The college football world was plugged into the Iowa Hawkeyes‘, 20-13, Cy-Hawk Series win over the Iowa State Cyclones.
Though it looked at one point like Iowa might be headed for a comfortable win over Iowa State, things tightened up toward the finish line as the Cy-Hawk game typically delivers.
The nation responded to the late-game excitement. Or, perhaps to the ongoing “Drive to 325” for Brian Ferentz and the Hawkeyes’ offense.
The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series checked in as the nation’s fourth-most viewed college football game per Sports Media Watch.
Week 2 college football viewership via @paulsen_smw pic.twitter.com/7sgYL0ObrZ
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 12, 2023
Texas‘ 34-24 win over Alabama led the way with an average viewership of 8.76 million. That was followed by Colorado‘s 36-14 victory over Nebraska, which averaged 8.73 million viewers. Miami’s 48-33 triumph over Texas A&M came in at No. 3 nationally, drawing an average of 4.02 million viewers.
Then, there was the Cy-Hawk win for Iowa. The Hawkeyes’ one-score win over the Cyclones netted an average viewership audience of 3.38 million viewers.
Iowa and Iowa State beat out games such as UNLV at Michigan, Notre Dame at NC State, Oregon at Texas Tech and Wisconsin at Washington State.
In its win over Iowa State, Iowa scored on each of its first two drives with a 28-yard Drew Stevens field goal and then a 4-yard touchdown run from redshirt freshman Jaziun Patterson.
Sebastian Castro added a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown to put the Hawkeyes in front, 17-0. An 11-play, 51-yard drive for Iowa State got the Cyclones on the board before halftime with a 42-yard Chase Contreraz field goal and Iowa led 17-3 at the break.
Iowa’s offense could only muster up a 34-yard field goal after halftime, though, and the Cyclones chipped away with another 46-yard field goal from Contreraz before Jayden Higgins’ 16-yard grab from ISU quarterback Rocco Becht brought Iowa State back within a single score.
Iowa defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett and the Hawkeye defense slammed the door shut on a 4th-and-1 snap with 1:16 remaining as Hurkett burst though the line for a game-sealing tackle for loss.
Iowa won’t have near the same number of eyeballs on them this week as they play host to Western Michigan in their final nonconference date. After their Week 3 date against the Broncos, though, the Hawkeyes figure to once again be among the nation’s highest-rated games in the following week.
Iowa travels to Penn State for a Week 4 showdown in Happy Valley in primetime at 6:30 p.m. CT on CBS. Assuming both teams take care of business this week, it’s a top-25 showdown with some great storylines attached to it.
The Nittany Lions are viewed nationally as a legitimate threat to dethrone Michigan and as a dark horse national championship contender with sophomore quarterback Drew Allar and one of the country’s best one-two running back punches in backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.
How does Allar hold up against an Iowa defense that remains stout? Can Cade McNamara bring the Hawkeyes’ offense far enough along to play spoiler at Beaver Stadium?
That game will be up against the likes of Oklahoma-Cincinnati, Florida State-Clemson, Ole Miss-Alabama, Colorado-Oregon, Arkansas–LSU, and Ohio State-Notre Dame.
It’s a packed slate of fantastic games, but, if it delivers the goods, Iowa-Penn State should draw plenty of attention. Even alongside Ohio State-Notre Dame in the same time slot.
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