Cy-Hawk Survival: Biggest Winners from Iowa Football's Win Over Iowa State

It was ugly. It was painful. It was a slog. But it was so, so very beautiful.

That's part of the Cy-Hawk magic. It was everything that a game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones should be.

Iowa went vintage Iowa. They hung around. They made the timely plays. They won the special teams battle. And they stole the game late with a Caden Buhr field goal to win 16-13 in front of a packed Kinnick Stadium.

The win didn't come without big players making big plays, and Iowa had a few step up above the rest.

Caden Buhr

Caden Buhr, what a night! Stepping into the spotlight in the biggest of moments, Iowa's new kicker didn't flinch. He delivered the game-winning kick in front of a sold-out Kinnick Stadium with minimal time left.

On the day, Buhr was perfect. He was 3-for-3 on field goals and made an extra point. He led Iowa in scoring and was the key to victory. The confidence that comes from this game for Buhr moving forward cannot be overstated. Iowa has its new kicker.

For bragging rights 👊@CadenBuhr x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/mvfx4gzjR0
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) September 13, 2026

Tony Diaz

Iowa has a playmaker at wide receiver, and he goes by the name of Tony Diaz. And, man, is he talented. He has shown an explosive element to Iowa's passing game that has not been present for some time.

On the day, he led Iowa with 95 yards on eight receptions, and it was highlighted by an explosive 56-yard pass to set up Iowa's first touchdown of the day. If he can continue to make teams account for Iowa's downfield passing game, this offense will continue to open up.

Target acquired 🎯@Tdiqz14 x Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/nkbHsvKB2I
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) September 13, 2026

Cam Buffington

Before the game, I predicted Cam Buffington was one of Iowa's players with the most to gain, and he followed through with that. He was everywhere today for Iowa's defense, and shadowed Jaylen Raynor as I expected.

Buffington was a monster, leading Iowa with 15 total tackles on the day. He made nine solo tackles. His play was elite and confirms that Iowa has another elite linebacker.

Boston Everitt

In an ugly 16-13 game, field position was everything. Iowa relied on its punting game to continue to flip the field, and Boston Everitt, in his first season with the Hawkeyes, made the most of his moment.

Everitt was called on to punt six times, and averaged 44 yards per punt. More impressively, Everitt saw four of his punts downed inside the Iowa State 20-yard line. That was crucial in making life hard on the Cyclones and added up over the course of four quarters.

Jimmy Rogers and Iowa State

There is no such thing as moral victories. Don't trust anyone who believes in moral victories. That said, Iowa State proved something tonight, and credit is due to Jimmy Rogers and this team.

The offense has work to do, but that's expected with a group of players coming from the transfer portal. The defense, though, played fast and aggressive. Jimmy Rogers' intensity shows through his players.

I didn't think Iowa State would be at this point this quickly in this new era, but the Cyclones are going to prove a lot of people wrong this year. Again, there are no moral victories, but this is as close as you can get.

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