 & 2020).
TJ Tampa (#2, DB, Sr, 6’2”, 185 lbs): Tampa, from neighboring St. Petersburg, is a multi-season starter out wide coming off second team all-conference honors. He finished the 2022 campaign with 9 pass breakups and was the man who knocked this ball loose last year:
Whether or not Iowa is able to match his ability out wide is to be seen. The influx of wide receiver talent should, more often, force defenses to defend Iowa sideline to sideline but with so few participating in full spring drills, including Cade McNamara, chemistry may still be building in Week 2.
Jirehl Brock (#21, RB, R-Sr, 6’0”, 220 lbs): Brock was a former Iowa target in recruiting who finally got his big break last year after Breece Hall’s departure. He took advantage of the opportunity as ISU’s leading rusher (99 carries for 445 yards) but injuries sent his season sideways.
Against Iowa, he was a workhorse with 27 carries for 100 yards, adding 5 receptions. He had a fumble, though. His efficiency picked up against Ohio & Baylor but the aforementioned injury in the Kansas game. He should be the primary beneficiary of improved offensive line play, though the fruits of that labor may not come to bear against a stout Iowa defensive line.
Gerry Vaughn (#32, LB, R-Sr, 5’11”, 231 lbs): Iowa State’s leading tackler will be in the crosshairs of Iowa’s offense with tight ends Erick All and Luke Lachey. With the size differential, it could be tough sledding for the linebacker. With 16 straight starts, he’s the vet of a defense which should remain stout with John Heacock at the helm but a lot may be asked of him to keep them in the top 15% of defenses.
Taking a look at games where Brian Ferentz was offensive coordinator to identify best and worst cases in his “Climb to 325”
Best case – 44 points: 2017 were simpler times full of the naivety with the promotion of Brian Ferentz to offensive coordinator leading to the optimism that Iowa’s offense would be different. Well, it might be different but it’s definitely worse. Anyways, 2017’s matchup with ISU featured the most points Iowa’s scored in the Cy-Hawk under Kirk Ferentz.
Worst case – 7 points: Another single-touchdown game which saw Iowa struggle despite blocking two punts and forcing four turnovers. I honestly felt relief when the last second field goal missed. I didn’t want to watch a single second more of the offense that day.
Is last year an indicator of things to come or just a blip in the rivalries recent history?
In Hayden Fry’s last year, the rivalry turned on a DIME. They went from the 15-year winning streak to a five-year losing streak. Since that stretch, Iowa’s lost back-to-back games only once (2011-2012) which is something I think many reading this site would like to keep up.
Beyond the 15 gamer, Iowa’s six-game winning streak was the second longest stretch of Ws in the post-war era and I’d probably extend it to the rivalries full lifetime, as the sixth win in 1933 came after a 13-year hiatus.
I’d feel less comfortable about Iowa’s chances if there won’t so much uncertainty surrounding what Iowa State football might look like in three months. We know they’ll have a solid defense but they’ve got to replace some dudes. The offense will likely be gaining their sea legs even moreso than Iowa. Special teams is a no contest in Iowa’s favor after Drew Stevens wrestled the kicking job away. But the game’s in Ames and weird things can happen there.
Getting back to the question, it seems like last year’s utter ineptitude is impossible to replicate (on both sides). I don’t feel like Matt Campbell figured Kirk Ferentz out so much as finally won a coin flip game in a fairly long line of coin flip games. They caught a couple breaks on their 99-yard touchdown drive.
But it will be another 50/50 game because that’s the type of game Kirk Ferentz desires, believing his team will make less mistakes – or at least less costly mistakes – than his opponent. Sometimes your run at the craps table just ends.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are coming off of a 35-7 thumping at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and while a loss to Ohio State was expected, it was how Iowa lost that has Hawkeyes fans livid.
Iowa’s offense was absolutely lifeless, Cade McNamara looked lost and head coach Kirk Ferentz did not seem to have any answers.
Not only that, but Ferentz doubled down on McNamara remaining the starter after the game, saying that the quarterback actually showed improvement.
That’s why Ferentz’s reputation may actually be on the line when the Hawkeyes face the Washington Huskies this Saturday.
Iowa is just 3-2 on the season, as it also lost to the Iowa State Cyclones back in Week 2. A loss to Washington would drop the Hawkeyes to .500, and it would add more fuel to the “fire Ferentz” discussion that has been smoldering.
The Huskies are a new addition to the Big Ten and just beat the Michigan Wolverines, and while Michigan has not been as good as expected, Washington is no joke.
However, make no mistake: Iowa needs to beat these guys.
Here is the thing: barring a catastrophic remainder of the 2024 campaign at Iowa City, the Hawkeyes aren’t canning Ferentz. The man is under contract through 2029 on a hefty salary. It isn’t happening.
But Ferentz’s reputation is a different story.
The 69-year-old has been at the helm for Iowa since 1999 and is highly respected by the fans, but patience is running thin.
Last year, the Hawkeyes played three ranked opponents and lost by a total score of 92-0. They also just got destroyed by Ohio State. The Iowa fan base is tired with being second-best, and at this point, that is all Ferentz has offered them.
Sure, Iowa does not have the cachet or prestige of schools like Ohio State, Michigan or Alabama. It typically won’t land the very best recruits as a result. But the Hawkeyes’ inability to even put together respectable offenses over the years does reflect poorly on Ferentz, who is the longest-tenured coach in the country.
And Iowa fans are sick of it.
The Hawkeyes absolutely need to beat the Huskies this Saturday. Iowa should be better than Washington, and at some point, the Hawkeyes are going to have to display that they can consistently beat good teams.
Is all of the Ferentz criticism deserved? No, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of it is completely unfounded.
Ferentz can provide some nice pushback to all of the naysayers with a Week 7 win over Washington. Or, he can give fans more reason to complain with a loss.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Here’s who all 71 Iowa high school football teams ranked in this week’s Gazette poll face in Week 7 games Friday night.
Class 3A gets the spotlight this week as its top two teams face top-seven opponents. No. 1 Algona visits No. 7 Humboldt, while second-ranked Williamsburg hosts a Solon team eager to bounce back from last week’s loss to Benton Community that dropped it from the top spot.
There is intrigue in the 8-Player top five as well, where three of the top five teams face fellow unbeaten foes. That includes No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s taking on No. 10 Woodbine and No. 2 Algona Garrigan hosting Ruthven GTRA.
Class 5A
No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (5-1) vs. Waterloo West (5-1)
No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (5-1) at Urbandale (3-3)
No. 3 Bettendorf (6-0) at Davenport Central (2-4)
No. 4 Pleasant Valley (5-1) vs. Muscatine (2-4)
No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (4-2) vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (1-5)
No. 6 Linn-Mar (5-1) vs. Davenport West (0-6)
No. 7 Johnston (4-2) vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln (4-2)
No. 8 Iowa City Liberty (5-1) vs. Ankeny (3-3)
No. 9 Waukee (4-2) at Southeast Polk (3-3)
No. 10 Sioux City East (4-2) vs. Des Moines Lincoln (1-5)
Class 4A
No. 1 Lewis Central (6-0) at Winterset (4-2)
No. 2 Pella (6-0) at Des Moines Hoover (0-6), Thursday
No. 3 North Polk (6-0) at No. 10 Indianola (4-2)
No. 4 Gilbert (6-0) vs. Bondurant-Farrar (1-5)
No. 5 Decorah (6-0) at Marion (2-4)
No. 6 Adel ADM (5-1) at Ballard (3-3)
No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-2) at Oskaloosa (1-5)
No. 8 North Scott (4-2) at Clear Creek Amana (4-2)
No. 9 Newton (4-2) vs. Carlisle (0-6)
No. 10 Indianola (4-2) vs. No. 3 North Polk (6-0)
No. 10 Western Dubuque (4-2) at Waterloo East (2-4)
Class 3A
No. 1 Algona (6-0) at No. 7 Humboldt (5-1)
No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1) vs. No. 5 Solon (5-1)
No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (6-0) at West Delaware (4-2)
No. 4 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (6-0) vs. Carroll (4-2)
No. 5 Mount Vernon (5-1) vs. Fort Madison (0-6)
No. 5 Solon (5-1) at No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1)
No. 7 Humboldt (5-1) vs. No. 1 Algona (6-0)
No. 8 Sioux City Heelan (4-2) at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (1-5)
No. 9 Independence (4-2) at Maquoketa (1-5)
No. 10 Nevada (5-1) at Harlan (3-3)
Class 2A
No. 1 West Lyon (6-0) at Sheldon (2-4)
No. 2 Monroe PCM (6-0) at West Marshall (5-1)
No. 3 Spirit Lake (5-1) at Garner GHV (1-5)
No. 4 Van Meter (5-1) vs. Centerville (4-2)
No. 5 Carroll Kuemper (5-1) vs. Saydel (1-5)
No. 6 North Fayette Valley (5-1) vs. Oelwein (0-6) — canceled, Oelwein to forfeit
No. 7 Northeast (6-0) at Tipton (2-4)
No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2) vs. No. 10 Western Christian (4-2)
No. 9 Roland-Story (4-2) vs. Des Moines Christian (4-2)
No. 10 Western Christian (4-2) at No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2)
Class 1A
No. 1 Grundy Center (6-0) at Alburnett (4-2)
No. 2 Wilton (6-0) at West Branch (2-4)
No. 3 Dike-New Hartford (5-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (2-4)
No. 4 Emmetsburg (6-0) vs. Eagle Grove (0-6)
No. 5 Iowa City Regina (6-0) at Dyersville Beckman (4-2)
No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1) vs. No. 10 Hinton (5-1)
No. 7 South Hardin (5-1) at Hudson (5-1)
No. 8 Treynor (5-1) vs. Shenandoah (3-3)
No. 9 Sigourney-Keota (5-1) at Colfax-Mingo (1-5)
No. 10 Hinton (5-1) at No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1)
Class A
No. 1 West Hancock (6-0) at Lake Mills (4-2)
No. 2 Guthrie Center ACGC (6-0) vs. Mount Ayr (5-1)
No. 3 Saint Ansgar (5-1) at West Fork (1-5)
No. 4 Lisbon (6-0) vs. Danville (4-2)
No. 5 Earlham (5-1) at Oakland Riverside (4-2)
No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1) vs. No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1)
No. 7 Le Mars Gehlen (5-1) at South O’Brien (0-6)
No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1) at No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1)
No. 9 North Linn (6-0) vs. Maquoketa Valley (5-1)
No. 10 Madrid (4-2) at North Mahaska (3-3)
8-Player
No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0) vs. No. 10 Woodbine (6-0)
No. 2 Algona Garrigan (6-0) vs. Ruthven GTRA (6-0)
No. 3 Don Bosco (6-0) vs. Turkey Valley (3-3)
No. 4 Audubon (6-0) vs. Collins-Maxwell (4-2)
No. 5 Lenox (6-0) vs. Southeast Warren (6-0)
No. 6 Iowa Valley (6-0) vs. HLV (1-6)
No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (5-1) at Clarksville (5-2)
No. 8 Anita CAM (5-1) at Fremont-Mills (5-1)
No. 9 Bedford (5-1) vs. Lamoni (4-2)
No. 10 Woodbine (6-0) at No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0)
Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com
Iowa State women’s basketball star Emily Ryan released a video Thursday in which she discusses her battle with an eating disorder.
Ryan, a senior from Claflin, Kansas, has been one of the Big 12 Conference’s best point guards for the past few seasons. She was a first-team all-conference pick in 2022, and a second-team selection in 2023.
“By sharing my story, I hope to build awareness and provide hope to everyone else fighting an invisible battle,” Ryan said in the video.
Ryan said her sense of self-worth was dependent on Iowa State’s success and her individual performance. That led to increased time spent in the weight room in an effort to get stronger and faster. When Ryan didn’t see the results that she desired, she began to focus on her diet.
Ryan said the Iowa State medical staff expressed their concern about Ryan’s eating habits and what it was doing to her body. Ryan said she was in “complete denial” about having an eating disorder, but her health continued to worsen.
Ryan missed the first nine games of the 2023-24 season due to the eating disorder. When she returned, she said, “off the court I was really struggling. By the end of the season, I was physically and mentally hanging on by a thread.”
During the offseason, Ryan spent 88 days at a treatment center in Denver.
“It took a long time but I finally came to the understanding that being sick wasn’t my fault, and eating disorders are real, complex illnesses,” she said.
How to get help
For resources on disordered eating, call the National Eating Disorders Helpline at 800-931-2237 or text NEDA to 741741.
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