PRIMER: Iowa State at No. 25 Arizona

AMES, Iowa - Fresh off its bye week, Iowa State faces a stiff road challenge when it travels to Tucson for a contest against No. 25 Arizona Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2.

Arizona is Iowa State's fourth ranked opponent in its first seven games this season.

Who: Iowa State (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) at No. 25 Arizona (5-1, 2-1 Big 12)
Where: Casino Del Sol Stadium (50,800) – Tucson, Ariz.
When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 – 6:30 p.m. (CT)

The Links
WATCH: ESPN2
PxP: Lowell Galindo; Analyst: Kirk Morrison; Reporter: Dawn Davenport
LISTEN: Cyclone Radio Network – Varsity App, TuneIn Radio or Radio Affiliates
PxP: John Walters; Analyst: Eric Heft; Sideline: Ryan Harklau
GAME NOTES: ISU // UA
LIVE STATS
2026 CYCLONE FOOTBALL YEARBOOK
MEDIA CENTER

INSIDE THE SERIES
8th Meeting
Overall: 2-4-1
Home: 1-1
Road: 1-3-1
Neutral: 0-0
Rogers vs. UA: 0-0
Last Meeting: 9/27/25 (ISU 39, UA 14)

CYCLONES vs. WILDCATS
Iowa State and Arizona meet for the eighth time in the programs' history, but for the first time in Tucson since the 1966 season. The Cyclones dominated last season's meeting in Ames, 39-14, but ISU has just three starters from that game on its current roster: TE Keaton Roskop (out for season), DE Jace Gilbert and LB Carson Willich.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
It's homecoming week in Tucson as the Cyclones visit the campus of the No. 25 Arizona Wildcats, who are 5-1 on the season and 2-1 in the Big 12. Brent Brennan's squad has won four in a row following its only loss of the season to the nation's current No. 2 team, BYU. Both ISU and UA are coming off their bye week.

Led by veteran quarterback Noah Fifita, Arizona's passing attack is one of the best nationally. The Wildcats rank No. 10 in the country averaging 306.7 passing yards per game while Fifita's 16 passing touchdowns are the 10th-most among FBS quarterbacks this season. Fifita has thrown for 89 touchdowns and 10,939 yards in his collegiate career, marks that rank tied for first and second among active FBS quarterbacks, respectively. His favorite targets are Isaiah Mizell and Tre Spivey who both have over 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns this year. Seven different Wildcats have a receiving touchdown this season.

Arizona has been one of the best teams in the country on third down this season, converting at a 55.6% clip which is the fourth-best mark in FBS.

Defensively, Arizona has tallied multiple sacks in 4-of-6 games this season, including two six-sack performances against Northern Arizona and Washington State. In total, the Wildcats have dropped opposing quarterbacks for 19 sacks, an average of 3.17 sacks per game that is the sixth best mark in the FBS. The production has come from all over the field as well, with 15 different players getting in on the action. The Wildcats are allowing just 19.0 points per game, which is a top-35 mark nationally.

STAT COMPARISON
ISU		UA
29.7	Scoring (PPG)	35.7
181.5	Rushing Yards Per Game	149.8
5.0	Rushing Yards Per Carry	4.5
11	Rush TDs	10
178.2	Passing Yards Per Game	306.7
89-152-4	Comp-Att-Int	147-203-6
9	Passing TDs	16
359.7	Total Yards Per Game	456.5
2-1	Fumbles-Lost	4-2
32-282	Penalties-Yards	36-341

ARIZONA CONNECTIONS
Iowa State has seven players from the state of Arizona on its roster. Head coach Jimmy Rogers also hails from the Grand Canyon State, growing up in Chandler, Arizona and graduating from Hamilton High School.

Arguably ISU's most famous football alum, former quarterback Brock Purdy, was also from the state (Gilbert, Arizona/ Perry HS).

GROUND AND POUND
Iowa State has rushed for 100 or more yards in 23-straight games, the sixth-longest streak nationally and longest among Power-4 teams. The rushing attack is led by running back Aiden Flora, a walk-on turned scholarship player, who ranks among the top-15 nationally in all-purpose yards (870, 13th), all-purpose yards per game (145.0, 6th), rushing yards (680, 13th), rushing yards per game (113.3, 9th) and rushing yards per carry (7.56, 2nd).

Flora is responsible for the Big 12's top two single-game rushing performances this season: 212 yards vs. West Virginia; 194 yards vs. Bowling Green. A dynamic playmaker in multiple areas, he's also averaging 17.9 yards per punt return. Flora is the only player nationally this season with a rushing touchdown, passing touchdown and punt return touchdown.

OTHER NOTABLES

Last time out, Iowa State dropped a 24-10 game at No. 8 BYU on Friday, Oct. 9. The Cyclones were outgained 506-200 in the game, but were still able to stick around. ISU missed a 46-yard field goal with 3:47 left that would have made it a one-score game.
ISU is 13-8 in its last 21 games away from home, including 10-5 against Big 12 opponents during that stretch.
Since 2017, Iowa State has 14 wins vs. Top-25 teams, four vs. Top-10 teams and six vs. Top-25 teams on the road.
The Cyclone defense has allowed just three 300-yard passers in its last 29 games.
ISU's 1,089 rushing through six games are the most by any Cyclone team since 2021.
The Cyclones are 100 percent in the red zone this season, scoring touchdowns on 12-of-17 possessions (70.6%).
Iowa State's three losses have come to teams ranked in the Top-15 of this week's AP Top-25. Only ISU, Arkansas and Alabama have played three Top-15 teams.
Iowa State has been bitten by the injury bug among players they expected to be starters or key contributors. Through six games, ISU has lost double-digit players for the season, including four of their expected top six receivers heading into fall camp.
Sullivan Schlimgen is ISU's leading tackler with 9.3 stops per game, which is second-most in the Big 12. He has three-straight double-digit tackle games.
Linebacker Carson Willich has a career-best 7.0 tackles for loss, including at least one in each game this season.
Omari Hayes has a catch in all six games and leads the Cyclones with 17 receptions. Vince Benetti leads the team with three TD receptions.
Quarterback Jaylen Raynor is at his best down the stretch in games. He leads the nation's active quarterbacks engineering nine game-winning drives (tied or trailing) in the fourth quarter of games.
Kicker Kyle Konrardy has a school-record six 50-yard kicks in his career, including a pair of game-winners from 54 yards and a career-best of 63 yards. Konrardy has made 19-straight field goals from 45 yards and in.

CYCAST WITH THE CYCLONE RADIO CREW
John Walters, Eric Heft and Ryan Harklau sit down to preview Arizona ahead of this weekend's game.

To listen, CLICK HERE.

Cyclone Football Radio Crew - Ryan Harklau, John Walters, Eric Heft

WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Jimmy Rogers, Tyler Roehl, Jaylen Raynor, Ty Claiborne, Carson Willich and Zaimir Hawk met with the media on Tuesday. Watch their interviews below.

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Players Mentioned

Vince Benetti

Ty Claiborne

Aiden Flora

Jace Gilbert

Zaimir Hawk

Omari Hayes

Kyle Konrardy

Jaylen Raynor

Keaton Roskop

Sullivan Schlimgen

Carson Willich

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