With question marks at quarterback and running back the Iowa State Cyclones open the season at home against Northern Iowa. Coach Matt Campbell said this week both redshirt freshman Rocco Becht and true freshman J.J. Kohl could play. Despite young players at several key spots Campbell says the expectations remain the same.

Even with several young players on the field the keys for the Cyclones remain the same.

UNI has an experienced quarterback in Theo Day.

Campbell says the Panther offense will provide a challenge.

Iowa opens the season at home against Utah State on Saturday. The Hawkeyes are a better than three touchdown favorites, but coach Kirk Ferentz says the opening week always includes several stunning outcomes.

Ferentz says the first game always has a lot of question marks and the transfer portal only adds to that.

Much of this week has been spent speculating on the availability of quarterback Cade McNamara. The Michigan transfer was listed as questionable this week by Ferentz with a muscle strain. If he can’t go the likely starter is Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State fell to No. 16 Memphis by a score of 4-1 on Thursday evening, on a cool night at the Cyclone Soccer Complex.

Goalkeeper Avery Gillahan had a career-high eight saves on the evening, while fifth-year transfer Kristin Boos tallied the first goal of her Cyclone career.

The nationally ranked Tigers (4-1-0) jumped out to a quick lead on the night, as the Tigers were able to get past Gillahan in the 18th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Memphis would then tack on another score to make it 2-0, with both first-half goals coming from Saorla Miller. The Cyclones (2-3-0) were outshot 10-3 in the first half, going into the break down two.

Memphis got back in the scoring column in the 67th minute as Mya Jones scored off a feed from Miller, giving the Tiger senior a total of five points on the night.

After her penalty kick attempt was saved in the 86th minute, newcomer Kristin Boos was able to score late in the match to put Iowa State on the board, now down 3-1.

Memphis responded quickly, pushing the kickoff down the field and scoring its fourth goal, not 50 seconds after Boos punched one in.

The Cyclones had eight shots on the evening, with Boos and Sophia Thomas leading the way with two apiece. Gillahan’s seven saves toppled her previous best of three, which she recorded against Iowa last week.

Freshman Lilly Touhey made her first appearance of the season for Iowa State, totaling 22 minutes of play time.

Defenders Chloe Broughton, Olivia Edwards and Hanna Reid, as well as Gillahan, all played a full 90-minute match to lead the Cyclones.

The loss drops the Cyclones to 2-3, as Iowa State has dropped its last three matchups.

Fannon’s Thoughts 

“I thought we really played a good game with just a few moments going against us. I know we’ll be chomping at the bit to get back out here on Sunday.”

Goals 

Iowa State: Kristin Boos (87’)

Memphis: Saorla Miller (18’, 27’), Mya Jones (67’), Yui Suetsugu (88’)  

Assists 

Iowa State: Mya Jones 

Memphis: Saorla Miler  

Up Next
Iowa State will be back in action this Sunday, Sept. 3, as it welcomes UC Santa Barbara to Ames for a weekend matinee. Sunday’s action against the Gauchos is set to kick off at 1 p.m. and the match will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. 

STARKVILLE, Miss. – University of Iowa women’s soccer improved to 4-0 on the season with a, 1-0, victory at Mississippi State on Thursday night at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

For the fourth consecutive game, a first-half goal proved decisive for the Hawkeyes as sophomore Shae Doherty converted the game-winner in the eighth minute of action. It was Doherty’s first goal of the season; she now ranks third for the Hawkeyes offensively with three points.

It was the first time this season that an opponent produced more shots on goal than Iowa (5-4), but goalkeeper Macy Enneking was perfect with five saves on all five Bulldog looks. The Hawkeye defense now has three clean sheets for the season, already halfway to last year’s shutout total.

The Hawkeyes spread the ball around on offense, with seven players contributing to nine shots against Mississippi State.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH DAVE DIIANNI

“We should have put them away in the first half when we had them. Credit to Mississippi State for making changes at halftime and putting us on the back foot. Winning on the road against a good team even when you get out-played the second half is important for us as we build our our team this year.

There are some major differences between the two conferences and how they play. We got caught at times, having to play against a very direct team because we are in the middle of not having enough pressure on the ball and dropping off. I am really proud of our team and their ability to be gritty in the second half defensively.”

HAWKEYE NOTABLES

• The Hawkeyes improve to 1-0-1 in the all-time series vs. Mississippi State.
• Iowa’s 4-0 record marks the best start to a season since 2019, when the Hawkeyes won their first nine games of the year.
• Iowa is the only team in the Big Ten Conference with a 1.000 win percentage; five conference teams have registered draws, but no losses.
• Iowa joins Penn State as the only Big Ten schools with two wins over Power Five programs this season (Iowa also defeated Iowa State, 2-1, on Aug. 24).

• 90 Tracker: Senior Samantha Cary (4) and freshman Millie Greer (3) each logged 90 minutes for the Hawkeyes on Thursday night. Other Hawkeyes to play the entirety of at least one match this season are seniors Rielee Fetty (2) and Maggie Johnston.

UP NEXT

Iowa hosts Senior Day vs. Southeast Missouri State (2-1-1) on Sunday at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex. Kickoff has moved to 10 a.m. due to high temperatures later in the day.

Jack Bacon
Strategic Communications
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