Arizona didn’t just beat Iowa State on Saturday night in Tucson. The Wildcats blew the doors off the game early, stayed in control the whole way, and rolled to a 39-3 win that locked up bowl eligibility for a second straight season.
That kind of start has been missing at times this year, but not on Homecoming weekend. Brent Brennan’s team jolted the crowd right away when Noah Fifita connected with Isaiah Mizell on the second play from scrimmage for a 71-yard touchdown. Henry Gabalis followed by taking a direct snap and finding Tyler Powell for the two-point conversion, and Arizona was up 8-0 before the game had really settled in.
The pressure never really came off. After forcing a quick three-and-out, Arizona took over at its own 20 and drove 80 yards in 13 plays over nearly seven minutes, finishing with Quincy Craig’s six-yard touchdown run to make it 15-0. From there, the Wildcats kept dictating everything, scoring on every drive until Michael Salgado-Medina missed a 31-yard field goal as the first half ended.
For Arizona, the result was another complete performance on both sides of the ball. The Wildcats are 6-1, 3-1, have won five in a row, and are bowl eligible for the second year in a row - something that hadn’t happened since 2014-2015.
Iowa State had a hard time finding any rhythm, and Arizona made sure Aiden Flora never became a problem. Flora came in with nearly 700 rushing yards and six touchdowns, plus a couple of touchdown passes to his name, but Saturday was a different story.
He was held to 36 rushing yards on 12 carries and added three catches for 15 yards. He never got a chance to impact the game as a passer, either.
The Cyclones finished with just 1.9 yards per carry, a number that says plenty about how well Arizona’s defense handled the night. Danny Gonzalez’s unit kept Iowa State bottled up and never allowed the offense to get comfortable.
Fifita did his part, too. He went 27-for-34 for 308 yards and two touchdowns, starting with that early strike to Mizell and then steering the game from there before giving way to Sawyer Anderson late in the fourth quarter. Anderson added a rushing touchdown to close things out.
And the Fifita family had more to celebrate than Noah’s passing night. Linebacker Dash Fifita led Arizona with six total tackles and had two sacks, turning in the best game of his freshman season. Henry Gabalis also left his mark with that two-point conversion early and his first career touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter.
Arizona won’t have long to sit on it. The Wildcats now turn to Texas Tech, with a Halloween kickoff set for 9:00 AM MST on Oct. 31 in what should be a top 25 Big 12 matchup.
In Other News...
Arizonas Sudden Playoff Push Just Got A Lot More Real
ESPNs latest FPI update after Week 8 gave a clearer read on the national race for the postseason, and Arizona is now part of the conversation in a way few expected this early. The Wildcats have climbed into the AP top 25, and their recent surge has changed how the numbers view their ceiling as the season moves into its final stretch.
The broader update also showed how much one weekend can swing the picture, with teams like Cincinnati rising after an upset win while others saw their postseason outlook shrink. For Arizona, the move matters because it reflects more than just momentum, it puts a real path to the College Football Playoff on the board, even if plenty still has to go right before that becomes something more than a number in a rating system. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces Its Toughest Test Yet In Hostile Lubbock
Arizona heads into Lubbock with real momentum and a chance to measure itself against another Big 12 contender. At 6-1, the Wildcats just handled Iowa State convincingly, a result that helped sharpen the profile of a team trying to stay in the conference race and keep building toward something bigger. Texas Tech is in the same 6-1 neighborhood, but the Red Raiders bring a different kind of challenge at home, where Galaxy Stadium has been a difficult place for visitors to solve.
There is also the matter of history, and it is not kind to Arizona. The Wildcats have struggled badly in this matchup over the years, especially on the road in West Texas, which adds another layer to a game that already carries plenty of weight in the standings. Texas Tech comes in after a loss to Cincinnati that could complicate its playoff path, so both teams have reasons to treat this one as more than just another midseason stop. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Just Looked Like A Real Big 12 Threat
Arizonas homecoming weekend turned into a statement afternoon, and not just because the score looked lopsided. Behind Noah Fifitas sharp passing and a defense that smothered Iowa State for most of the day, the Wildcats rolled to a 39-3 win that made them bowl-eligible with five games still left on the schedule. It was the kind of complete performance that can change the way a team is viewed in a crowded Big 12 race.
Isaiah Mizell gave the crowd an early jolt and kept stressing the Cyclones secondary all game, while Arizonas pass rush helped make sure the margin never felt in doubt. Wins like this do more than pad a record in late October, especially for a program trying to prove it belongs in the leagues conversation. The bigger question now is whether the Wildcats can turn one emphatic Saturday into something more lasting as the schedule tightens up. [Read more 🡒]