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Kansas State Wildcats offensive lineman Easton Kilty (71) works his position during the fourth quarter of the game against Arizona at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Friday, September 13, 2024. Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Assessing Kansas State and Iowa State

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Nathaniel Martinez | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 5:30 PM ET

College football is officially back as Kansas State and Iowa State played on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland in the Aer Lingus classic, an old rivalry that dates back to 1917 known as "Farmageddon".

The game was played under wet and rainy conditions that made it hard for either team to fully establish their throwing game.

The heavy rains, paired with a sloppy playing field, made for a chaotic first half. Once the rain stopped and the sun came out in the second half, both teams started opening up a lot more in terms of the passing game.

Iowa State jumped to a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter and thanks to quarterback Rocco Becht using his legs to cross the endzone from seven yards out.

Avery Johnson threw a 65-yard touchdown to Jerand Bradley to make it 24-21 with six minutes left to play, but the Cyclones shaved the rest of the time off of the clock and took a knee at the goal line to end the game with a win.

The Arziona Wildcats face both opponents in their Big 12 schedule. They face the Cyclones in week 3 and Kansas State in week 4.

This leaves Arizona with some early film to study how both teams operate and perhaps do some early game planning.

Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State

The Cyclones were the much more disciplined team on Saturday, having just one penalty that accounted for five yards. A key for Arizona to victory would be to stay disciplined against Iowa State. Arizona averaged around 6 penalties per game last year, so it will need to clean that area up a bit.

Iowa State had 130 rushing yards against a tough Kansas State defense. Arizona will need to limit the yards on the ground to be successful against the Cyclones on defense. The improvements on the defensive line and linebacking corps will be put to the test against Iowa State.

Kansas State

Kansas State relied heavily on the arm of Avery Johnson, as he went 21-30, 273 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson shows signs of a high-level quarterback, so Arizona's revamped defensive back room will definitely be put to the test in coverage. Arizona will need to win most 1-on-1 coverage battles while the highly aggressive Danny Gonzales defense and front seven pressures the quarterback.

Kansas State recorded four sacks in the loss to the Cyclones, so the rebuilt offensive line will also be tested against a stout Kansas State defense. Arizona has some offensive linemen in center Ka'ena Decambra, guard Alexander Doost and tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai, which will help a tremendous amount.

Be sure to visit our website to find more stories on the Arizona Wildcats. Click the link here to find us on X.

This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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