Week 2 of the college football season is here. Iowa State plays Iowa and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview and betting odds ahead of the match up.
GAME INFO
Saturday, September 7th; 2:30 p.m. (CT); Kinnick Stadium; Iowa City, Iowa
TV: CBS/Paramount+
Records: Iowa State (1-0); Iowa (1-0)
Last Week: Iowa State beat North Dakota 21-3; Iowa beat Illinois State 40-0
Series History: Iowa leads the all-time series 47-23
Last Meeting: Iowa won last season’s match up 20-13
Fun Fact: Matt Campbell is 1-6 all-time vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa State vs. Iowa Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Iowa -3; Over/Under 35.5
KEY PLAYERS
Iowa State Cyclones
QB Rocco Becht
Rewind to last year and Becht was early in his career as a starter after the Hunter Dekkers gambling fiasco. Becht struggled most of the game, going 23 of 44 for 203 yards with an interception. He also was hurt by four drops. He’s a year older and more mature, with a ton more experience under his belt, including playing in a Cy-Hawk game that went down to the wire last year.
Safety Jeremiah Cooper
Cooper is Iowa State’s lone selection on the Preseason All-Big 12 Defensive Team. Last season, he was a First-Team All-Big 12 selection and finished second in the Big 12 and finished the year sixth nationally with five interceptions. The safety had six tackles on the season opener last week against North Dakota.
Home Team
QB Cade McNamara
Cade McNamara is back for another season with Iowa after suffering a season-ending injury in 2023. He’s working with a new offensive coordinator in Tim Lester after Brian Ferentz was fired last year, and one game in McNamara is spreading the ball around, completing 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, while connecting with seven different receivers.
LB Jay Higgins
Higgins led the Big Ten in tackles last season and has huge expectations going into the 2024 season. He’s a Preseason All-American from multiple outlets, and was named Phil Steele‘s preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Last week, he led the Hawkeyes with seven total tackles and one pass defended in the win vs. Illinois State.
KEY STORYLINES
Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State needs to try and open things up early with Rocco Becht finding his weapons Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Success in the passing game will open things up for Abu Sama in the running attack. And with Iowa having lost All-Big Ten cornerback and second-round NFL Draft pick Cooper DeJean, the Cyclones should try and stretch the field early with a couple of shots and get Iowa on its heels.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa State’s defensive strength is on the back end, while Iowa has depth at running back. While new OC Tim Lester was brought in to not be a carbon copy against Brian Ferentz, he should see if he can establish the run against an Iowa State front seven that has quality pieces, but may be lacking, especially at linebacker with Caleb Bacon’s injury causing some questions.
PREDICTION: Iowa 24, Iowa State 17
Matt Campbell has had more success and longevity in Ames than anyone could have imagined. But for all his success, he struggles vs. Iowa (1-6). I don’t see things changing this week in Iowa City, as the Hawkeyes have the veteran leadership on both sides of the ball needed in a game like this. Plus, Tim Lester will have some wrinkles for the Iowa offense that will catch ISU off guard and could be the difference maker. Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker may be the best in the nation and has kept Iowa State in check during Campbell’s tenure. I don’t see that changing this week.
