Iowa State Cyclones' Matt Campbell Understandably Has Concerns About Important Area

Should the Iowa State Cyclones be concerned about their fourth game in as many weeks?

Sep 6, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell looks on against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second quarter at Jack Trice Stadium. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

After a thrilling victory in Week 2, the Iowa State Cyclones will be playing their final game before the bye week against the Arkansas State Red Wolves. 

Things have gone very well for the Cyclones to start the season in 2025, and the team will be hoping to continue to build momentum. In Week 3, Iowa State will be playing their first road game of the year against the Red Wolves. 

The Cyclones will be entering Saturday afternoon as a large favorite but could be facing some potential challenges. To start the campaign, Iowa State had to travel over to Ireland for their Week 0 matchup against Kansas State. Surprisingly, they didn't have a bye week right after in Week 1 and instead faced off with South Dakota. 

Following the win in Week 2, they hosted their rival in what was a physical rivalry game. It is easy to understand with the travel and playing for three straight weeks that the team might not be at 100 percent. The team is seemingly understanding of the scheduling challenges that they have faced but overcoming them can result in the team building momentum and showing some grit. 

Head coach Matt Campbell recently spoke with Eugene Rapay of the Des Moines Register about some concerns for his team heading into their fourth game in as many weeks. 

"I think physically, I would say I'm a little concerned about where our football team is. Going into this weekend, we're going to have to do a great job. We've got a great opportunity to grow forward and show our toughness here a little bit along the way."

Will Tough Scheduling Hurt Cyclones?

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With the matchup on the road against Arkansas State, it will be the fourth game in as many weeks for the program, which will be a challenge in itself. While the team has been able to avoid injuries for the most part so far, they could certainly use a week off. 

That will be coming soon, thankfully, to get some rest, but going 4-0 will be the top priority. The surprisingly hot start to the season has now resulted in the Cyclones being considered to be a contender not only in the Big 12, but potentially the College Football Playoff as well. 

Even though the circumstances for the game aren’t ideal, coming off a big win, the weather being 100 degrees, and the travel schedule, this is an Iowa State team that has performed well. Despite some challenges, the Cyclones can prove a lot and show their identity with a win.