Holy smokes, you guys, what a nail-biter! Iowa absolutely *swiped one* in, escaping a potential disaster with a wild 16-13 victory over Iowa State. Caden Buhr, the Bettendorf kid, blasted a 42-yard field goal with just 15 seconds left on the clock. You could feel the tension from Kinnick Stadium’s 69,250 breathless fans, especially with Iowa being favored by a whopping 14 points. This wasn’t supposed to be a last-second scramble, but Iowa State played their hearts out, making this an instant classic.
Iowa State Showed Up, While Konrardy Waited
Let’s be real, the Cyclones did everything right to make this game a nightmare for the Hawkeyes. They played a heck of a game, didn’t turn the ball over, controlled the running game, and were just grinding out field position. Remember Kyle Konrardy, the Iowa State kicker who wrecked Iowa’s day the last two seasons with 54-yard field goals for 20-19 and 16-13 wins? He was just sitting on the sideline, ready to strike again, but Iowa somehow kept him there. Iowa (2-0) looked anything but spectacular, while Iowa State (1-1) proved they’re no pushover. It was an old-school Iowa recipe: lean on the defense and pray you win close. And boy, did they ever.
Brown’s Redemption and Diaz’s Spark
Iowa’s offense was stuck in neutral for much of the night, outside of one big pass. Quarterback Hank Brown was in for the duration, finishing 21-for-30 for 191 yards and adding 22 yards rushing, including Iowa’s lone touchdown. Remember last year when he botched a tight finish versus Indiana, missing a screen that could’ve sealed a 16-13 win? This time, Brown and the offense leaned on the running game in the final minutes, calling run on the last seven plays to grind out two first downs after taking over at their own 45 with 4:28 to go. The real spark came from wide receiver Tony Diaz, who’s been hyped up and finally delivered. Down 10-0, Brown connected with Diaz on a 56-yard deep shot, beating cornerback Seth Johnson again, to get Iowa inside the 10-yard line. Diaz lived up to the hype, getting open all evening and proving he can “catch about anything in practice” when Brown puts the ball where it needs to be.
With this narrow 16-13 escape, especially on a wild day of college football upsets, Iowa moves to 2-0. It wasn’t pretty, and the 14-point spread feels like a bad joke right now, but a win is a win. They’ve got a lot to clean up, but the defense held firm, and Caden Buhr proved he’s got ice in his veins. Now the question is, can they build on this early season win and find some consistency? We’ll be watching to see how this team truly starts to take form.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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