Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has never beaten Iowa at home. Is this the year that all changes?
Campbell, who’s in his 10th season at the helm, has a roster littered with talent and experience. The Cyclones have started the season with two impressive wins — upsetting a ranked Kansas State team in Dublin, Ireland, and trouncing South Dakota, 55-7 in Week 1. But beating their in-state rival in Jack Trice Stadium would go a long way in solidifying Iowa State’s status as a popular early-season College Football Playoff pick.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity,” Campbell said in an interview with FOX Sports college football analyst Brady Quinn.
This year’s iteration of the Cy-Hawk Game — set to kick off at Noon ET Saturday on FOX — is a moment Campbell and the Cyclones have been building toward.
“[The Hawkeyes] kind of had a lay of the land in the state of Iowa,” Campbell said. “It’s kinda been fun for us to build a program to be able to compete with them.”
Iowa set the standard for college football in the Hawkeye State, holding a 47-24 record against the Cyclones. In fact, Iowa held a 15-game winning streak against Iowa State from 1983-1997. Campbell’s arrival in Ames did little to change that dominance — as it took him seven seasons to beat Iowa. But he didn’t wallow in those losses, instead using the rival program as a barometer. That growth has shown as Iowa State has won two of the last three rivalry games. A win for the Cyclones on Saturday would mark the first time since 2012 that they have beaten their in-state foes twice in a row.
While the Cy-Hawk Game could confirm Iowa State’s arrival as a CFP contender, Campbell is also focused on avenging last year’s loss in the Big 12 championship game. After going 7-2 in the Big 12 and setting up a date with Arizona State in the conference title game, Iowa State fell to the Sun Devils, 45-19, falling out of the CFP picture.
“We didn’t lose any players, we had great retention after this past season,” Campbell said. “They came back with a purpose and on a mission to learn from the Big 12 championship game a year ago.”
Campbell’s mission is clear — to build a team capable of competing for championships. But, for now, the Cyclones are focused on cementing their place among college football’s contenders. That starts with this Saturday’s Cy-Hawk Game.
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