Arizona kicks off the Big 12 schedule with a big-time test against 14th-ranked Iowa State in Ames. Here's a look at starting lineups, key matchups and a prediction.
Arizona (3-0) at No. 14 Iowa State (4-0)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Jack Trice Stadium
TV: ESPN
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita (1) celebrates with wide receiver Chris Hunter after scoring a touchdown against Kansas State on Sept. 12, 2025, at Arizona Stadium.
Arizona Wildcats
2025 Record: 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)
WHEN ARIZONA IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
WR | 12 | Tre Spivey III | 6-4 | 212 | R-So.
WR | 6 | Javin Whatley | 5-10 | 171 | R-Sr.
LT | 75 | Ty Buchanan | 6-6 | 314 | R-Sr.
LG | 77 | Michael Wooten | 6-5 | 323 | R-Jr.
C | 52 | Ka'ena Decambra | 6-3 | 308 | R-Sr.
RG | 63 | Alexander Doost | 6-7 | 330 | R-So.
RT | 59 | Rhino Tapa'atoutai | 6-5 | 302 | R-So.
TE | 84 | Sam Olson | 6-3 | 229 | R-Sr.
WR | 11 | Chris Hunter | 6-1 | 195 | R-Jr.
QB | 1 | Noah Fifita | 5-10 | 195 | R-Jr.
RB | 21 | Ismail Mahdi | 5-9 | 184 | Sr.
WHEN ARIZONA IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
DE | 42 | Dominic Lolesio | 6-4 | 252 | R-So.
DT | 0 | Deshawn McKnight | 6-3 | 288 | Sr.
DT | 98 | Tiaoalii Savea | 6-4 | 301 | R-Sr.
DE | 44 | Malachi Bailey | 6-2 | 278 | Sr.
LB | 6 | Taye Brown | 6-2 | 231 | Jr.
LB | 4 | Max Harris | 6-0 | 230 | Sr.
NB | 2 | Treydan Stukes | 6-2 | 200 | R-Sr.
CB | 9 | Ayden Garnes | 6-0 | 183 | R-Sr.
CB | 25 | Michael Dansby | 5-11 | 185 | Sr.
BS | 43 | Dalton Johnson | 5-11 | 198 | R-Sr.
FS | 12 | Genesis Smith | 6-2 | 204 | Jr.
UA 2025 SCHEDULE
August
30 | HAWAII | W, 40-6
September
6 | WEBER STATE | W, 48-3
12 | KANSAS STATE* | W, 23-17
27 | at No. 14 Iowa State
October
4 | OKLAHOMA STATE
11 | No. 25 BYU (Family Weekend)
18 | at Houston
November
1 | at Colorado
8 | KANSAS (Homecoming, Military Appreciation)
15 | at Cincinnati
22 | BAYLOR (Senior Day)
28 | at Arizona State* (Territorial Cup)
Home games in Bold; *=Friday game
UA 2025 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
Fifita | 46-78-0 | 712 | 6 | 85
Bray | 1-2-0 | 22 | 0 | 22
Locke | 2-4-0 | 11 | 0 | 10
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Mahdi | 37 | 263 | 1 | 7.1 | 87.7
Craig | 18 | 165 | 1 | 9.2 | 55.0
Reescano | 10 | 51 | 1 | 5.1 | 51.0
Fifita | 28 | 37 | 3 | 1.3 | 12.3
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
Whatley | 13 | 237 | 2 | 18.2 | 79.0
Wysong | 5 | 97 | 0 | 19.4 | 32.3
Phelps | 5 | 76 | 1 | 15.2 | 25.3
Hunter | 5 | 65 | 0 | 13.0 | 21.7
Mahdi | 4 | 56 | 1 | 14.0 | 18.7
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
G. Smith | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
Johnson | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0
Brown | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
Harris | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
McKnight | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht (3) signals teammates during the first half of the Cyclones' game against Iowa, Sept. 6, 2025, in Ames, Iowa.
Iowa State Cyclones
2025 record: 4-0 (1-0 Big 12)
WHEN IOWA STATE IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
WR | 11 | Dominic Overby | 6-5 | 200 | Fr.
TE | 18 | Benjamin Brahmer | 6-7 | 255 | Jr.
LT | 75 | James Neal III | 6-6 | 325 | Sr.
LG | 70 | Trevor Buhr | 6-4 | 325 | So.
C | 61 | Dylan Barrett | 6-5 | 325 | Sr.
RG | 51 | Brendan Black | 6-4 | 320 | Jr.
RT | 66 | Tyler Miller | 6-9 | 335 | Sr.
WR | 6 | Eli Green | 5-11 | 195 | Sr.
WR | 9 | Brett Eskildsen | 6-1 | 200 | So.
QB | 3 | Rocco Becht | 6-1 | 210 | Jr.
RB | 28 | Carson Hansen | 6-2 | 220 | Jr.
WHEN IOWA STATE IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
DE | 58 | Tamatoa McDonough | 6-5 | 265 | Sr.
DT | 95 | Dominique Orange | 6-4 | 325 | Sr.
DT | 53 | Zaimir Hawk | 6-3 | 305 | So.
DE | 88 | Ikenna Ezeogu | 6-5 | 285 | Jr.
LB | 26 | Caleb Bacon | 6-4 | 240 | Sr.
LB | 47 | Kooper Ebel | 6-4 | 235 | Jr.
NB | 31 | Marcus Neal | 6-1 | 215 | So.
CB | 3 | Jontez Williams | 5-11 | 200 | Jr.
SS | 20 | Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman | 5-11 | 205 | Fr.
FS | 2 | Jamison Patton | 6-2 | 210 | Jr.
CB | 4 | Jeremiah Cooper | 6-0 | 195 | Sr.
Kansas State’s Logan Bartley, left, tries to tackle Iowa State’s Abu Sama III during a game on Aug. 23, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland.
ISU 2025 SCHEDULE
August
23 | No. 17 KANSAS STATE^ | W, 24-21
30 | SOUTH DAKOTA | W, 55-7
September
6 | IOWA | W, 16-13
13 | at Arkansas State | W, 24-16
27 | ARIZONA
October
4 | at Cincinnati
11 | at Colorado
25 | No. 25 BYU
November
1 | ARIZONA STATE
15 | at No. 24 TCU
22 | KANSAS
29 | at Oklahoma State
Home games in Bold; ^ = played in Ireland
ISU 2025 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
Becht | 65-100-1 | 860 | 7 | 66
Manske | 4-5-0 | 28 | 0 | 10
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Hansen | 54 | 252 | 0 | 4.7 | 63.0
Sama III | 38 | 182 | 2 | 4.8 | 45.5
Lee | 13 | 81 | 1 | 6.2 | 27.0
Becht | 27 | 48 | 2 | 1.8 | 12.0
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
Eskildsen | 7 | 162 | 1 | 23.1 | 40.5
Burkle | 10 | 149 | 1 | 14.9 | 49.7
Townsend | 7 | 132 | 0 | 18.9 | 33.0
Brahmer | 14 | 109 | 3 | 7.8 | 27.3
Moore | 4 | 91 | 0 | 22.8 | 22.8
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Neal | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Patton | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
Bacon | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Ebel | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Brezina | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Head to Head
Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi (21) eyes Kansas State safety Gunner Maldonado (3) as he sprints down the sidelines on a carry in the third quarter, Sept. 12, 2025, in Tucson.
21 Ismail Mahdi vs. 31 Marcus Neal
Mahdi broke out for a season-high 189 rushing yards in Arizona's win over Kansas State. Mahdi's 221 all-purpose yards out-gained Kansas State’s entire offense. He became the first Arizona player this season to earn a weekly Big 12 honor and was named Co-Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Mahdi, Arizona's top pass-catching running back entering this week, could be ol' reliable on the road.
Neal is in his second season at Iowa State after signing with the Cyclones in 2024 following a standout career at Raytown South High School in Kansas City. Neal played in all 13 games last season as a true freshman and had 18 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. The nickel back is currently Iowa State's highest-grade defender (86.1) on Pro Football Focus and leads the Cyclones in tackles.
Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes speaks to reporters on media day at the Davis Sports Center on July 29, 2025.
2 Treydan Stukes vs. 3 Rocco Becht
In Arizona's win over Kansas State, Stukes played his first game in 349 days after spending the last year recovering from a knee injury he suffered in last season's Big 12 opener against Utah. Stukes was on a pitch count and played limited snaps to ease his way back from injury. Stukes immediately made an impact and combined on a sack. With two weeks of rest, Stukes' snaps could ramp up.
Becht likely won't finish ahead of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in career passing yards at Iowa State, but he'll certainly go down as one of the greatest to play the position in Ames. Becht has the single-game passing yards record (446) and owns the second- and third-most single-season passing touchdown marks, which he set the last two seasons.
The matchup
When Arizona has the ball …
When Arizona was on the road last season, it had rushing performances of 56, 161, 114, 5 and 38 yards for 374 yards in five games — 74.8 yards per game. Arizona's revamped running backs room has shown versatility in the first three games between Quincy Craig's breakout performance in the season opener, along with Mahdi's outing against Kansas State. Quarterback Noah Fifita's improved mobility could be a tool that keeps Arizona's offense on schedule.
When Iowa State has the ball …
The Cyclones have one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the Big 12. Iowa State's one-two punch at running back, Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III, were key playmakers in the Cyclones' close road win at Arkansas State. In the fourth quarter at Arkansas State, Becht completed four passes for 57 yards to set up Sama for a rushing touchdown to go up 24-16. Three of Iowa State's top five pass catchers are tight ends: Gabe Burkle, Benjamin Brahmer and Tyler Moore.
College Football 26 prediction: Arizona 38, Iowa State 22
In our College Football 26 simulation of the Arizona-Iowa State battle, Arizona tight end Keyan Burnett had a monster performance with nine catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns. Fifita completed 31 of 37 passes for 352 yards, five touchdowns and an interception. Arizona jumped out to a 21-0 lead and led 24-7 at halftime. Stukes intercepted Becht in the third quarter, but the Cyclones held the Wildcats to an empty possession on the ensuing drive. If reality matches the video game, Arizona will be off to its best start since a guy named Scooby Wright was wreaking havoc on defense.
