Football is the most watched college sport across the country, with many well-known teams and conferences, such as the Big 10, the Big 12, and the SEC. There are numerous rivalries and a wide-range of school traditions that make college football entertaining. The Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State Cyclones, and Nebraska Cornhuskers are fan favorites in Council Bluffs, but which one is the most liked? In an Echoes poll, that team is the Cyclones.
Iowa State and Iowa get a lot of their popularity from being long-time rivals. On September 7, the two teams went head-to-head for the Cy-Hawk trophy. The Cyclones were struggling to set the offense and defense in motion, putting the Hawkeyes up 13-0 at halftime. The Cyclones found their momentum late in the 3rd quarter after an intense throw to wide receiver Jayden Higgins for a touchdown. The Hawkeyes answered to go up another 6 points and attempted a 2-point conversion but missed. ISU quarterback, Rocco Becht, threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylin Noel, making the game 17-19. The Hawkeyes got the ball back but were unable to gain points from the drive and turned the ball back over to the Cyclones. With only 9 seconds left in the game, kicker Kyle Konrardy successfully made a 54-yard field goal. The Cyclones beat the Hawkeyes 20-19 after trailing the entire game, winning back the trophy and becoming a threat to other teams in the conference.
The Cyclones are also breaking school records and making themselves known. Iowa State had a 7-0 start to the season, the first 7-0 shutout since 1938, and their first 4-0 conference record in team history. They are currently ranked 22 of the top 25 college football teams after being unranked. Iowa State alumni and current quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Brock Purdy, was the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft and became known as Mr. Irrelevant. He proved everyone wrong when he beat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers as a rookie and took his team to the Super Bowl in 2024. His success in the NFL is getting recognized from his hard work with the Cyclones, making Iowa State’s popularity and fan base spread across the country.
