Iowa State football is back in action after a bye week. 

Things haven't been perfect in Ames so far, but the Cyclones enter the final six games of 2026 at a respectable 3-3 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play. Iowa State will have a chance to even that conference mark with a victory against No. 25 Arizona (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday evening in Tucson. 

We'll have you covered with plenty of pregame coverage throughout the week on IowaStateRoundtable.com, but for now, here are our three and a half early thoughts on this matchup in the desert. 

This is both a dumb question and a valid one. It's a clear obvious point considering Iowa State probably spent its bye week resting, but it's also valid discussion material because this is a new regime handling it. Jimmy Rogers has plenty of head coaching experience at the FCS and Group of Six levels, but this is his first major head coaching job. 

The Cyclones obviously earned a lot of rest during the bye, but it's going to be interesting to see what adjustments this staff has made. The defense has been very solid, but there's problems on offense that could cause this season to spiral out of control. 

Iowa State isn't expected to beat Arizona on Saturday, but it can put up another fight on the road if it prepares well. All eyes should be on this young coaching staff. 

Speaking of problems on offense, every Iowa State fan will tell you that one of the main reasons why their Cyclones have struggled to move the football is because of quarterback Jaylen Raynor. The Arkansas State transfer hasn't been horrible, throwing for 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns, but the accuracy is what needs to improve in the second half of the season. Raynor's best completion percentage (70.4%) came against West Virginia on Oct. 3, but outside of that, it's usually been in the mid-50s. That's simply not going to cut it for a team that's going to be outmatched against most of its opponents down the stretch. 

It's clear Rogers and the coaching staff still have faith in Raynor, but how much faith is the question. If things go south quickly in Tucson this weekend, would Rogers make the change to Oklahoma State transfer Zane Flores or in-state prospect Connor Moberly? We'll see how things play out. 

When you think of Arizona football right now, the first thought has to be quarterback Noah Fifita. And why wouldn't it be? Fifita has been the cornerstone piece for the Wildcats as they've turned the page from Jedd Fisch to Brent Brennan, and though he may fall short of the 3,200 passing yards he had in 2025, he's still been as advertised in 2026. 

Fifita's accuracy has been off the charts this year - his worst completion percentage was 61.1% against Washington State - and that's what Iowa State has to be worried about. The Cyclones have a quality defense, but Fifita will be a stiff challenge for them. 

This will be Iowa State's first visit to Tucson since 1966, and it's safe to say things have changed since. The Cyclones have a much stronger football following these days, and Casino Del Sol Stadium isn't exactly known for selling out games. This could be an opportunity for Iowa State fans to check off a new venue from their bucket lists, and if that's the case, there could be plenty of cardinal in the stands. 

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