AMES, Iowa — As Iowa State prepares to take on No. 21 Iowa on Saturday, the team knows they have their work cut out for them. Not only does a hostile environment await them at Kinnick Stadium, but they'll be going up against one of the best defenses in the country.
"The fans, they are ruthless," said senior defensive lineman J.R. Singleton. "They're ruthless but I love it though. I like being the villain."
"Rivalries, In-state rivalries, man, neighboring rivalries make college football really special," said head coach Matt Campbell when asked about the importance of the Cy-Hawk game.
With the Cyclones playing in enemy territory this weekend, they've found ways to simulate the environment and noise level during practice.
"We work silent cadence a lot," said offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. "We put earpieces, construction earpieces in those guys to wear. We'll play loud noise. As many different ways as we can to try to test the focus and the strain and make sure they're listening to the right thing, their eyes are in the right place. It starts with our Director of Football Operations, Greg Brabenec, who does a good job of just annoying the offense all practice."
The margin for error will be razor thin for Iowa State, especially on offense. The Hawkeye defense led by 2023 Broyles Award winner, Phil Parker, is one of the most dominant units in the country.
"There wasn't a lot of mistakes on defense on their end," said redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht. "You gotta just find the little holes to get the ball in. Just with the offensive line, trying to continue to get vertical. The offensive line getting to the linebackers because that's the only way we can run the ball. So, there's tight windows everywhere, so I'm gonna need to be sharp on Saturday."
Campbell said that having this matchup early on in the season helps them from an evaluation standpoint, especially having a bye week right after to make the necessary corrections.
"I think you learn a lot about yourself post this game," Campbell said. "Who are you? Where are you at in the growth process and what are those areas you need to continue to pound away at and grow forward? Uniquely in our schedule this year, we get a bye week after this. So, it's a great opportunity for us to have a great understanding of where we are and how do we continue to make the right decisions to move our team where we need to be."
Saturday will be the 71st meeting between the two programs. The last time they faced off in Iowa City was in 2022 when the Cyclones won 10-7.
The game is slated to begin Saturday at 2:30 p.m.