AMES, IA – Iowa football defeated Iowa State, 20-13, on Saturday afternoon at Jack Trice Stadium. On the road for the first time this season, the Hawkeyes almost let the hostile atmosphere get the better of them. 

The customary Iowa State Cyclone sirens seemed to get in the Hawkeyes’ heads, as the home team led a 57-yard opening drive and was three-of-three on third down attempts before Iowa freshman cornerback Deshaun Lee broke up a would-be touchdown pass from Cyclone QB Rocco Becht. In the following play, Iowa defensive end Joe Evans pressured Brecht and forced the redshirt freshman to throw the ball away. 

The Cyclones then lined up for a 36-yard field goal to get an early lead, much to the delight of the Iowa State faithful. Iowa defensive tackle Logan Lee had other ideas. The senior and Orion, Illinois, native broke through the line and denied Cyclone kicker Chase Contrerazes’ offering. 

This special teams highlight was just the start of a contest that would be decided in spite of Iowa’s offensive struggles. 

After the blocked kick, the Hawkeye offense gained nine yards on its first two plays before redshirt freshman running back Jaziun Patterson broke off a 59-yard run to put Iowa at its opponents’ 12-yard line. Yet after one two-yard rush and two incomplete passes later, the Hawkeyes had to settle for a 28-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. 

The following Iowa offensive possession was highlighted by quarterback Cade McNamara’s 35-yard toss to tight end Luke Lachey. Two plays after the gain, Patterson ran for a four-yard trip to the end zone to extend Iowa’s lead to 10-0. The score was Patterson’s first collegiate touchdown. 

About midway through the second quarter, the momentum seemed to shift in favor of the Cyclones, as McNamara’s third-down pass to Nico Ragaini was picked off by Iowa State defensive back Jeremiah Cooper. The sophomore free safety has three interceptions on the year. 

Just two plays after McNamara’s first interception in the Black and Gold, Hawkeye defensive back Sebastian Castro jumped a Becht pass and ran the ball in for a 30-yard score. 

The only offense the Cyclones could muster in the first half was a 42-yard field goal with four seconds remaining, as the Hawkeye defense yielded just over two yards per rush. 

After opening the second half with a three-and-out, the Iowa offense went two-for-two on third down in its following drive before stalling out within 25 yards of the end zone. 

After two short completions, McNamara’s third-down pass to TE Erick All sailed incomplete and the Hawkeyes had to settle for another field goal. 

The following offensive drive was nearly identical, as McNamara’s third-down pass was just out of reach for a wide-open Seth Anderson. The Cyclone offense had a similar performance in the third quarter, amassing just 40 total yards. 

Iowa State cut its deficit to just one score in the fourth quarter after a 14-play, 80-yard drive culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass to Cyclone receiver Jayden Higgins. The Hawkeyes responded with a three-and-out, giving Iowa State the ball around its own 30-yard line. 

On fourth-and-one, Iowa’s defense came up clutch, stuffing the Cyclone ball carrier for a two-yard loss to put the result in the Hawkeyes’ hands. 

Leading the defense for the Hawkeyes was cornerback Cooper DeJean, who amassed 10  tackles. DeShaun Lee also had two pass breakups on the afternoon as the Iowa “D” held its opponents to 3.9 yards per play and a 38 percent efficiency on third down. 

Iowa is now 2-0 on the season while Iowa State falls to 1-1. Up next for the Hawkeyes is a home matchup against Western Michigan on Sept. 16.