Arizona didn’t just beat Iowa State on Saturday. It took care of business so thoroughly that the 39-3 rout locked up a bowl berth for a second straight season and kept the Wildcats squarely in the mix for the Big 12 Championship.
The win also pushed Arizona to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play, while extending its streak to five straight victories. At “Casino Del Sol Stadium,” the Wildcats looked every bit like a team that knew exactly what it wanted to do from the opening snap.
Noah Fifita and Isaiah Mizell wasted no time getting the offense rolling, connecting for a 71-yard touchdown on just the second play of the game. Arizona then answered Iowa State’s decision to go for two on its opening possession with one of its own, as Henry Gabalis found Tyler Powell on a tight end connection to convert.
From there, the Wildcats kept layering on pressure. A drive helped along by penalties included a 15-yard catch and run from Quincy Craig, runs of 12 and 14 yards by Antwan Roberts Jr. and Kedrick Reescano, and a six-yard finish from Craig to stretch the lead. Even when the offense stalled inside Iowa State territory on the next possession, Arizona still came away with points.
Quincy Craig also nearly broke loose for more before halftime, only for the field goal attempt to miss. After the break, the offense cooled in the third quarter, with a roughing the punter penalty helping one drive stay alive before it eventually fizzled and another ending in a three-and-out. But once Arizona found rhythm again, the game was long gone.
Fifita hit Gabalis on a 40-yard wheel route for Gabalis’ first career catch and touchdown, and the reserves later piled on. Sawyer Anderson completed passes of 11 yards each to Jordan Ross and DJ Jordan before finishing the night with a four-yard touchdown run of his own.
The final offensive numbers were hefty: 477 total yards, with 336 through the air and 141 on the ground. Fifita went 27-for-34 for 308 yards and two touchdowns.
Craig led the rushing attack with 51 yards on nine carries and a score, while Mizell kept his run going with eight catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. Arizona also converted 7 of 14 third downs and picked up 24 first downs.
The only real blemish was ball security, with two fumbles that the Wildcats avoided losing.
Defensively, Arizona set the tone just as quickly. The Wildcats forced a three-and-out on Iowa State’s first series, then survived a bend-don’t-break sequence when the Cyclones reached the Arizona 15-yard line but settled for a field goal after sacks from Malcolm Hartzog and Dominic Lolesio. Cam Chapa later kept Iowa State short of the line to gain on fourth down, and Chase Kennedy forced a sack fumble that Tyrese Boss recovered for Arizona’s first turnover of the night.
Even after Iowa State made a quarterback change, the pattern stayed the same. The Cyclones kept getting pushed into punting situations, while Arizona’s pass rush kept disrupting everything in sight.
Lolesio nearly had a pick-six on a deflected pass, and Dash Fifita added a sack that helped end another Iowa State drive. Fifita later recorded a tackle for loss and a sack as Arizona slammed the door on a failed fourth-down try.
Iowa State finished with just 221 total yards, including 169 through the air and 52 on the ground. The Cyclones were held to 3 of 14 on third down and 1 of 3 on fourth down. Arizona posted four sacks and five tackles for loss, with Fifita leading the way with six total tackles, two sacks, and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Special teams were more uneven. Michael Salgado-Medina drilled a 53-yard field goal to start the night, but he missed from 31 yards right before halftime.
Chase Ridley handled three punts, averaging 46 yards with a long of 57 and two punts downed inside the 20. The unit’s best moment came on Gabalis’ two-point pass to Powell.
From a coaching standpoint, Arizona came out of the bye week sharp and aggressive. The Wildcats opened fast, stayed on the front foot, and never gave Iowa State much room to breathe. The defense also did a clean job of containing Aiden Flora, holding one of the conference’s top backs to 36 rushing yards.
What stood out most was how complete the performance felt from the start. Arizona looked physically stronger, more prepared, and more decisive than Iowa State, and that edge never disappeared. After beginning 10-0 against Northern Illinois, the Wildcats have now climbed into a place few would have predicted, and the focus now turns to Texas Tech.
In Other News...
Arizona Put Iowa State In A Spot No Big 12 Team Wants
Arizona set the tone immediately after the bye, and Iowa State spent the rest of the afternoon trying to climb out of the hole. The Wildcats scored on their first two possessions and carried a 25-3 lead into halftime, a fast start that put the Cyclones on their heels and made the rest of the game feel like an uphill battle from the outset.
The second half brought a change at quarterback for Iowa State, with Connor Moberly taking over for Jaylen Raynor, but the offense never found enough rhythm to threaten a comeback. Now the Cyclones have to turn the page quickly, because Oklahoma State is next on the schedule at home, and there is little margin for another slow start in Big 12 play. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Sudden Playoff Push Just Got A Lot More Real
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The latest model adjustments show how quickly momentum can change once a team strings together meaningful wins, and Arizona is now part of that conversation in a real way. With the playoff race still fluid and bowl positioning shifting every week, the Wildcats have given themselves a much more interesting path than anyone would have projected a month ago, even if there is still work ahead before the picture fully comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces Its Toughest Test Yet In Hostile Lubbock
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History does not offer much comfort for the Wildcats in this spot, either. Arizona has struggled badly in Lubbock over the years, and the trip has been one of the most difficult on the calendar for this program. Texas Tech is also trying to steady itself after a recent loss to Cincinnati that could matter in the playoff picture, which adds another layer to a game where both teams arrive with momentum, pressure and a lot still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]