Iowa football 2025 schedule preview: Week 2 vs Iowa State

The CyHawk game. The biggest sports game in the state of Iowa every year. And this year's matchup looks primed to deliver another classic game.

Welcome back to my Iowa football schedule preview series, were we preview every single opponent on the Hawkeyes 2025 schedule. Last time out, we discussed the Week 1 matchup against Albany. And today, it's on to the Iowa State Cyclones, who the Hawks will face in Week 2.

The Cyclones are riding a lot of momentum under head coach Matt Campbell, who's building a good program up in Ames. Let's take a closer look at Iowa State entering the 2025 season.

Week 2: Iowa football vs. Iowa State

Iowa will travel to Jack Trice stadium to play the Cyclones on September 6, with kick-off scheduled for 11 a.m.

Iowa State is coming off an impressive 11-3 record in 2024, including a win over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. They made the Big Twelve Championship game, losing 45-19 to Arizona State. Those 11 wins are the most in a single season in school history for the Cyclones, a testament to the job Matt Campbell has done there.

Campbell took the Iowa State job in November of 2015 after Paul Rhoades was fired. He's 64-51 overall and 45-36 in conference play across his nine seasons in charge. He has three bowl wins and Iowa State has finished in the top 25 twice during his tenure. And he's got the players this season to make another Big Twelve championship run.

Who are some of the key returners for Iowa State?

• Junior QB Rocco Becht: 3,505 passing yards, 25 TD's, 9 INT's across 14 games in 2024
• Junior RB Abu Sama III: 587 rushing yards, 2 TD's, 4.7 yards per carry in 2024
• Junior CB Jontez Williams: 46 tackles, 4 INT's, 5 PD's in 2024
• Senior DL Domonique Orange: 24 tackles, 5 TFL's, 1 sack in 2024

Who are some exciting newcomers for the Cyclones?

• Junior WR Chase Sowell: Transfer from East Carolina. 34 receptions, 678 receiving yards, 3 TD's in 2024
• Junior DL Vontroy Malone: Transfer from Tulsa. 25 tackles, 5 TFL's, 2 sacks in 2024
• Freshman LB Will Hawthorne: Four-star commit in the class of 2025. 2nd ranked player in the state of Iowa.

History between the Hawkeyes and Cyclones

Unlike their week one opponent, Iowa has plenty of experience with Iowa State over the years. In their last meeting in 2024, the Cyclones shocked Iowa in Iowa City 20-19 on a game-winning field goal. The last time these two teams played in Ames resulted in a 20-13 win for the Hawkeyes.

Overall, Iowa leads the series 47-24, but the Cyclones have won two of the past three matchups and will look to defend home turf in the 2025 installment of the greatest rivalry in the state of Iowa. Buckle in folks, this will be the first of many tests for Iowa in 2025.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football 2025 schedule preview: Week 2 vs Iowa State