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Top 10 greatest performances by Iowa and Iowa State quarterbacks in their first Cy-Hawk start

dargan southard, des moines register
·6 min read

Whether introduced to the rivalry as an in-state high schooler, true freshman or upperclassman transfer, anyone who suits up for Iowa or Iowa State football knows the importance Cy-Hawk Saturday holds.

This year, quarterbacks on both sides will be making their Cy-Hawk debut when the action kicks off at 2:30 p.m. inside Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa's Cade McNamara has likely gotten a rivalry crash course this week as the Michigan transfer continues to make his home in Iowa City. Iowa State's Rocco Becht, after watching last year's Cyclones win from the sidelines, will get his first chance to author a memorable Cy-Hawk chapter on his home field.

While it's been since 2017 that both starting quarterbacks will be making their first Cy-Hawk start in the same game, several Cy-Hawk newbies over the years have taken this rivalry opportunity and run with it. Thrilling quarterback showings have come out of nowhere from guys still carving out their legacies in this football-crazed state.

More: Leistikow: One offensive statistic almost always decides the Iowa-Iowa State winner

With that, we bring you the top 10 greatest performances by quarterbacks in their first Cy-Hawk start. Given the big gap in the matchup's history — Iowa and Iowa State didn't play from 1935-76 — this list is from the 1977 rivalry renewal onward.

10. Iowa State QB Todd Bandhauer, 1997

Stats: 26-for-51, 375 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs

Score: Iowa 63, Iowa State 20

Recap: While it may seem obscure to put a quarterback who lost his first Cy-Hawk start by four-plus touchdowns on this list, this rivalry has lacked extensive passing production over the course of its history. That's why Bandhauer's 375 passing yards stand out. Iowa State used this beatdown — and the many others that came before on Iowa's 15-year winning streak from 1983-97 — as motivation to take back the Cy-Hawk trophy the following season.

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9. Iowa QB Jim Hartlieb, 1992

Stats: 14-for-22, 218 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 8 carries, 32 yards

Score: Iowa 21, Iowa State 7

Recap: One of the few Cy-Hawk games that was close during Iowa's lengthy winning streak, Hartlieb put the game away just as Iowa State crept back in. His touchdown pass with eight minutes remaining wrapped this one up, signifying one of the few bright spots in a 1992 Hawkeyes season that finished 5-7.

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8. Iowa State QB Bob Utter, 1990

Stats: 20-for-32, 235 yards, 2 TDs; 14 carries, 32 yards, TD

Score: Iowa 45, Iowa State 35

Recap: Down injured starting quarterback Chris Pedersen and senior running back Blaise Bryant, The Cyclones turned to the true freshman Utter to rescue their Cy-Hawk hopes. Iowa State couldn't pull out the win, but Utter's showing propelled the Cyclones to their most points ever in a Cy-Hawk game at the time.

7. Iowa QB Chuck Long, 1983

Stats: 13-for-17, 204 yards, 2 TDs (one rushing)

Score: Iowa 51, Iowa State 10

Recap: With plenty of motivation after being benched for the Cy-Hawk game as a redshirt freshman in 1982, Long came back the next year and orchestrated a dominant victory. Long's performance helped stop a three-year Iowa State winning streak in the series and was one of the early impressive moments in a Hawkeyes career full of them.

6. Iowa QB Mark Vlasic, 1986

Stats: 15-for-25, 286 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Score: Iowa 43, Iowa State 7

Recap: With quarterback questions to answer after Long's departure following his outstanding 1985 season, Iowa turned to Vlasic in the 1986 season opener. He delivered a nice showing in another Hawkeyes beatdown to ignite a 9-3 season.

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Iowa State quarterback Jacob Park lit up the scoreboard in the 2017 Cy-Hawk matchup. Though the Cyclones still fell, 44-41, in overtime.
Iowa State quarterback Jacob Park lit up the scoreboard in the 2017 Cy-Hawk matchup. Though the Cyclones still fell, 44-41, in overtime.

5. Iowa State QB Jacob Park, 2017

Stats: 25-for-46, 347 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Score: Iowa 44, Iowa State 41 (OT)

Recap: Cy-Hawk shootouts have been few and far between, but Park was right in the middle of one under the Jack Trice Stadium sun. A seesawing affair saw Park toss the final of his four TD passes with just under five minutes remaining before Iowa scraped by in overtime. This competitive showing, however, was a big early moment in Matt Campbell's tenure, especially after the 42-3 Cy-Hawk drubbing the year prior.

4. Iowa QB Matt Rodgers, 1989

Stats: 20-for-33, 276 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Score: Iowa 31, Iowa State 21

Recap: After attempting just one pass in 1988 — and suffering a 44-6 blowout to Oregon in Week 1 of the 1989 season — Rodgers needed something positive heading into Cy-Hawk Week at Jack Trice Stadium. Locked in a 21-21 affair heading to the fourth quarter, Rodgers tossed the eventual game-clinching touchdown pass to John Palmer with 14 minutes remaining. Not much else went right for Iowa in 1989's 5-6 campaign, but the Cy-Hawk win was certainly a bright spot.

More: Matt Campbell has 'respect' for Cade McNamara ahead of Iowa State football Cy-Hawk matchup

Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard posted three touchdowns in his Cy-Hawk game debut, a 31-17 Iowa win, in 2015.
Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard posted three touchdowns in his Cy-Hawk game debut, a 31-17 Iowa win, in 2015.

3. Iowa QB C.J. Beathard, 2015

Stats: 15-for-25, 215 yards, 3 TDs; 10 carries, 77 yards

Score: Iowa 31, Iowa State 17

Recap: Beathard grabbed the starting job for good and ran with it in 2015. One of his first monumental victories as a starter came during Week 2 in Ames, where Beathard tossed two second-half touchdowns and showed his wheels with an impressive 57-yard run. This was one of many magical moments for Iowa in 2015.

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Iowa State quarterback Steele Jantz had four touchdowns in his first Cy-Hawk start, a 44-41 triple-overtime thriller that the Cyclones came out on top of.
Iowa State quarterback Steele Jantz had four touchdowns in his first Cy-Hawk start, a 44-41 triple-overtime thriller that the Cyclones came out on top of.

2. Iowa State QB Steele Jantz, 2011

Stats: 25-for-37, 279 yards, 4 TDs; 16 carries, 42 yards

Score: Iowa State 44, Iowa 41 (3OT)

Recap: Unlike the 2017 thriller, Iowa State came out ahead in this offensive battle thanks to Jantz's heroics. His touchdown pass with 77 seconds remaining forced overtime, and then Jantz kept things under control for Iowa State to escape in the extra periods. This victory stopped the Cyclones' three-game Cy-Hawk losing streak.

Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley's five touchdowns in his Cy-Hawk debut led to an OT win for the Hawkeyes back in 2017.
Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley's five touchdowns in his Cy-Hawk debut led to an OT win for the Hawkeyes back in 2017.

1. Iowa QB Nate Stanley, 2017

Stats: 27-for-41, 333 yards, 5 TDs

Score: Iowa 44, Iowa State 41 (OT)

Recap: Atop the list of Iowa quarterbacks who've gained more appreciation over time is Stanley, especially given the offensive futility that's followed his departure. On this day, though, Stanley was a sophomore newbie still getting his feet wet under center. This performance accelerated his reliability tremendously, as Stanley stayed stride for stride with Park before tossing the game-winning TD to Ihmir Smith-Marsette in overtime.

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard. 

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Top 10 best performances by quarterbacks in their first Cy-Hawk start