Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell and defensive coordinator Jon Heacock reacts during the fourth quarter against Iowa in the Cy-Hawk football at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 6, 2025, in Ames, Iowa Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State Cyclones Must Stop These Three Offensive Stars from Arizona Wildcats

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Iowa State Cyclones are off to an excellent start to the season with a perfect 4-0 record. As the 14th-ranked team in the country, the Cyclones have been able to continue their success that they started to build in 2024 and carry it over.

So far this year, Iowa State has been able to pick up a couple of nice wins over the Kansas State Wildcats and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Even though the win against the Wildcats might not look as great as it did to start the year, it was still a victory within the Big 12.

Winning the conference is certainly the top goal for Iowa State right now, and that must start with picking up conference wins. They will be entering Week 5 with this being a bit of an easier part of their schedule and they must make the most of it. However, the Arizona Wildcats are still undefeated and have explosive offensive capabilities. Here are three offensive players that the Cyclones must stop to secure a victory in Week 5.

Javin Whatley

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With Tetiaroa McMillan now playing on Sundays, it has been Whatley who has stepped up as the new top receiver for the Wildcats. The speedy transfer has been excellent so far for Arizona and has made an instant impact.

In three games, he has totaled 237 receiving yards, 13 receptions, and two receiving touchdowns. Whatley has been the favorite target in the passing game, and the Cyclones’ defense must try to keep him from breaking out for a big play.

Ismail Mahdi

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While it might be the passing game of the Wildcats that has received a lot of praise early on, they also have a solid running back in Mahdi, who is off to a good start. The senior running back is also a transfer student, and he has fit in seamlessly.

In three games, Mahdi has totaled 263 rushing yards on 37 carries with one rushing touchdown. The 7.1 yards per carry average is excellent, and the Wildcats will be looking to feature him often. Tackling was a bit of an issue in Week 3 for the defense, and that will have to be an area that they improve.

Noah Fifita

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After a bit of a disappointing campaign for Fifita and the Wildcats in 2024, the junior has bounced back significantly in 2025. In three games, he has totaled 712 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions. It has been a much-improved season for Fifita, who had a lot of hype coming into last year.

Even though he might not have had the campaign that he wanted in 2024, he is looking like the player that the team was hoping he would become. The Wildcats’ offense has looked good early on this season and the improved play by their quarterback is a major reason why.