On September 6, 2025, the 72nd Cy-Hawk football game took place at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. There aren’t many rivalries in college football that hold the same intensity as the Cy-Hawk game between Iowa and Iowa State. This game is a tradition that unites and divides fans across the state. Every year the matchup never fails to be one of the most anticipated games of either team’s season. This year’s matchup kept fans on the edge of their seats and provided an entertaining ending.
The series began in 1894, with Iowa winning 16 of the first 24 matchups before the rivalry game was put on pause in 1934. The game returned in 1977 and has continued annually since, with the exception of 2020, when it was missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hawkeyes control the overall series 47-25 with the help of a 15-game winning streak from 1983-97. Iowa leads the series 47-25. The Hawkeyes had a 15-game winning streak from 1983 to 1997. Iowa State then returned with a 5-game winning streak from 1998 to 2002, which is still their program’s longest against the Hawks.
In recent years, the rivalry has gained more national attention, when in 2021, both teams entered the game ranked in the top 10. This top 10 matchup was the first in the series’ history and earned the spotlight of ESPN’s College GameDay.
This year, FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” came to Ames for the big game, which brought more attention and pressure for both teams. Iowa State already has a layer of pressure, because they haven’t won the big game at home since 2011. This year’s matchup was a close game from start to finish, with neither offense seeming to be able to get in a rhythm. Iowa State’s quarterback Rocco Becht went 18 of 27 passing for 134 yards, while Iowa’s Mark Gronowski struggled with 13 out of 24 passes being caught, resulting in only 84 passing yards. There weren’t many big plays throughout, but Becht’s tipped pass, caught by Iowa State’s Gabe Burkle for a 17-yard gain, was a key moment in their game-winning drive. With the game tied 13-13, Iowa State’s kicker Kyle Konrardy was able to kick a clutch 54-yard field goal with just 1:52 remaining in the 4th quarter. Iowa was given one last chance to make a comeback drive, but was unable to get into range for a game-tying field goal, resulting in Iowa State’s first home win in 14 years.
Students had plenty to say about the game. Jonathan Burton, a junior, said that the game-winning field goal was the play that stood out the most throughout the game. Another junior, Aiden Dutcher, stated that for him, his favorite play was when “one of the players caught the ball over the top of his defender to get a touchdown.”
For Hawkeye fans, the game caused frustration. Freshman Jonathan Ridgeway enjoyed seeing the new quarterback rush in for a touchdown, but couldn’t get over the Hawkeyes’ inability to get the stop at the end of the game. “I really wanted Iowa to win,” he said, “and seeing Iowa State win just by a field goal did not make me happy.” Freshman Cooper Van Pelt felt the same, saying the rushing touchdown was his favorite play, but he was disappointed in the Hawkeye loss.
