Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel scores on a 75-yard touchdown reception against Iowa on Saturday. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

IOWA CITY — Iowa State football fans went from bouts of dread and hopelessness to an unexpected feeling of euphoria on Saturday.

Iowa fans were forced to wonder what might have been after watching their team dominate even more than the scoreboard indicated well into the third quarter, only to see it all unravel.

The Cyclones walked away feeling like the better team ultimately took over and prevailed in a thrilling 20-19 victory. The Hawkeyes insisted they let a win slip through the cracks after leading for 59 minutes and 54 seconds of a 60-minute game.

So who is right? And what does it all mean?

The answer — to a certain extent, at least — appears to be all of the above. And that should offer at least some level of solace to anyone who hit the panic button either during (ISU) or after (Iowa) this barnburner, which proved what many already assumed: we have two very evenly-matched teams in our state with relatively high, Top 15-ish ceilings.

Both the Cyclones and Hawkeyes were returning the majority of their starters from a season ago, including key pieces from their respective defensive units. This contest was, for the most part, defined by those defenses.

Yet Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht found just enough vulnerable spots in Iowa’s attack at opportune times — especially as he got settled in. And chiseled 225-pound Iowa tailback Kaleb Johnson gashed ISU for runs of 25 or more yards on four different occasions.

That was more about the abilities of Becht and Johnson than causes for concern, though. They are rising stars for offenses that will need as much firepower as possible in the weeks to come during treacherous Big 12 and Big Ten slates.

Despite trailing 13-0 at halftime, the Cyclones deserve a ton of credit for keeping the score within reason. They were manhandled for the most part during that first half on both sides of the ball. In typical football fashion, though, if you don’t put a team away and instead settle for field goals early, it tends to haunt you late. And for the Hawkeyes, it absolutely did.

I don’t say this very often with a Kirk Ferentz squad, but it should be pointed out — given this was new offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s first big test — that Iowa, ironically, got a little too cute at times with its playcalling. The Hawks had goal-to-goal twice inside the 5-yard line, yet came away with six total points. And Johnson didn’t touch the ball once in either scenario.

Iowa also had the ball in ISU territory with a 13-point advantage in the third quarter when quarterback Cade McNamara inexplicably threw a first-down interception. Later in the period, after going back up by double digits at 19-7, the Hawks prematurely attempted a two-point conversion. That missing extra point ultimately wound up being the difference in the final score.

But this shouldn’t just be about what Iowa did wrong. The Cyclones were on the brink of being finished multiple times. They got the stops they needed. They have two top-tier playmakers at receiver in Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, who combined for 13 catches, over 200 yards and both touchdowns.

Iowa State is also led by the mild-mannered Becht — a cool customer when facing pressure or adversity. The 30-yard completion to Noel — who beat Iowa All-American defensive back Sebastian Castro — that set up Kyle Konrardy’s winning field goal in the closing minute was a perfect, gutsy throw.

Despite McNamara’s struggles in stretches early this season, I think the Hawkeyes will find their footing and be just fine. And despite Iowa State’s failure to launch until deep into the second half on Saturday, I think the Cyclones will be just fine. To the outside observer, this slugfest was more about how each team’s strength was able to hold serve against a quality opponent.

That’s a good sign for people who are often too close to the situation and their respective programs to see the big picture in the second week of September.

Bottom line: Iowa and Iowa State are both solid, albeit imperfect, squads as it stands today. They may not be world beaters by the end of the year, but the competitive nature of their rivalry brought an exciting finish with high-quality football to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.

There are plenty of reasons for optimism. Tip your cap to the other side and move on.

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