The Brock Purdy-to-George Kittle connection has become a 49ers touchdown machine as of late, and their on-field chemistry might come as a surprise considering the pair's longstanding college rivalry.
Purdy, the rookie quarterback, is an Iowa State alum, while his veteran tight end is a University of Iowa product. And for those who don't know, the Cyclones and Hawkeyes don't really get along.
But Kittle and Purdy haven't forgotten.
"All of my coaches and everyone at Iowa State are like, 'Man, you've got to ease up on throwing to Kittle, man,' " Purdy said of the rivalry Tuesday on KNBR's "Murph & Mac" show. "It's been fun, man. I think we're more proud to put on for the state of Iowa and represent the state of Iowa more than anything."
"We obviously joke around with our schools and our rivalry and everything."
Kittle attended the University of Iowa before the 49ers drafted him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Purdy, on the other hand, became "Mr. Irrelevant" earlier this year when San Francisco selected him with the draft's final pick after four years of starting under center at Iowa State.
The Iowa-Iowa State rivalry dates back to 1894 and is extremely competitive, with the game's winner taking home the Cy-Hawk Trophy each season.
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And Kittle, always the jokester, perfectly greeted his Cyclone adversary Purdy on the rookie's first day with the 49ers.
"The first day I come into the locker room in the summer, and I have an Iowa Hawkeyes shirt just hanging right there in my locker, and I'm like, 'Oh, great,' " Purdy said. "We've had some good conversations and trash talk to one another, but at the end of the day, man, we're just happy to represent Iowa."
Purdy and Kittle have seemed unstoppable together on the football field since the rookie stepped in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13. Across the last three games of the 49ers' current nine-game winning streak, Kittle caught five touchdown passes from Purdy and tallied 236 receiving yards.
The quarterback said he's able to connect with Kittle so often thanks to the bevy of offensive weapons at his disposal, like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, who draw defenders away from each other on a routine basis. But to tell the truth, Purdy always has had an affinity for tight ends -- Hawkeye or Cyclone.
"George is obviously another component to our offense, but those other guys take away some of the focus on George and allow him to win one-on-one matchups and get open and create separation," Purdy said. "So there's that, and also, in college, I loved throwing to tight ends.
"Any time I get a matchup with a tight end, man, I love giving them an opportunity and a throw, and that's been the case with George. He's been awesome at getting open."
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The 49ers Faithful certainly hope the Purdy-Kittle connection holds strong as San Francisco begins its playoff run this month.
But it's clear that while rivalries never die, there's something special brewing between the rookie quarterback and his veteran tight end.