Hawk Central, IA
09-11-06
Hawks can't ignore rivalry
Pat Harty
For those driving south on Interstate 380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, it
stands out like Paris Hilton in a library.
You'd have to be sleeping or driving with your eyes shut to miss it.
It's the most talked about billboard to hit Eastern Iowa in years, and perhaps
ever, because of what it says and because of who is saying it.
Iowa State University is getting a little chesty about its football rivalry with Iowa,
which is certainly well deserved after winning six of the last eight games in the
series.
The gold billboard with cardinal red trim and white letters pays tribute to the
entire Iowa State athletic department for winning the second-annual Cy-Hawk
Series by a 13-8 margin.
But let's get serious. The picture on the billboard shows Iowa State football
players hosting up the Cy-Hawk Trophy after defeating the Hawkeyes 23-3 in
Ames last season.
It's about as subtle as Charles Barkley and Howard Stern combined, but it's also
risky.
The Iowa players already have seen the billboard that says "It's A Cyclone State,
2005-06 Cy-Hawk Champs."
And they'll see it again this Saturday on their way to Kinnick Stadium to face the
Cyclones.
If new Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard wanted to get the attention of
the Hawkeye players by purchasing the billboard and strategically placing it on
Iowa's pre-game route to Kinnick Stadium, he's succeeded.
Nobody likes to have failure rubbed in their faces, especially competitive athletes.
"It's on," Iowa junior running back Albert Young said when asked after Saturday's
20-13 double-overtime victory at Syracuse what he thought of the billboard. "It's
as simple as that.
"They feel like they've got to put that up, I guess they're trying to expand their fan
base, but that's in our territory. We're going to pass it on the way back and
there's no ifs ands or buts, this is big game."
Now you wonder if the billboard could eliminate Iowa State's supposed emotional
advantage?
"They can keep doing what they do and if they come in here and have a good
fight, we'll have what we've got for them," Iowa sophomore defensive tackle
Mitch King said.
It seems King was saying bring it on without actually saying it, I'm just not sure.
Whatever the case, he has seen the billboard and has a right to be offeneded by
it.
Iowa already will have home-field advantage and there is a chance starting
quarterback Drew Tate could return after missing the Syracuse game with an
abdominal strain.
Tate is listed as day-to-day, but something tells me he will play. Saturday against
Syracuse showed what Tate means to the team.
The game on Saturday has nail-biter written all over it.
Both teams are undefeated, but coming off games in which they both sputtered
at times.
The most surprising statistic from this past weekend -- besides New Hampshire
defeating Northwestern and Northern Iowa losing to North Dakota -- was Iowa
State receiver Todd Blythe having zero receptions during the 16-10 victory over
UNLV.
Blythe being held without a catch is like game day at Iowa without gridlock.
But the Cyclones are hardly a one trick pony on offense.
Blythe is the best receiver on the team, but the Iowa defense had better be
aware of senior Austin Flynn, who is Iowa State's version of Ed Hinkel, only
bigger and just as fast.
Jon Davis and R.J. Sumrall are no slouches at receiver, either.
The days of Iowa pounding the over-matched Cyclones into submission are long
gone with the 1990s.
"They took it to us last year, and we want to do the same thing to them," Iowa
senior tight end Scott Chandler said. "It's a great game.
"You've got to go out there every week, but when there's Iowa State, and they
took it to us last year, there's always that extra incentive."
Hawkeye fans should hope that the near-disaster at Syracuse was Iowa's annual
September flop -- a flop that this time the Hawkeyes managed to avoid losing.
But there was a loss over the weekend that the entire team will feel.
The father of starting middle linebacker Mike Klinkenborg died of an apparent
heart attack on Saturday, the same day his son was part of one of the greatest
goal line stands in school history.
I expect the Iowa players to rally behind their grieving teammate. What
Klinkenborg needs the most now is the love of his family and the support of his
teammates.
You could sense how close the team is after the Syracuse game when the
players stormed on to the field to celebrate. It turned into a hugfest.
The Iowa players might have fallen off their pedestals a little bit -- and also fell
from 14th to 16th in The Associated Press poll -- which is never a bad thing. The
best kind of wake-up call is one that comes wrapped in a victory.
For the Iowa players, the best way to match Iowa State's intensity on Saturday
will be to pay close attention to what the billboard says.
It's abrasive but true.
The knock against Iowa since it started losing to the Cyclones is that the series
means more to Iowa State. That's supposedly because Iowa State coach Dan
McCarney is obsessed with wanting to beat Iowa as a former Hawkeye player
and assistant coach and a graduate of City High.
Reach Pat Harty at 339-7368 or pharty@press-citizen.com.