Iowa State is out of the bye week and right back into the deep end.
At 3-3, the Cyclones head to Tucson, Arizona, to face No. 25 Arizona after already going on the road and falling to BYU in Provo, Utah, on Oct.
- It’s the second straight road game, and it brings them to their fourth ranked opponent of the season.
Iowa, Utah and BYU have already accounted for all three of the Cyclones’ losses.
The common thread in those games has been an offense that hasn’t found enough answers.
Iowa State has looked sharp against weaker defenses and flat against stronger ones, the kind of split that makes the whole operation feel unstable. That inconsistency has left the Cyclones needing an upset or two if they’re going to reach bowl eligibility, and the offense has to be the part that changes first.
One glaring issue has been how often drives simply go nowhere. Iowa State is No. 121 nationally in three-and-out percentage, with 25.4% of possessions ending after just three plays. That kind of empty possession puts the defense in a brutal spot, forcing it right back on the field before it has time to settle in.
The problems don’t stop there. The Cyclones are also 127th in the country on third down, converting only 31% of the time, and they’re tied for 102nd on fourth down at 44.4%. Those numbers don’t just show up in big moments - they also reflect an offense that isn’t staying ahead of the chains on first and second down.
This isn’t an explosive attack, and the passing game has had a rough year with quarterback Jaylen Raynor leading the way. Injuries at wide receiver have only made things tougher.
Aiden Flora has given Iowa State a real spark at running back and has emerged as a bona fide star. But one strong player can only carry so much. Even with Flora producing, the Cyclones still haven’t been able to move the ball with any real consistency.
That’s the hurdle now. If Iowa State keeps sputtering in those areas, the rest of the season could get long in a hurry.
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Tamin Lipsey is one of the key reasons the Cyclones still have that kind of ceiling, with his name already surfacing as a potential All-America candidate. Former Cyclone Milan Momcilovics move to Kentucky after withdrawing from the 2026 NBA Draft and even drawing five AP Preseason All-America votes is a reminder of how much talent has passed through Ames, and it leaves Lipsey with a fresh opportunity to become the next Iowa State player to earn that kind of respect. [Read more 🡒]