September 14, 2026. Photo credit -- Associated Press
Iowa State walked into Kinnick Stadium on Saturday night as a heavy underdog and left with a 16 to 13 loss after Caden Buhr drilled a 42-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining. The Cy Hawk trophy is back in Iowa City. The night still said something larger about the Jimmy Rogers era, and it said it in the only language that matters in this rivalry, which is how a new roster competed when the lights were brightest. The Cyclones built a 10 to 0 lead in the second quarter on Kyle Konrardys 29-yard field goal and Jaylen Raynor's 4-yard touchdown pass to Vince Benetti. Aiden Flora ran with purpose and finished with 89 yards. The defense held Iowa to 93 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Iowa State outgained nobody on the stat sheet in a pretty way, finishing with 255 yards to Iowa's 284, but for long stretches the visitors dictated the physical terms. That is not the profile of a program in free fall. That is the profile of a first-year staff that already has an identity.
The offense played too conservative too early. After the 10 to 0 punch, Iowa State settled into a low-risk script instead of forcing Iowa to defend the whole field. Raynor finished 10 of 19 for 117 yards. The Cyclones had nine first downs for the game and only four after halftime. They scored three points in the second half and managed 13 yards in the fourth quarter until a last second completion that did not change the clock. Phil Parkers defense dares opponents to drive the length of the field. Iowa State cooperated by staying run heavy and short after the early score. Leading in Kinnick is rare. Protecting a lead by shrinking the playbook is how those leads disappear.
Penalties finished the collapse. Iowa State had zero flags in the first half and six for 45 yards after the break. Flora ripped a 34-yard run to open the second half and put the Cyclones inside the 20. Holding and an illegal substitution shoved them back to the 34. Konrardy still made a 51 yarder for a 13 to 10 lead, but a possible touchdown drive became a long kick. Later, after Buhr tied the game at 13 from 32 yards, Iowa State faced third and 1 at its own 34. A false start made it third and 6. An incompletion followed. A punt followed. Iowa started the winning drive at its own 45, moved 31 yards, and Buhr hit from 42. Rogers said the false start on third and 1 was the kind of hidden yardage Iowa will expose. He was right.
Rogers also said the locker room came to win, not to cover a number or collect praise for competing. That standard is why the era still looks bright. This roster returned no starters. Dozens of new players had to learn a system on the road against a ranked rival that has lived on late kicks for a generation. They led twice. They ran the ball. They limited Iowa's ground game. They played a scoreless first quarter and a one possession game into the final seconds. Konrardy was perfect on field goals and never allowed a kickoff return. The defense missed some tackles and gave up a 56-yard throw that set up Iowa's only touchdown, and those are real problems. They are also correctable problems on a team that already showed it can punch a Big Ten defense in the mouth.
Rogers has been clear that moral victories are not the goal. The film will not be treated like a trophy. Bowling Green comes to Ames next, and the list is simple. Throw it earlier. Stop the second half flags. Keep the physical identity that showed up before the penalties arrived. The Jimmy Rogers era does not look finished after one night in Iowa City. It looks like a program that already believes it belongs in these games and now has to finish them. Ames fought. The last 15 seconds and a handful of self-inflicted yards decided who carried the trophy off the field. The next version of this team is supposed to make those yards disappear.