No. 25 Arizona strikes fast and blows out Iowa State, 39-3, Saturday in Tucson

Arizona gave Tucson football fans a dominant home performance Saturday, racing past Iowa State 39-3 at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The Wildcats scored a touchdown on their second offensive play, built a 15-0 lead almost immediately and controlled the game on both sides of the ball. Although the stadium appeared sparsely populated, the result gave Arizona its fifth consecutive victory and its strongest showing yet as a ranked team.

Quarterback Noah Fifita needed only 31 seconds to find the end zone. On the second play from scrimmage, he connected with Isaiah Mizell for a 71 yard touchdown, a strike that immediately exposed Iowa State’s injury depleted defense. Arizona then went for two and converted, beginning a night in which the Wildcats rarely allowed the Cyclones to settle into the game.

Arizona added another touchdown on its next possession, when Quincy Craig scored on a 6 yard run. Kendrick Reescano’s 5 yard touchdown run later in the first half pushed the lead to 25-3. Iowa State’s only points came from Kyle Konrady’s field goal, and the Cyclones entered halftime having managed only 112 yards. Arizona’s defense also stopped Iowa State on a fourth and 3 from the Wildcats’ 22 yard line, with Cam Chapa making the open field tackle that ended the threat.

Fifita was especially effective early, completing 21 of his first 23 passes before finishing 27 of 34 for 308 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Mizell led the receiving corps with eight catches for 134 yards, while Henry Gabalis caught a 40 yard touchdown pass with 6:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. Fifita left the game after that score and did not play again. Arizona’s offensive production slowed for much of the second half, but the lead was large enough that the defense could carry the rest of the night.

Coach Brent Brennan said Arizona had entered the game intending to make it a physical contest, and the statistics reflected that approach. The Wildcats gained 477 yards to Iowa State’s 221 and recorded a season high four sacks. Arizona also ran 15 more offensive plays than the Cyclones. The victory matched the program’s best start since the 2014 team opened 6-1, and it came one week after Arizona moved into the Associated Press Top 25 without playing.

Iowa State could not overcome problems created by injuries, poor field position and a sputtering offense. The Cyclones rushed 31 times for only 52 yards, ending a streak of at least 100 rushing yards in more than 20 consecutive games. Aiden Flora, who had entered the game averaging 113.3 rushing yards per contest and ranked ninth nationally, finished with 36 yards on 12 carries. Iowa State averaged four yards per play and reached Arizona territory only three times.

The Cyclones also struggled on third down, converting just three of 14 attempts. They did not record their first third down conversion until midway through the third quarter and went one for three on fourth down. Quarterback Jaylen Raynor completed eight of 10 passes for 106 yards, but he lost a fumble late in the first half while attempting a desperation pitch to Flora as he tried to avoid a sack. Connor Moberly replaced him to begin the second half, completing seven of 17 passes for 63 yards and rushing 10 times for 20 yards. Iowa State did not cross midfield after halftime.

The loss was Iowa State’s first true blowout defeat under first year coach Jimmy Rogers. The Cyclones are now 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play, with four losses against ranked opponents. They previously lost by three points at No. 15 Iowa, by 14 points at home against No. 10 Utah and by 14 points at No. 2 BYU. Rogers said the team needed to improve collectively rather than blame one player, while also acknowledging that the six penalties, defensive pass interference calls and inability to run the ball made it difficult to remain competitive.

Arizona improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12, placing the Wildcats in position to rise in the next rankings. The team will face an even tougher test next Saturday at No. 8 Texas Tech. Iowa State will return home to play Oklahoma State, a 5-2 team, at Jack Trice Stadium. Both teams had entered Saturday coming off bye weeks, but only Arizona looked fully prepared, turning the extra time into an emphatic performance in Tucson.