Iowa football vs. Colorado State score: Live updates, analysis, how to watch on TV and online

Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr. (3) runs for the corner of the end zone and a touchdown during the third quarter of their college football game against the Colorado State Rams at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Iowa won 24-14. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

No. 5 Iowa closed the nonconference portion of its schedule Saturday at Kinnick Stadium with a tense 24-14 win over Colorado State.

The Hawkeyes (4-0) rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit, limiting the Rams (1-3) to 90 second-half yards and scoring two third-quarter touchdowns set up by defense and special teams to win.

Stay tuned for live updates, highlights and analysis throughout the day.

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» Box score: No. 5 Iowa 24, Colorado State 14

» Recap: Iowa lassos a close win over Colorado State

» Hlas column: Hawkeyes profusely perspired, but persevered against Colorado State

» Game Report: Turning point, key numbers, notes and more

» Feature: Keagan Johnson humbly emerges as Iowa’s big-play option

» Feature: Jack Campbell’s underdog mentality comes from the heart

» Photo gallery: 55 photos from Iowa’s win over Colorado State

4th Quarter updates

Final: Iowa 24, Colorado State 14

Iowa held Colorado State scoreless in the second half and forced a fumble deep in Rams territory that led to a touchdown as the Hawkeyes rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit to win.

Jack Campbell totaled 18 tackles and a pair of pass breakups for the Hawkeyes and also recovered the pivotal third-quarter fumble that led to Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s 6-yard TD run. Seth Benson had 10 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, while Zach VanValkenburg tallied 2.5 tackles for loss.

Spencer Petras’ 27-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta in the third gave Iowa the lead for good. Petras finished 15 of 23 for 224 yards, two touchdowns and an interception that led to CSU taking the lead at the break.

Tyler Goodson rushed for just 57 yards on 18 attempts. The Iowa offense totaled 278 yards.

Iowa limited the Rams to 262 yards of offense, including only 90 in the second half. Quarterback Todd Centeio had a TD pass and TD run and was 16 of 30 for 155 yards.

Iowa 24, Colorado State 14 | 3:08 4th

The Iowa defense probably put a wrap on this one with a fourth-down stop.

Colorado State converted one fourth down on the drive, but John Waggoner got a third-down sack, then Yahya Black tipped a fourth-down pass at the Iowa 42 to force a turnover on downs.

Iowa 24, Colorado State 14 | 12:32 4th

Nico Ragaini made an excellent adjustment tracking the ball to haul in a 34-yard catch at the CSU 14, but the Iowa drive stalled from there with a muffed handoff to Charlie Jones and pressure forcing two straight incompletions.

Still, Caleb Shudak kicked a 45-yard field goal to make this a two-score game.

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3rd Quarter updates

Iowa 21, Colorado State 14 | 6:01 3rd

Charlie Jones gave Iowa a special-teams spark with a 38-yard punt return to the CSU 41, and the Iowa offense took advantage.

Spencer Petras hit Sam LaPorta for a 27-yard touchdown pass up the middle with absolutely no one near him to give Iowa the lead.

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Iowa 14, Colorado State 14 | 8:17 3rd

And here is where the Iowa defense made its customary game-changing play.

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Colorado State muffed a handoff under pressure from Yahya Black on second-and-23 from its own 6 and Jack Campbell picked up the fumble. That was a play after Zach VanValkenburg dropped Todd Centeio for a 4-yard loss.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. took a reverse 6 yards to the end zone on the next play and the Hawkeyes tied the score.

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2nd Quarter updates

Colorado State 14, Iowa 7 | 0:24 2nd

Iowa looked to be on the verge of taking the lead before halftime, with Spencer Petras hitting Keagan Johnson for a 49-yard gain to the CSU 24.

Instead, the Rams defense stepped up.

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Robert Floyd picked off Petras on a screen pass and returned it 62 yards to the Iowa 23 with 1:32 to go.

The Rams later converted their ninth third down of the half (they were 9 for 13) when Todd Centeio found Trey McBride for a 16-yard gain on third-and-6. That set up Centeio’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Gary Williams to give CSU the lead.

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Iowa 7, Colorado State 7 | 3:55 2nd

Colorado State quarterback Todd Centeio kept it on third-and-9 and sprinted 10 yards to the end zone untouched as the Rams tied the score.

It was the third third-down conversion for CSU on a nine-play, 35-yard drive after a shanked Tory Taylor punt. The other two were third-and-11 conversions, one a Centeio 15-yard run, the other an 11-yard pass from Centeio to Trey McBride.

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Iowa 7, Colorado State 0 | 13:45 2nd

Keagan Johnson’s first career catch gave Iowa the lead.

The true freshman beat his man down the sideline and reeled in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Spencer Petras.

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Another true freshman, Arland Bruce IV, gained 13 yards on a jet sweep on the drive.

It was a five-play, 87-yard touchdown drive.

1st Quarter updates

Iowa 0, Colorado State 0 | 0:00 1st

Nothing doing in the first quarter.

Iowa gained just 60 yards on 12 plays. Spencer Petras was 2 of 4 for 13 yards. Tyler Goodson ran six times for 46 yards, with a long of 27 on the last play of the quarter.

Colorado State wasn’t much better, totaling 83 yards on 22 plays.

Jack Campbell tallied nine tackles for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa 0, Colorado State 0 | 6:05 1st

Colorado State took an early shot on fourth-and-2 from the Iowa 31, but Jack Campbell broke up a rolling Todd Centeio’s pass.

Earlier in the drive, Centeio overthrew a wide-open Trey McBride on a trick play that could have easily resulted in a touchdown.

Injury update

Iowa radio play-by-play broadcaster Gary Dolphin said pregame that true freshman Connor Colby will get the start at right guard in place of “banged-up” Justin Britt.

Defensive end Ethan Hurkett is out with a sprained ankle.

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Pregame storylines

So, you expect a comfortable win Saturday if you’re 23.5-point favorite Iowa. What should you be watching for?

The Gazette’s Leah Vann wants to see if a defensive line that had question marks entering the season can keep up its impressive play.

“Despite Iowa’s youth on the defensive line, the unit collected seven sacks against Kent State, which is the highest in a single game since registering seven in 2000 against Northwestern,” she wrote in her analysis.

The Iowa defense does have a tough matchup in Colorado State tight end Trey McBride, who NFL Draft experts regard as one of the nation’s top pro prospects.

If this game doesn’t really do it for you, don’t worry, Gazette columnist Mike Hlas says that makes you sensible, not disloyal.

Here are The Gazette’s predictions for Rams-Hawkeyes.