Final score: #19 Iowa 18 Iowa State 17

Brief recap: The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy wasn’t met without some intrigue, in multiple ways. Not only did a three-hour weather delay get in the way of the annual in-state battle, but the two teams went back and forth for a good chunk of the game. For Iowa, field goal kicking was critical, knocking down four field goal attempts and scoring just one touchdown in the victory. The Hawkeyes did give the ball back to the Cyclones with 1:30 left to play, but a muffed punt recovered by Iowa sealed the deal. It was an unbelievable finish to a crazy afternoon.

Key moment: Speaking of that muffed punt, that’s pretty much the key moment. Iowa State would’ve had a chance to win the game with plenty of time left on the clock. Instead, the collision involving the return man cost the Cyclones a chance for one final drive.

Key stat: If these two figures don’t define Iowa football, then what does? The Hawkeyes had just four penalties for 15 yards and didn’t turn the football over. In the end, it helped Iowa get its fifth-straight victory in the series.

Key player: Keith Duncan converted on all four field goal attempts, accounting for 12 points in the game. He hit from a distance of 42 yards for a long on the day and nailed the go-ahead field goal with less than five minutes to give the Hawkeyes the 18-17 advantage. Iowa needed every single one of his kicks today.

What it means: Iowa is now 3-0 with just one non-conference game left. It has an off week before taking on Middle Tennessee in two weeks. Then, things get a heck of a lot more difficult as the Hawkeyes travels to Michigan before hosting Penn State in back-to-back weeks. But Iowa proved it can win a close game. It was excellent in special teams and didn’t shoot itself in the foot very much on the road against Iowa State. Considering the circumstances with the delays, Iowa should feel really good about this road win.