Annual football rivalries are a gift to all. Opposing coaches show strong familiarity with each other’s philosophies, and that makes for entertaining football.

Expect nothing different in the Cy-Hawk game in Ames on Saturday. Among the guaranteed traditions this weekend — besides tailgating and cornhole — fans should expect to see the Iowa State offense run-pass option.

The run-pass option is one of the most popular trends in college football, and Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell charges along on the cutting edge of that tendency. Cyclone quarterback Brock Purdy has weaponized the option expertly as Iowa State’s starter, showing a strong affinity for reading defenses.

Iowa State’s version of the RPO is taken from the shotgun and usually features a single-back set. Purdy takes the snap, scans the defense, and decides whether to hand the ball off to the running back or take a shot through the air. It’s simple, but it takes a lot of maturity from college players.

When used effectively, it’s incredibly useful. It spreads the field out horizontally — meaning that it helps receivers get one-on-one matchups if the defense is expecting a run — and it can also unclog the box for the running back if the defense expects a pass.

In Iowa State’s Week 1 win over Northern Iowa, the Cyclones utilized their veteran quarterback’s experience in this play sequence. Neither team reached the end zone in the first half, but a third-quarter touchdown from Purdy to receiver La’Michael Pettway kicked off the season for the Cyclones. Purdy recognizes that the Panthers changed from a three-man to a four-man front, so he pulls the ball away from the running back and throws a bullet to Pettway in the end zone.

Conversely, Purdy recognizes when to use the running backs. In 2018, he had a great weapon in David Montgomery to employ in the run-pass option. In a setup with three wide receivers, defenses have to plan for both a Montgomery run and some sort of option pass. With the safeties hanging back and the cornerbacks stuck in man-to-man coverage, Montgomery takes the ball for a long gain.

But Iowa State doesn’t have the same weapons this year. With Montgomery now on the Chicago Bears, it certainly makes it more difficult to fool defenses. Because of this, Purdy passed for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 1, with no single Cyclone running back eclipsing 65 individual yards on the ground. This makes it easier for Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker to plan for Iowa State’s attack.

With all of this spread play — a style widely used in the Big 12 — typically comes three-man defensive fronts. Defenses have to spend bodies in coverage, so defensive linemen aren’t applied the same way as they are in the Big Ten.

Because of this culture in the Big Ten, Iowa usually uses a four-man defensive front. This can throw a team like Iowa State off, which often faces a three-man defensive line plan, as it did against Northern Iowa in Week 1.

Herein lies a huge opportunity for Iowa. Last year, that same Big Ten, physical line proved effective against Iowa State’s big men on the offenses. Former Hawkeye Matt Nelson rocketed through the Cyclone line in a four-man blitz and sacked then-quarterback Kyle Kempt in the game, setting up the Iowa victory.

Certainly, two different playing styles will be at odds on Saturday. But both coaching staffs are quite familiar with the outlook of the other, and that will make for creative and exciting football in the highly-anticipated Cy-Hawk matchup.