If you're a college football fan in the state of Iowa, your weekend plans probably revolve around Saturday's rivalry showdown between Iowa and Iowa State at Kinnick Stadium (6:30 p.m., NBC). 

So we know this game means a lot to this state, but what will happen in the actual game? We have a good scope on the Hawkeyes' chances since we cover them on a daily basis, but the best way to soak in knowledge about Iowa's opponent is to watch their most recent game on film. 

The plan was to release this article earlier in the week, but due to difficulties with logging into my ESPN+ account, I wasn't able to watch Iowa State's opener against Southeast Missouri State until Wednesday afternoon. But it's better late than never, I guess. 

After rewatching the game, here's what Iowa should expect to see from this Cyclone squad on Saturday. 

I already included Raynor in our five players to watch, but I was pretty impressed with his skillset after watching his first start in Ames. Sure, the 50% completion percentage (8/16) definitely needs to improve, but Raynor's ability to make plays on the run is definitely something Iowa needs to monitor. 

ESPN+ color analyst Todd Doxzon said it best - Raynor has a very similar play style to Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts. Raynor probably has more speed than Hurts, but Iowa State offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl isn't afraid to run his quarterback between the tackles. One of those instances was a seven-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. 

Raynor's best throw against SEMO came late in the first half. Facing 2nd and 9, the fourth-year escaped multiple Redhawk pass rushers before rolling to his left and finding a wide-open Omari Hayes for a 34-yard gain. 

Raynor didn't look as comfortable in the pocket and couldn't connect on the deep ball, so that's probably Iowa's best way to stop him. If the Hawkeyes keep Raynor in the pocket, they'll be in great shape.

Omari Hayes and Dominic Overby are your deep threats: Iowa State is still figuring things out at just about every position, but it's likely you'll see Roehl try to get Hayes and Overby the football. The 5-foot-9 Hayes tallied 515 receiving yards for a playoff-bound Tulane squad last year, while Overby is one of the few players from Matt Campbell's final team to remain at Iowa State, and he was its leading receiver against SEMO. 

Running game didn't blow me away: Former walk-on Aiden Flora is now the lead back for the Cyclones this year, and though he showed his usual explosiveness in the return game, there wasn't much to be had on the ground. The offensive line didn't create many holes for Flora and Cameron Pettaway, with Flora's 45 yards leading the team. Iowa should be able to generate some pressure against this retooled line on Saturday. 

Multiple/pro style offense: Roehl spent the 2025 season as the tight ends coach for the Detroit Lions, and that NFL experience could help the rebuilding 'Clones this year. Iowa State prefers to play a classic, Dan Campbell-esque style of football with plenty of snaps out of the I formation, but it balances that with a great mix of different pistol and shotgun schemes, too. 

Jon Heacock's infamous 3-3-5 defense was successful for a long time, but Cyclone fans began to grow tired of it near the end of his tenure due to Iowa State's tendency to get gashed in the run game, which is one of the major risks with using only three down lineman. 

Heacock retired after Campbell's departure for Penn State, and Rogers hired his longtime defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit. Bobbit has been Rogers' defensive coordinator since 2023, and though the new regime has only played one game in Ames, it's clear its base 4-3 look is the right fit for this team. 

If Iowa State is going to contend for a bowl game this year, it's going to do so by winning Big 12 rock fights. The Cyclones will have to prove they can perform in an electric environment on Saturday, but I liked what I saw from this group on film. 

Rogers convincing defensive end Isaac Terrell to follow him from Washington State seems like it's going to pay off for him this year. Southeast Missouri had absolutely no chance to defend the experienced pass rusher, and he tallied three sacks and a number of quarterback pressures in the contest. 

Containing Terrell will be a must for Iowa, but it must also watch out for the blitz as well. Iowa State executed a number of delayed blitzes to perfection, and it was because of its speedy linebackers. Everyone that was in the position performed admirably, but the leader of this bunch was second-year Sullivan Schlimgen, who collected nine tackles and one sack. 

Asking a defense that has only played one game together to leave Kinnick Stadium with a victory will be a difficult task, but the bottom line here is that the Hawkeyes can't afford to play a low-scoring game. Home field advantage is going to help, but the Cyclones are prepared to win a 9-6 type of game. 

We'll see what wrinkles Tim Lester is going to come out with.

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]