3 Arizona Players to Watch Against Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State is looking for its first FBS win, and it must slow down some of its top opponents.

OSU is set for a Saturday afternoon matchup at Arizona. Playing the Wildcats for the first time since 2012, OSU is hoping to avoid another loss to an FBS opponent.

With the Wildcats dropping their Big 12 opener at Iowa State last week, they’ll be hungry to get on the board in conference play. With OSU being unable to find much success defensively, a few Wildcats could be in for a big day on their home field.

Three Wildcats to watch on Saturday:

QB Noah Fifita

Back for another season with the Wildcats, Fifita has already made his presence felt throughout this season. Through four games, Fifita has 965 yards, eight touchdowns and only two interceptions. With another three scores on the ground, Fifita could be someone to watch in the ground game in some capacity as well.

Considering OSU will be playing for the first time under interim defensive coordinator Clint Bowen, the Cowboys could throw some looks at Fifita that he hasn’t seen on film. Of course, with a veteran quarterback on the other side, the Cowboys could be in trouble if they try to implement too many new things.

WR Javin Whatley

While Tetairoa McMillan is in the NFL now, Fifita has found a new go-to guy in Javin Whatley. This season, Whatley has led the Wildcats in receiving with 17 catches for 264 yards and two touchdowns.

As Fifita’s favorite target thus far, Whatley has a chance to torch the Cowboys like other receivers have throughout the season. With a secondary that is a bit thinner after some portal movement, the Cowboys could struggle to stop the Chattanooga transfer.

RB Ismail Mahdi

Considering OSU’s struggles to stop the run throughout the first four games, Mahdi could be in for a big day on the ground. This season, he’s easily led the Wildcats with 50 rushes for 348 yards and a touchdown. Add in seven catches for 64 yards and another score, and Mahdi has some versatility that could present some clear problems for the Cowboy defense at every level.

Without much resistance against the run for most of this season, OSU’s defensive front will need to have a spectacular performance to ensure that Arizona doesn’t get explosive plays. Considering there simply won’t be any easy games for the Cowboy defense the rest of the way, OSU must get ready to face players like Mahdi on the ground throughout the season.