Matt Campbell: Cy-Hawk Game ‘Unbelievable Opportunity’ for Iowa State

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has never beaten Iowa at home. Is this the year that all changes?

Campbell, who’s in his 10th season at the helm, has a roster littered with talent and experience. The Cyclones have started the season with two impressive wins — upsetting a ranked Kansas State team in Dublin, Ireland, and trouncing South Dakota, 55-7 in Week 1. But beating their in-state rival in Jack Trice Stadium would go a long way in solidifying Iowa State’s status as a popular early-season College Football Playoff pick. 

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity,” Campbell said in an interview with FOX Sports college football analyst Brady Quinn.

This year’s iteration of the Cy-Hawk Game — set to kick off at Noon ET Saturday on FOX — is a moment Campbell and the Cyclones have been building toward.

“[The Hawkeyes] kind of had a lay of the land in the state of Iowa,” Campbell said. “It’s kinda been fun for us to build a program to be able to compete with them.”

Iowa set the standard for college football in the Hawkeye State, holding a 47-24 record against the Cyclones. In fact, Iowa held a 15-game winning streak against Iowa State from 1983-1997. Campbell’s arrival in Ames did little to change that dominance — as it took him seven seasons to beat Iowa. But he didn’t wallow in those losses, instead using the rival program as a barometer. That growth has shown as Iowa State has won two of the last three rivalry games. A win for the Cyclones on Saturday would mark the first time since 2012 that they have beaten their in-state foes twice in a row. 

While the Cy-Hawk Game could confirm Iowa State’s arrival as a CFP contender, Campbell is also focused on avenging last year’s loss in the Big 12 championship game. After going 7-2 in the Big 12 and setting up a date with Arizona State in the conference title game, Iowa State fell to the Sun Devils, 45-19, falling out of the CFP picture.

“We didn’t lose any players, we had great retention after this past season,” Campbell said. “They came back with a purpose and on a mission to learn from the Big 12 championship game a year ago.”

Campbell’s mission is clear — to build a team capable of competing for championships. But, for now, the Cyclones are focused on cementing their place among college football’s contenders. That starts with this Saturday’s Cy-Hawk Game.

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