Three Critical Observations From Iowa State Cyclones’ Victory in Week 5

Here are three critical observations from the Iowa State Cyclones win in Week 5

Iowa State Cyclones' running back Carson Hansen (26) breaks a tackle from Arizona Wildcats linebacker Taye Brown (6) and runs for a first down during the first quarter in the Big-12 conference showdown on Sept. 27, 2025, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to come away with an easy win over the Arizona Wildcats in Week 5, moving them to 5-0 on the season. It has been a great start for the team overall and with a perfect record, they are continuing to prove that they are one of the best teams in the conference. 

So far, in 2025, the Big 12 hasn’t received a lot of respect nationally. While they do have a number of teams in the AP Top 25, they haven’t had a team crack the Top 10 yet. Both the Cyclones and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are trying to do so, and these two seem like the teams to beat in the league early on. 

The win against the Wildcats was a statement that Iowa State needed to make after their lackluster win against the Arkansas State Red Wolves, The Cyclones certainly accomplished that and there were a few things that really stood out in the win. Here are three critical observations from the win. 

Defense Shines

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Even though the defense didn’t give up a ton of points to the Red Wolves in Week 3, it wasn’t a strong showing for the group. In that game, they struggled to get off the field on third-down and the team was dominated in terms of time of possession. 

It was a much better showing for the unit in the win against the Wildcats. Iowa State held them to 4-for-13 on third downs, and they won the time of possession. Furthermore, they were able to intercept Noah Fifita two times in the game, which was something he didn’t do in the three games prior. With the team allowing just 14 points to a pretty potent offense, it was a great showing. 

Focused on Running the Football 

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The gameplan for the Cyclones in this one was fairly straight forward when looking at how they wanted to attack the Arizona defense. While some of it was situational because of the score, Iowa State ran the ball a ton against the Wildcats. Overall, the team totaled 47 carries in the game, led by Carson Hansen. The talented running back totaled 63 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. 

Furthermore, while it might have been Hansen who led the way on the ground, it was quarterback Rocco Becht who really shined. The signal caller rushed for three touchdowns in this one, with the Cyclones finishing the game with five total rushing touchdowns. 

Best Win of the Season 

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Even though the team has defeated a couple of strong opponents already this year, this was the best performance that the team has had in 2025. The 39 points against a Power Four opponent is extremely impressive, and the team should be proud of what they were able to accomplish on that side of the ball. 

Since the Wildcats were a team that was undefeated and starting to gain some momentum of their own, the Cyclones shutting them down and blowing them out should be viewed as their best win of the year thus far.