Cy-Hawk Trophy returns to Iowa City

Sept. 13, 2008

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — For the fourth time in six years, the Cy-Hawk Trophy will reside in the Hayden Fry Football Complex, following Iowa’s 17-5 victory over Iowa State this afternoon inside Kinnick Stadium.

The Hawkeyes, who have now held Iowa State without a touchdown for 10 consecutive quarters, improved to 3-0. The Cyclones dipped to 2-1, and after averaging 46 points in their first two outings, were limited to a third period field goal and a gift safety late in the game. Iowa is off to its second 3-0 start in three seasons after winning four straight in 2006.

“It was a tough football game on both sides of the field,” UI head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “It was a hard-earned win. Give credit to Iowa State. They played extremely well and extremely hard.”

What a difference a year makes. Last season Iowa State made five field goals during a 15-13 victory in Ames. This season the Cyclones missed three field goals.

Iowa’s Shonn Greene rushed 20 times for 120 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 12-minutes, 56-seconds left in the game. Andy Brodell gave the Hawkeyes breathing room six minutes later with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown. Quarterback Jake Christensen relieved starter Ricky Stanzi and completed 4 of 5 passes for 27 yards. Stanzi was 5 of 14 for 95 yards. He threw two interceptions and was sacked once.

“No one is down on Ricky Stanzi at all,” Ferentz said. “I look for him to come back strong. What happened in the fourth quarter speaks volumes for Jake Christensen.”

It was the third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance for Greene.

“Those were tough yards today,” Ferentz said. “Shonn’s been working hard and working hard on his conditioning.”

Tyler Sash led the Hawkeye defense with 12 tackles, followed by A.J. Edds with 10 and Amari Spievey and Pat Angerer with eight apiece. Sash, Spievey and Brett Greenwood all had interceptions.

By the end of the game, Iowa State picked up 18 first downs and 325 yards of total offense (252 passing, 73 rushing). Iowa had 11 first downs and 244 total yards (122 rushing, 122 passing).

The Hawkeyes put points on the scoreboard on their opening drive for the third consecutive game, thanks to a 26-yard field goal by Trent Mossbrucker with 10:51 left in the first quarter. Iowa used a 9-play, 70-yard drive to grab the 3-0 lead. Greene rushed three times for 42 yards, including an amazing 31-yard pickup on a play where he was stopped in the backfield, broke several tackles and raced down the home sideline before he was corralled by Iowa State’s James Smith, who made a touchdown-saving dive. Stanzi also connected with Allen Reisner on a 25-yard pass completion on that drive that took the ball from the Iowa 32 to the Cyclone 43. Reisner was Iowa’s leading receiver with three catches for 65 yards.

Iowa State came out firing behind the arm of quarterback Austen Arnaud, who completed a 21-yard pass to Houston Jones and a 14-yarder to R.J. Sumrall on back-to-back plays. The Hawkeye defense stiffened on the next three plays and forced the game’s first punt.

A free snap on the first play of Iowa’s second series nearly resulted in a free touchdown for the black and gold. The Cyclones jumped offside prior to Stanzi rolling to his right, but missing a wide-open Brodell, who was at least 10 yards behind the nearest defender. Stanzi didn’t miss on 3rd-and-6 from the 24, when he eluded the rush and scrambled to his left before lofting a perfect 17-yard strike to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. Two plays later, the Cyclones would produce the game’s first break when Michael Tate tipped a Stanzi pass that was intercepted by Fred Garrin at midfield. The Cyclones couldn’t capitalize as kicker Grant Mahoney was wide left on a 38-yard field goal attempt.

The Hawkeye offense had more fireworks in store before the first quarter ended. On 3rd-and-1 from the Iowa 30, Stanzi faked a handoff to Greene, rolled left and found a wide-open Reisner for a 37-yard gain to the Iowa State 33. Even though Iowa didn’t come away with points on the drive, punter Ryan Donahue pinned the Cyclones back on their own 4-yard line.

Greenwood gave the Hawkeyes the ball in Cyclone territory with 12:40 left in the half. On a 3rd-and-8 play from the Iowa State 22, Greenwood dove and intercepted a Phillip Bates pass at the Iowa State 41. On the play before, Bates was forced to hurry an incomplete pass while being hit in the backfield by Hawkeye defensive end Broderick Binns. Iowa State’s defense held, however, with the big play a 7-yard sack of Stanzi by Christopher Lyle on 3rd-and 20. Daniel Murray was then wide left on a 50-yard field goal attempt.

The first half ended with Iowa holding a 3-0 advantage. The Hawkeyes held an 8-7 edge in first downs and controlled all offensive categories, including rushing yards (84-36), passing yards (95-73) and total yards (179-109). Iowa also held an advantage in possession time, 17:52 to 12:08. Greene was an offensive highlight for Iowa, gaining 84 yards on 14 carries, despite slipping on three of those attempts.

During the first 30 minutes, both teams had an interception, missed a field goal and forced a quarterback sack. Only the Hawkeyes penetrated the scoring column.

Iowa State — and the Iowa defense — dominated the third quarter, holding the ball for 11:24. The first Cyclone drive after the break spanned 12 plays and advanced all the way to the Iowa 20 before Sash intercepted an Arnaud pass in the end zone. In a move that perhaps dictated field position the rest of the period, Sash left the end zone and stepped out of bounds at the Hawkeye 1. Prior to that miscue, Arnaud completed 4 of 4 passes for 41 yards.

After a three-and-out by Iowa, a 25-yard punt and five-yard penalty by the Hawkeyes gave Iowa State the ball on Iowa’s 26. The Cyclones again were held scoreless, missing a 21-yard field goal. On Iowa’s next drive, Stanzi was intercepted by Michael Bibbs on Iowa’s 28.

Mahoney, who had missed from 38 and 21 yards, drilled a 43-yarder to tie the score, 3-3, with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

Christensen entered the game on Iowa’s next series following the second Stanzi interception and led the Hawkeyes on a 6-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. The final two plays were runs by Greene — the first a 20-yard gain and the second a 5-yard touchdown run with 12:56 left in the game making it 10-3, Iowa.

Brodell gave the Hawkeyes a 17-3 lead when he returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown with 6:19 left in the game. The final tackle he broke was a lunging attempt by Iowa State’s Chris Singleton, who hit Brodell early on the first punt of the game, which drew a 15-yard personal foul penalty. It was the first punt return for a touchdown by Brodell, whose previous long was 56 yards last season against Northern Illinois. The last punt return for a touchdown by a Hawkeye was in 2005 by Jovon Johnson against Ball State.

“That was huge in a lot of ways,” Ferentz said. “That was a senior player making a big, big play for our football team when we needed one. I’m happy for him.”

Despite controlling most of the second-half game clock and out-gaining Iowa 216-65 in the second half, the Hawkeyes kept Iowa State out of the end zone for the second straight game. The Iowa State drives in the fourth quarter ended on a missed field goal, a punt that Brodell returned for a score, an incomplete pass that was batted away by Shaun Prater in Iowa’s end zone and an interception by Spievey. Iowa gained 41 yards during the final 15 minutes, with nearly half of that coming on a 20-yard run by Greene.

The Hawkeyes will hit the road next week and play at Pittsburgh with an 11:05 a.m. start (Iowa time).

A limited number of “singles” are available for Iowa’s games against Northwestern, Wisconsin and Penn State. Tickets are also available for the home season finalé against Purdue. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1-800 IA-HAWKS or click HERE.