Iowa State Takes Down Hawkeyes in Low Scoring Game

The Iowa State Cyclones defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes before a packed Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday.

The game of in-state rivals from major NCAA conferences is one of the biggest sporting events in the year in a state without major professional sports.

The final score was 9-6, in a slow moving, at times ugly, game that featured a handful of turnovers on both sides. The win brings the Cyclones to 2-0 on the season and drops the Hawkeyes to 1-1.

The Cyclones scored on the opening drive of the game with a 5-yard pass from Steele Jantz to Aaron Home, but they missed the extra point. That would be the only touchdown of the game.

The game was close throughout, and the Hawkeyes had several chances to win, including in the final moments. A touchdown was called back at the end of the third quarter, and Iowa settled for a field goal, which would be the final score in the game.

Iowa standout linebacker James Morris intercepted a pass with the Cyclones on Iowa's two yard line and brought it back to midfield midway through the fourth quarter. (Watch a cell phone video clip of the interception to the right.)

It appeared Iowa was in business, but they quickly gave the ball back after not being able to muster a first down on four tries.

Iowa's defense held the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes marched down the field, in a way that seemed almost out of character in this game full of dropped passes and incompletions. However, Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg tossed an interception with about a minute to go and with Iowa in field goal range. 

Without any timeouts remaining, Cyclones took a knee to close the game.

Jantz finished with 24 for 36 passing, 241 yards and interceptions. His counterpart, Vandenberg, finished with 20 for 42 passing, 236 yards and two interceptions.

The game was a polar opposite to the rivalry game last year (other than the outcome). The triple-overtime thriller ended 44-41 with Iowa State on top at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames.