Iowa State gets back on the field Saturday night in Tucson with a chance to show what an extra week of preparation actually bought it.
The Cyclones travel to Casino Del Sol Stadium to face Arizona in a Big 12 game, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct.
- The game will air nationally on ESPN2.
Iowa State enters at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play after its loss at BYU on Oct. 9.
The Cyclones did not play last week. Arizona comes in at 5-1 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 after winning at West Virginia on Oct. 10, and the Wildcats also were idle last week.
The betting line has Arizona favored by 10 points, with the over/under set at 51.5. On the money line, Iowa State is +245 and Arizona is -305, according to DraftKings as of Monday morning.
One personnel note stands out for Iowa State: wide receiver Dominic Overby will miss the rest of the season after getting hurt early in the BYU game.
The biggest question around the Cyclones is simple enough: what did the bye week actually fix? Iowa State looked shaky in every phase against BYU, and now it gets another solid opponent right away. That makes Saturday a revealing test of how much the extra time helped.
The prediction here leans toward Iowa State pulling the upset, 28-21, behind a revived passing game and another strong day from Aiden Flora on the ground. The difference, in that projection, comes on defense, where Iowa State forces a key turnover in the fourth quarter to seal it.
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There is change on the mens side, too, with Ames native Tamin Lipsey expected to be granted eligibility to play this season. If that happens, the starting point guard could become a five-year fixture for Iowa State, giving the Cyclones a familiar centerpiece at a time when so much else around the program is shifting. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Finally Gets A Jack Trice Spot Fans Have Missed
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For a 3-3 team still trying to lock up bowl eligibility, the timing matters. The Cyclones need three more wins, and getting a long-awaited primetime home setting against the Cowboys adds a little extra weight to a game that could shape the rest of the season for Iowa State and its fans. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Showed Fight But One Early Concern Stood Out
Iowa States comeback bid Tuesday night had all the energy of a team trying to claw its way back into a game it had let get away. Creighton stretched the margin to as many as 19 points in the second half before the Cyclones finally found their footing, and even though the rally came up just short in an 83-80 loss, there was enough balanced scoring on Iowa States side to suggest the offense can still be dangerous when it gets moving.
The concern, though, was how much ground Iowa State had to make up in the first place. Creighton had control for long stretches behind Katrell Harmons 16 points and six assists, while the Cyclones were left trying to chase the game until the final buzzer. Jamarion Batemon finished with 15 points, and six Iowa State players reached double figures, but the early hole ultimately proved too deep to escape. [Read more 🡒]