While viewers have noted a lack of enthusiasm from Gus Johnson at times over the past two years, he’s brought the heat through his first two Fox broadcasts of the 2025 college football season.
Johnson delivered with an enthusiastic play-by-play effort during the Texas-Ohio State showdown in Week 1, and he matched the intensity of the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry on Saturday in Ames.
No. 16 Iowa State held off Iowa 16-13 in an “El Assico” battle that went down to the wire to secure the Cy–Hawk Trophy.
The Cyclones’ go-ahead drive featured a few plays that brought out very energetic calls from Johnson.
On 3rd-and-4 from the Cyclones’ 27-yard line, Rocco Becht threw a pass that one Iowa State player tipped before landing in the hands of Gabe Burkle for a wacky 17-yard gain.
Johnson: “THAT ONE TIPPED! CAUGHT! WHAT A GRAB! GABE BURKLE!”
Three plays later, Becht and Burkle connected once again for another crazy third-down conversion.
Johnson: “Becht… JUMP PASS! CAUGHT! AND A FIRST DOWN! GABE BURKLE!”
Iowa State completed the drive with a go-ahead 54-yard field goal from kicker Kyle Konrardy.
Johnson: “Clean snap, good hold… GOOD! THE MONEY MAN! KYLE KONRARDY!”
Iowa still had a chance to tie or take the lead, but the Cyclones’ defense stepped up with big plays to close out a victory. Iowa State’s Tamatoa McDonough sacked Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski on consecutive plays with just over a minute remaining. On 4th-and-15, Gronowski’s pass was incomplete, allowing Iowa State to take a knee and run out the clock.
Johnson: “AGAIN HE’S SACKED! MCDONOUGH! BACK-TO-BACK!… THAT BRINGS UP FOURTH DOWN AND LONG! THEY NEED 16! GRONOWSKI, BOUNCES, STEPS BACK, HE’S GOTTA LET IT FLY, GRONOWSKI ROLLS, DELIVERS… INCOMPLETE!… AND IOWA TURNS IT OVER ON DOWNS!… COACH CAMPBELL TOLD US THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A QUARTERBACK LIKE ROCCO BECHT, THE BUILDING SLEEPS PEACEFULLY AT NIGHT! HEY, IOWA STATE: SWEET DREAMS!… AND THE CY-HAWK TROPHY WILL STAY IN AMES!”
Johnson and broadcast partner Joel Klatt will have the Oregon-Northwestern game in the Big Noon slot for Fox in Week 3.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.