The Iowa Hawkeyes did not exactly have a great week as a team this past Saturday, blowing a double-digit lead in a loss to the Iowa State Cyclones.

However, Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins is earning some major recognition for his standout performance.

Higgins was Pro Football Focus’ highest-ranked linebacker for Week 2, earning a spectacular 92.4 grade.

The senior defender racked up 11 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in the 20-19 loss, although his role in a blown coverage resulted in a 75-yard touchdown pass by Iowa State.

Higgins has totaled 18 tackles over the Hawkeyes’ first two games of the 2024 campaign. Last year, he led the country with 171 tackles to go along with five tackles for loss, a couple of sacks, a pick, a forced fumble and a pair of fumble recoveries.

The 22-year-old arrived at Iowa in 2020 but had a very limited role, logging two tackles. It was more of the same for Higgins in 2021, as he finished with just five stops and a fumble recovery.

Higgins’ role finally began to grow in 2022, with the Indianapolis native registering 39 tackles and a half of a sack. Still, he didn’t quite put himself on the map until last season.

While Higgins isn’t considered an elite NFL prospect at this stage, he will almost certainly be drafted next spring. Whether that’s early on or in the middle rounds remains to be seen.

Iowa will look to get back on track when it takes on Troy this Saturday.

It’s Week 3 of the Iowa high school football season, with another big week of rivalry games on the IHSAA on tap for Friday night.

Ames travels to Iowa City to take on Iowa City High in the Little Cy-Hawk game and Ankeny hosts Dowling Catholic in a rematch of last year’s 4A state quarterfinals. Several other intriguing matchups are happening around the state Friday night. Check out the full Week 3 IHSAA football schedule below.

Stream Iowa HS football games on the NFHS Network

Iowa high school football schedule, Week 3

All games are listed with the home team first

Thursday, September 12

Sioux City East vs. Bishop Heelan, 7 p.m.

Des Moines Roosevelt vs. Waukee Northwest, 7 p.m.

Riceville vs. Don Bosco, 7 p.m.

Cedar Rapids Washington vs. Davenport West, 7:15 p.m.

Friday, September 13

Le Mars vs. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, 7 p.m.

Cedar Falls vs. Ankeny Centennial, 7 p.m.

AGWSR vs. North Tama, 7 p.m.

AHSTW vs. Kuemper Catholic, 7 p.m.

Akron-Westfield vs. Hinton, 7 p.m.

Albia vs. Chariton, 7 p.m.

Algona vs. Estherville-Lincoln Central, 7 p.m.

Springville vs. Easton Valley, 7 p.m.

Alta-Aurelia vs. Gehlen Catholic, 7 p.m.

Ankeny vs. Dowling Catholic, 7 p.m.

Atlantic vs. Greene County, 7 p.m.

Audubon vs. Exira-EHK, 7 p.m.

Ballard vs. Creston, 7 p.m.

Baxter vs. St. Edmond, 7 p.m.

Bellevue vs. North Cedar, 7 p.m.

Bettendorf vs. Urbandale, 7 p.m.

West Branch vs. Columbus Catholic, 7 p.m.

CAM vs. East Mills, 7 p.m.

Cardinal vs. Davis County, 7 p.m.

Carlisle vs. Winterset, 7 p.m.

Carroll vs. Denison-Schleswig, 7 p.m.

Cascade vs. Monticello, 7 p.m.

Pella vs. Indianola, 7 p.m.

Central Decatur vs. North Mahaska, 7 p.m.

Central Lee vs. Durant, 7 p.m.

Central Springs vs. Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, 7 p.m.

Cherokee Washington vs. Ridge View, 7 p.m.

Clarinda vs. Treynor, 7 p.m.

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows vs. Southeast Valley, 7 p.m.

Clear Lake vs. Iowa Falls-Alden, 7 p.m.

Collins-Maxwell vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard, 7 p.m.

Colo-NESCO vs. Glidden-Ralston, 7 p.m.

Edgewood-Colesburg vs. Central City, 7 p.m.

Danville vs. Pekin, 7 p.m.

Unity Christian vs. Sioux Center, 7 p.m.

Denver vs. North Fayette Valley, 7 p.m.

Des Moines Christian vs. Clarke, 7 p.m.

Fort Dodge vs. Dallas Center-Grimes, 7 p.m.

Dunkerton vs. GMG, 7 p.m.

Eagle Grove vs. Forest City, 7 p.m.

Earlham vs. IKM-Manning, 7 p.m.

East Marshall vs. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, 7 p.m.

Easton Union vs. Southeast Warren, 7 p.m.

Sioux City West vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 7 p.m.

Stanton vs. Fremont-Mills, 7 p.m.

Council Bluffs-Lincoln vs. Des Moines East, 7 p.m.

Glenwood vs. Harlan, 7 p.m.

Wayne vs. Martensdale St. Marys 7 p.m.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck vs. Meskwaki, 7 p.m.

Harris-Lake Park vs. Northwood-Kensett, 7 p.m.

Woodward-Granger vs. Interstate 35, 7 p.m.

HLV vs. Calamus-Wheatland, 7 p.m.

Hudson vs. Jesup, 7 p.m.

Iowa City High vs. Ames, 7 p.m.

Regina Catholic vs. Mediapolis, 7 p.m.

Janesville vs. Clarksville, 7 p.m.

Waterloo Christian vs. Kee, 7 p.m.

Kingsley-Pierson vs. Westwood, 7 p.m.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy vs. Linn-Mar, 7 p.m.

Lake Mills vs. Newman Catholic, 7 p.m.

Lenox vs. Bedford, 7 p.m.

Lewis Central vs. Adel-Desoto-Minburn, 7 p.m.

Lisbon vs. Columbus, 7 p.m.

Lynnville-Sully vs. Pleasantville, 7 p.m.

Madrid vs. Mount Ayr, 7 p.m.

Maquoketa Valley vs. East Buchanan, 7 p.m.

MMCRU vs. Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, 7 p.m.

Montezuma vs. Melcher-Dallas, 7 p.m.

Moravia vs. Belle Plaine, 7 p.m.

Mormon Trail vs. Lamoni, 7 p.m.

Mount Pleasant vs. Tipton, 7 p.m.

Muscatine vs. Iowa City West, 7 p.m.

Shenandoah vs. Nodaway Valley, 7 p.m.

MVAOCOU vs. Manson-Northwest Webster, 7 p.m.

Nashua-Plainfield vs. BCLUW, 7 p.m.

New Hampton vs. MFL MarMac, 7 p.m.

New London vs. Iowa Valley, 7 p.m.

North Butler vs. West Fork, 7 p.m.

North Iowa vs. Bishop Garrigan, 7 p.m.

North Union vs. Belmond-Klemme, 7 p.m.

OABCIG vs. West Lyon, 7 p.m.

Ogden vs. Perry, 7 p.m.

Okoboji vs. MOC-Floyd Valley, 7 p.m.

Panorama vs. ACGCG, 7 p.m.

Pella Christian vs. Grundy Center, 7 p.m.

Postville vs. Clayton Ridge, 7 p.m.

Cedar Rapids Prairie vs. Southeast Polk, 7 p.m.

Siouxland Christian vs. Ar-We-Va, 7 p.m.

Riverside vs. South Central Calhoun, 7 p.m.

GTRA vs. Rockford, 7 p.m.

Saydel vs. Colfax-Mingo, 7 p.m.

Sheldon vs. Emmetsburg, 7 p.m.

Sidney vs. Griswold, 7 p.m.

Sioux Central vs. Lawton-Bronson, 7 p.m.

South Hamilton vs. Roland-Story, 7 p.m.

South Hardin vs. Aplington-Parkersburg, 7 p.m.

South O’Brien vs. Sibley-Ocheyedan, 7 p.m.

South Winneshiek vs. Wapsie Valley, 7 p.m.

Southwest Valley vs. Grand View Christian, 7 p.m.

Spencer vs. Spirit Lake, 7 p.m.

St. Albert vs. Underwood, 7 p.m.

Starmont vs. North Linn, 7 p.m.

Storm Lake vs. Council Bluffs Jefferson, 7 p.m.

Sumner-Fredericksburg vs. Oelwein, 7 p.m.

Remsen-St. Mary’s vs. West Bend-Mallard, 7 p.m.

Waukee vs. Sioux City North, 7 p.m.

Tri-Center vs. West Monona, 7 p.m.

Tripoli vs. Central Elkader, 7 p.m.

Turkey Valley vs. West Central, 7 p.m.

Twin Cedars vs. Murray, 7 p.m.

Valley vs. Johnston, 7 p.m.

Van Buren County vs. Highland, 7 p.m.

Van Meter vs. Humboldt, 7 p.m.

WACO vs. Winfield-Mt. Union, 7 p.m.

East Sac County vs. Missouri Valley, 7 p.m.

Wapello vs. Louisa Muscatine, 7 p.m.

West Central Valley vs. Red Oak, 7 p.m.

West Hancock vs. Saint Ansgar, 7 p.m.

West Harrison/Whiting vs. Boyer Valley, 7 p.m.

West Sioux vs. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, 7 p.m.

Western Christian vs. Pocahontas Area, 7 p.m.

Wilton vs. Camanche, 7 p.m.

Woodbine vs. Newell-Fonda, 7 p.m.

Woodbury Central vs. Logan-Magnolia, 7 p.m.

Midland vs. Lone Tree, 7 p.m.

Benton vs. Mount Vernon, 7:15 p.m.

Dubuque Senior vs. Dubuque Hempstead, 7:15 p.m.

Des Moines North vs. Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 7:15 p.m.

North Scott vs. Assumption, 7:15 p.m.

Alburnett vs. Beckman Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

Bondurant-Farrar vs. Waverly-Shell Rock, 7:30 p.m.

Washington vs. Fairfield, 7:30 p.m.

Center Point-Urbana vs. Marion, 7:30 p.m.

Central DeWitt vs. Solon, 7:30 p.m.

Charles City vs. Waterloo East, 7:30 p.m.

Clear Creek-Amana vs. Williamsburg, 7:30 p.m.

Decorah vs. Crestwood, 7:30 p.m.

Fort Madison vs. Centerville, 7:30 p.m.

Gilbert vs. Mason City, 7:30 p.m.

Boone vs. Des Moines Hoover, 7:30 p.m.

Grinnell vs. Oskaloosa, 7:30 p.m.

Keokuk vs. Burlington, 7:30 p.m.

Knoxville vs. South Tama, 7:30 p.m.

Wahlert Catholic vs. Clinton, 7:30 p.m.

Independence vs. Waukon, 7:30 p.m.

Waterloo West vs. Davenport Central, 7:30 p.m.

Mid-Prairie vs. Sigourney-Keota, 7:30 p.m.

Davenport North vs. Marshalltown, 7:30 p.m.

North Polk vs. Webster City, 7:30 p.m.

Northeast vs. Maquoketa, 7:30 p.m.

Norwalk vs. Newton, 7:30 p.m.

Osage vs. Dike-New Hartford, 7:30 p.m.

PCM vs. Nevada, 7:30 p.m.

Pleasant Valley vs. Iowa City Liberty, 7:30 p.m.

Knoxville vs. South Tama, 7:30 p.m.

Ottumwa vs. Des Moines Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

Vinton-Shellsburg vs. Anamosa, 7:30 p.m.

West Burlington vs. West Liberty, 7:30 p.m.

West Delaware vs. Union Community, 7:30 p.m.

West Marshall vs. Hampton-Dumont-CAL, 7:30 p.m.

Western Dubuque vs. Xavier, 7:30 p.m.

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

A farmer harvests soybeans in western Iowa in early October 2023. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Crop conditions for corn, soybeans and pasture are far better than conditions from this time last year, with over 75% of corn and soybeans and 63% of pasture rated as good or excellent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly crop progress and condition report for the state. 

Only 44-46% of corn and soybeans and 15% of pasture cropland rated good or excellent this time last year.

Nearly all corn has reached the dough stage or beyond. The percentage of mature corn in the state doubled from 10% last week, setting it four days behind last year, but only one day behind the five-year average. 

Soybeans are similarly maturing, with 95% setting pods and nearly 9% dropping leaves. Like this year’s corn, soybeans lag four days behind last year’s crops. 

A report from USDA in August forecasted corn yields for the state would be up eight bushels per acre from last year, soybean yields would improve by three bushels per acre. 

In preparation for harvest season, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a proclamation on Monday waiving the need for a permit on overweight trucks bearing agricultural products.

More than 40% of the state, primarily in northern and western Iowa, is in abnormally dry conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, but the state’s crop progress report shows that around 70% of topsoil and subsoil moisture is adequate. 

Statewide average temperatures the past week were 6.3 degrees below normal, with north eastern regions of the state seeing some overnight lows in the upper 30s, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan.

The lower temperatures also gave farmers 6.4 suitable days for field work such as cutting hay and chopping corn silage.