AMES, Iowa — Kyle Konrardy came through in the clutch once again, drilling a 54-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining to lift No. 16 Iowa State to a gritty 16–13 win over rival Iowa on Saturday. The victory marks the Cyclones’ second consecutive win in the heated CyHawk series and their third in the past four years.
Konrardy, already a hero in last year’s matchup after hitting a game-winning 54-yarder in the final seconds, repeated the feat almost exactly a year later. This time, his long-range kick capped a 55-yard Iowa State drive that consumed over six and a half minutes of clock in the fourth quarter.
Iowa State’s defense sealed the win on the following possession, as defensive end Tamatoa McDonough sacked Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski twice to force a turnover on downs. The win was especially sweet for the Cyclones (3–0), as it marked their first CyHawk Trophy triumph in Ames since 2011.
The game opened with Konrardy connecting on field goals from 44 and 27 yards to give Iowa State a 6–0 lead. Moments later, defensive back Jeremiah Cooper picked off Gronowski and returned it 24 yards to set up a short touchdown pass from Rocco Becht to tight end Benjamin Brahmer, extending the lead to 13–3.
Iowa (1–1) responded with a lengthy 16-play, 85-yard drive late in the second quarter, capped by a 2-yard rushing score from Gronowski to make it 13–10 at halftime. Drew Stevens later tied the game at 13 with a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the Hawkeyes wouldn’t score again.
Gronowski finished the day 13 of 24 for 83 yards through the air, while running back Jaziun Patterson led Iowa with 60 yards on 13 carries.
Key Takeaways:
Iowa: Quarterback Mark Gronowski, a South Dakota State transfer, is still adjusting to Big Ten play. Through two games, he’s thrown for just 127 yards and one touchdown, and Iowa’s offense continues to search for rhythm.
Iowa State: Saturday’s win continues a trend of close battles in this rivalry. The Cyclones’ last six victories over the Hawkeyes have been decided by a combined 15 points—proof of just how tight this series has been.
Up Next:
Iowa: Hosts UMass next Saturday.
Iowa State: Travels to face Arkansas State on the road.
