Iowa State Cyclones Must Contain This Key Offensive Player from Arizona Wildcats

Which player on the Arizona Wildcats do the Iowa State Cyclones need to stop?

Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell looks on as his defense holds TCU on a drive in the fourth quarter on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. | Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Iowa State Cyclones are hoping to make it 5-0 on the season when they host the Arizona Wildcats in Week 5. This matchup will feature two undefeated teams in the Big 12, who also have a win over a mutual opponent. 

Both the Cyclones and the Wildcats are coming off a bye week, with both teams expected to be fairly healthy for the matchup. While the Cyclones are relatively healthy, there are some concerns about what their kicking situation will be like. 

While that might affect Iowa State a bit on offense, it will be the defense that will be under a lot of pressure. This was a unit that struggled to get off the field against the Arkansas State Red Wolves the last time they played. The Red Wolves did an excellent job of converting on third downs and extending drives. It was a lopsided time of possession in that game, and one of the main reasons why it was so close. 

Against Arizona, it will be arguably the toughest task of the season thus far to slow down what has been a pretty solid offense. The priority for the defense should be fairly simple, and that is to stop Noah Fifita. 

Stopping Fifita is Key 

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The talented Arizona quarterback came into the 2024 campaign with very high expectations along with the rest of the Wildcats program. Unfortunately, both him and the team didn't live up to them last year and it was a disappointing season. 

So far this year, he is looking like the player that the program was hoping he would be in the 2024 campaign. Fifita has totaled 712 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and has yet to throw an interception in three games. Furthermore, against the Wildcats in Week 3, he ran the ball 15 times and totaled two rushing touchdowns. 

The Cyclones’ defense played a dual-threat quarterback in Week 3, and Red Wolves’ signal caller Jaylen Raynor gave them some problems. Fifita will likely be trying to replicate that, but Iowa State should be better prepared. 

While Iowa State might have the edge in the trenches and in terms of physicality in this one, Arizona has some weapons on offense that could make this one a challenging game. If the Cyclones are unable to slow down Fifita, similarly to how they struggled against Raynor, they could be in for a rough game. With a desire to move to 5-0, slowing down the Wildcats’ quarterback will be key.