Healthbeat by Deirdre Cox BakerCyclone victory bigger than Iowa’s?
Monday, October 26th, 2009 11:19 amThe Iowa State University victory over Nebraska on Saturday was bigger state news than the exciting victory of Iowa over Michigan State.
One happens once every generation. One happens periodically.
I’m a season football ticket holder at the University of Iowa, and also an Iowa State University graduate. I follow both grid programs, one in person, and one, mainly, on the radio. (I also blog about health topics, but I’m taking a sidestep today.)
I was 19 years old and a sophomore at Iowa State the last time the Cyclones beat Nebraska in Lincoln. This year, my only child is 19 years old, and the Cyclones did it again. There’s a certain symmetry in this, but I hope it doesn’t take another 19 years for the next victory in Lincoln.
The gods of Cyclone athletes apparently agreed, somewhere over the Nebraska football stadium, that the good guys from central Iowa would prevail over the mighty Cornhuskers. This was accomplished with Iowa State’s back-up quarterback and back-up running back and a very alert defensive squad which took full advantage of the Huskers’ eight turnovers. Almost everything that happened in Saturday’s game went in ISU’s favor.
The difference this year is a new coach, Paul Rhoads, and the “want-to” attitude on the part of the Iowa State kids, who were perhaps underestimated by Nebraska.
One great highlight was provided by Mike Brandtner, former Davenport Assumption gridder and Iowa State’s punter. He pulled off a fake punt in a 4th-and-5 situation, gained 20 yards on a run, and set up Iowa State’s only touchdown.
Of course, it was also very exciting to see the Hawks’ Ricky Stanzi engineer a last-second victory in East Lansing. I just think that this is somewhat of a lesser achievement … Iowa would still be in the top 20, no matter what happened. It’s good, however, to have the Hawks as a contender on the national stage. Fourth place nationally should prompt pride across the state.
The better the Cyclones do this season, the better it is for the Hawks, according to the BCS competitive points system. It would be in Iowans’ mutual interest to pull for them both.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
If you are a Clone, the Iowa State victory over the Huskers was huge; if a Hawkeye, the Iowa last-second win over the Spartans was gigantic.
And if the Hawkeyes keep going, there will have been very few seasons like Iowa’s in college-football history—not even that of Iowa Ironmen of 1939 or Iowa State’s Dirty Thirty.
It is hard to believe that it can keep going, but just as hard to believe what has happened to date.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
You should write a sports column. This is good stuff.
I watched the Hawks after the game was underway using the new system you can rent from the video people, not mine – we can’t afford it – but my niece’s. In other words the game was over and the celebration underway, while we were still watching the first quarter. The cell phones began ringing, and excited relatives and friends spilled the beans. They couldn’t help it; they were beside themselves with joy. I was told I should be ecstatic with the outcome even though I was waiting for it to make itself known through the progressive series of events on the field of play that we had recorded in order to enjoy it in the same fashion that had been granted them. Technology works against us sometimes. The cell phone and the video recorder can work at odds at times like this. But to tell the truth, the revelation might have spared one or two across the state a coronary event. It was not the outcome itself but that the outcome looked bad with two seconds left when Stanzi hooked up with McNutt for the game winner. Hallelujah! It was that reversal, that coming-from-behind that makes the Hawkeye win “superior” to the ISU win. I congratulate the Cyclones, though. I do like to see them win against anyone but the Hawks.
October 27th, 2009 at 6:50 am
It was a huge day for Iowa Football. And I dont mean University of Iowa Football. I mean the STATE of Iowa. Iowa State has the unfortunate luck of being in the same conference with Oklahoma, Texas, well, basically some teams that I wouldn’t want to base my post-season play on! The win over Nebraska is fantastic and I am so happy for the Clones. Chet Culver made a valid point in the article today about him, that this season, all three Iowa teams are teams that can’t be discounted! All three can do really well in the post season. I, personally, am anxious to see what the next month brings! (and Go Hawks!)
October 30th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Good Morning just figured i would let you know i also had a issue with your blog coming up frozen also. Must be gremlins in the system.