Iowa defensive back Quinn Schulte (30) breaks up a pass intended for South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis (22) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Iowa football fans are growing increasingly despondent as the team’s offense sputters closer to the danger zone.

Iowa State supporters are tired of seeing the series tilt in favor of their arch rival, with a dry spell that currently stretches all the way back to 2014.

Something’s gotta give on Saturday when the Hawkeyes and Cyclones meet at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

Self-deprecating behavior and doomsday predictions seem to be the trend in both camps, rather than the usual confidence and swagger. Neither team is ranked, which is a far cry from last year’s Top-10 matchup. Both programs have significant question marks, and the answers likely won’t come in Week 2. Head coaches Kirk Ferentz and Matt Campbell will earn their respective paychecks in trying to find stable ground for their squads moving forward.

Here’s what we do know: Iowa’s defense is again its hallmark. Iowa State, meanwhile, appears ready to bridge the gap despite heavy losses at the skill positions.

Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers (12) drops back to pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Southeast Missouri State, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)

Saturday’s game will likely be dictated by the Hawks’ ability to jump-start their increasingly-anemic offense. If they do at an even remotely-competent level, it will be difficult for the Cyclones to keep up. Iowa State is averaging only 9.3 points per game at Kinnick since 2004, with just six total touchdowns scored in those eight contests.

Spencer Petras’s struggles are widely recognized by now. The Iowa quarterback has one touchdown pass and eight interceptions in his last seven appearances, and has completed over 55 percent of his attempts only once during that span. Ferentz has always been staunchly loyal to his signal callers, but back-up Alex Padilla’s footsteps have to be getting louder. I think there’s a good chance we see Padilla at some point in this game.

That’s not to say the Hawkeyes’ offensive woes start and stop at quarterback. The backfield is a question mark. The receiver stable is woefully thin. The offensive line looked relatively underwhelming in the team’s 7-3 season-opening yawn-fest versus South Dakota State.

Rookie starter Hunter Dekkers, meanwhile, had an impressive 293-yard, four-touchdown debut for the Cyclones in a 42-10 triumph over Southeast Missouri State. He completed 81 percent of his passes. Iowa State had 469 yards of total offense in its first appearance after the Brock Purdy/Breece Hall era.

With all that being said, does a first-year quarterback go into Kinnick and solve this elite Hawkeye defense? That’s a tall order. Recent trends obviously don’t guarantee future results, but the Cyclones have scored more than 10 points in Iowa City just twice in the last two decades.

Campbell is a well-documented 0-5 against Iowa, and Iowa State hasn’t beaten the Hawks by more than a field goal since 2005. Ferentz and his staff are perfectly comfortable dragging the Cyclones into the mud, setting up a field-position tug-of-war and eeking out an ugly victory if they have to. Iowa State needs to figure out a way to start fast and keep the Kinnick crowd frustrated with their own product rather than rallying around the troops in black and gold.

Maybe the biggest deciding factor — and hardest to predict — is the turnover battle. In the last five meetings, Iowa has forced nine Cyclone turnovers while not committing a single one. That’s an incredible statistic, and nearly impossible for ISU to overcome if the trend continues.

The Hawks are favored by four points. Until the Cyclones prove otherwise, it’s hard not to again ride with the home squad as a safe bet — warts and all.

Prediction: Iowa 20, Iowa State 16.

Eric Pratt is Sports Editor at The Messenger. Contact him via email at sports@messengernews.net, or on Twitter @ByEricPratt.