Call it whatever you want, but one thing is for certain: Kyle Konrardy has ice in his veins.
The Iowa State kicker proved to be the difference in the Cy-Hawk rivalry game for the second straight year. Konrardy drained the game-winning field goal in No. 16 Iowa State’s 16-13 win over Iowa on “Big Noon Saturday,” making a 54-yard field goal with 1:54 remaining.
“Oh man, he’s really special,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell told FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft after Saturday’s game. “He continues to do great things. What he’s about, what he stands for, how he practices – all those things are what’s right about him.”
Coincidentally, the distance of Konrardy’s game-winning kick on Saturday matched the distance of the game-winning field goal he had in last season’s Cy-Hawk game. He made a 54-yard field goal with six seconds remaining in last year’s 20-19 win over Iowa.
The other difference in Saturday’s game was the location. This year, Konrardy got to hear a loud roar at Jack Trice Stadium, making the play that sealed Iowa State’s first home win over its in-state rival since 2011.
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“I think it’s huge,” Campbell said of the Cyclones finally breaking through over the Hawkeyes in a home matchup. “These are milestone moments. Our kids, the schedule, what we’ve been up against – real toughness. We’ve talked about it all offseason. These kids have bought into that and I’m really proud of them.”
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones Highlights
Konrardy’s clutch kicks have made him a vital player for a team that has legitimate Big 12 title and College Football Playoff aspirations. While it wasn’t a last-second, game-winning kick, Konrardy earned some buzz last week for the 63-yard field goal he made in Iowa State’s 55-7 win over South Dakota.
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht made sure to salute his kicker after the game.
“It feels amazing,” Becht told Taft. “You can feel it all around you. The crowd is going nuts. This is the moments you live for. This wasn’t our prettiest game, but we got the job done.
“Shout out to our defense and our kicker, Kyle. Appreciate all of those guys and we’ll be better next week.”
Statistically, Becht wasn’t as stellar on Saturday as he was in Iowa State’s first two wins. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. However, Becht did complete 4 of 5 passes for 39 yards on Iowa State’s game-winning drive.
Most important to Becht, though, was that he played a clean game, as he has yet to throw an interception this season.
“I just think the main thing is the ball,” the junior quarterback said. “I didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. That’s the biggest thing on my mind that I’m trying to do to help this team. So, no matter my stats or anything, the ball is the biggest thing for me.”
Iowa State opened the year with an upset win over Kansas State in Ireland in Week 0 before taking down South Dakota last week. When you add in the rivalry element of Saturday’s game, not many teams have had to navigate a tougher road to start the season than Iowa State.
“I thought we had great resolve today,” Campbell said. “Not a lot of things went our way at times. Our ability to just hang in there, keep playing one play at a time – I thought our kids did a great job of handling their emotions.”
Iowa State’s schedule lightens up next week when it hosts Arkansas State, but it’ll only heat up from there. Following their Week 3 matchup with Arkansas State, the Cyclones take on the likes of Colorado, BYU, Arizona State and Kansas later this season.
For Saturday, though, Iowa State is going to cherish its second straight win in the Cy-Hawk rivalry.
“Ames, sweet dreams tonight,” FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt said on the broadcast of Iowa State’s victory. “Rocco was amazing. Great special teams. Matt Campbell continues to build something special at Iowa State.”
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