IowaEdges Iowa State 16-13 on Late Field Goal to Reclaim Cy-Hawk Trophy

Iowa returned the Cy-Hawk Trophy to Iowa City on Saturday night, edging Iowa State 16-13 in a defensive struggle at a sold-out Kinnick Stadium. The victory evened the recent history of the rivalry after Iowa State had taken the previous two meetings, and it pushed the Hawkeyes to 2-0 on the young season.

Kicker delivers in the clutch

Special teams provided the deciding margin. Sophomore kicker Caden Buhr, who opened the season by missing his first extra point and field goal attempt a week earlier, responded by converting all three of his field goal tries against the Cyclones. The last was the most dramatic: a 41-yard boot with 15 seconds remaining that gave Iowa the lead for good.

Buffington anchors the defense

Linebacker Cam Buffington turned in the defensive performance of the night, finishing with a game-high 15 total tackles. Tasked largely with shadowing Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor, the 6-foot-3, 238-pound junior helped keep the Cyclones’ offense in check throughout the second half, reinforcing the pre-season expectations that surrounded him heading into 2026.

Run game surfaces late

Iowa’s ground attack was quiet for most of the evening, but it produced when it mattered most. On the Hawkeyes’ final two possessions, the offense strung together runs of 6, 7, 5, 5, and 7 yards — modest gains individually, but enough to drain the clock, put points on the board, and set up Buhr’s game-winner.

Media context

Games like the Cy-Hawk rivalry remain valuable inventory for the media companies that carry Big Ten football. Comcast, whose NBCUniversal division holds Big Ten rights and whose shares closed at $25.20, up 0.6% from a prior close of $25.05 (market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion), is among the broadcasters whose schedules feature marquee conference and regional rivalry matchups each September. Historic programs like Iowa and Iowa State help drive the audiences that underpin those rights agreements, even as the economics of college sports continue to shift around conference realignment and expanded playoff formats.

What to watch

• Iowa’s remaining non-conference schedule and how the Hawkeyes’ special teams unit performs after Buhr’s turnaround game.
• Cam Buffington’s usage and statistics over the next several weeks as conference play begins.
• Iowa State’s response following its first loss of the season, including the status of quarterback Jaylen Raynor.
• Upcoming Big Ten broadcast windows and ratings data for rivalry games carried on Comcast-owned networks.

Source: original release