By Pete Ruden
Cy-Hawk games are kind of like the in-state Super Bowl. There are few games more exciting to Iowans throughout the year than seeing the cross-state rivals duke it out on the gridiron.
After last season’s 42-3 beatdown in Kinnick, Iowa State will be ready to get some revenge in Jack Trice Stadium.
The Cyclones, now with a more experienced coaching staff, have a pretty powerful offense. However, Iowa showed how impeccable its defense can be in its 24-3 season-opening win over Wyoming.
Just as Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has noted, it will be another hard-fought battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy.
Career receptions by Allen Lazard:
After facing the potential first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Hawkeyes have experience on how to deal with great players, but Lazard is a different monster.
The 6-5, 222-pound wide receiver is a legitimate NFL prospect and has been putting up huge numbers throughout his career in Ames.
Lazard broke Todd Blythe’s record for most career receptions in the fourth quarter of the Cyclones’ win over Northern Iowa.
But he has more work to do.
The Urbandale native needs just 570 receiving yards to become the all-time leader in program history, while needing 16 touchdown receptions to break yet another record.
Iowa has a relatively inexperienced secondary, so it could have its hands full if Lazard gets into a groove.
Jacob Park’s Average Passer Rating in 2016 wins:
Park began the season on the Maxwell Award Watch List for a reason: He’s a good football player.
That wasn’t as apparent at the beginning of last season, when Park and Joel Lanning were splitting reps at quarterback. But with Lanning’s move to linebacker, the Cyclone coaching staff’s confidence in Park is obvious.
Iowa State won three games last year, and Park played at a high level in all of them. In those victories, Park threw 7 touchdowns, with just 1 interception, completing 77.9 percent of his passes.
Combine that efficiency with a big-time threat such as Lazard, and the result is a nightmare for opposing defenses.
The offense still has a ways to go, but when Park is efficient, Iowa State has a dangerous passing attack.
Yards Per Game:
Iowa State put up 405 yards against Northern Iowa on Sept. 2, which isn’t bad, but it is nowhere close to that of its Big 12 counterparts.
Also facing FCS teams, TCU put up 542 yards of total offense, while Kansas State racked up 519.
In comparison, it doesn’t mean a lot, but it’s a start.
The Cyclones return their top two running backs from last season in David Montgomery and Mike Warren, who combined for more than 1,000 yards last season.
While the running game has the potential to be strong, the passing game is already there.
Along with Lazard, Iowa State has 6-6 receiver Hakeem Butler to cause more matchup problems — Iowa defensive backs will literally have a tall task in front of them.
Throw in speedy slot receiver Trever Ryen, and the Cyclone receivers have the potential to wreak havoc on Saturday.