Same distance, same scenario and the same result for Iowa State kicker Kyle Konrardy’s game-winning field goal on Saturday afternoon. 54 yards, against Iowa, and drills through the upright. To loosely quote the great Larry Bird “I didn’t mean to leave 1:52 on the clock”.
“When you got that guy, man, you just believe in him,” said Matt Campbell of the redshirt sophomore from Dubuque. “I said ‘Man, do you really feel good about this? If you do, let’s go for it, man, I trust you.'”
Konrardy, a week after nailing a school-record 63-yard field goal against South Dakota, once again broke the hearts of Hawkeye fans everywhere by once again nailing a go-ahead 54-yard field goal to give #16 Iowa State a 16-13 win. Konrardy first came to national prominence following his game-winning 54-yard kick against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium a season ago.
The 73rd annual CyHawk Game played out much like many of editions of the previous decade had played out: Physical, hard-hitting, defensive and little doses of zany sprinkled in. Iowa State started on the right foot, scoring a field goal on a short field on its first possession to take a 3-0 lead. Following another poor Rhys Dakin punt on the ensuing Iowa possession, the Cyclones got inside the 10, but could not budge further as Konrardy’s 2nd field goal put the Cyclones up 6-0.
Things appeared to start getting bleak for the Hawkeyes following another punt, but a muff by Iowa State returner Xavier Townsend gave Iowa a short field, which resulted in a Drew Stevens field goal to cut the score to 6-3. Following a trade of punts from both sides, Iowa made the first critical mistake of the game, as Mark Gronowski was picked off by Jeramiah Cooper after a slip by receiver Kaden Wetjen. Cooper’s return set up the lone Cyclone touchdown of the day on 2-yard pass from Rocco Becht to Ben Brahmer as the Cyclones went ahead 13-3. Iowa would answer before half, scoring on a 16-play, 85-yard drive capped off by a Mark Gronowski quarterback keep from 2 yards out to bring the halftime score to 13-10.
Iowa took the football to start the second half and put together a long, time-consuming drive, this one a 16-play, 77-yard drive capped by a Drew Stevens field goal to tie the game at 13-13. The rest of the 2nd half would be filled with defensive stops, as both teams put together long drives that resulted in punts. Iowa State would then get the ball back with 8:21 to go in the game, the Cyclones marched 55 yards in 13 plays, to set up Konrardy’s go-ahead field goal, as Iowa State went ahead 16-13.
Iowa had one last grasp, but Iowa State’s defensive line would ratchet up the pressure on Mark Gronowski with 2 sacks in the final drive as Iowa State secured their first win in the series in Ames since 2011 with a 16-13 win.
Iowa State improves to 3-0 with the victory, as they are on the road next Saturday, traveling to Sun Belt foe Arkansas State in Jonesboro with kickoff at 3 PM.