Arizona dominates Iowa State 39-3 to match best start since 2014

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) Noah Fifita threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns, Isaiah Mizell scored on a 71-yard catch on the game’s second play and No. 25 Arizona Wildcats shut down Iowa State Cyclones for a 39-3 win on Saturday night.

The Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) played as a ranked team for the first time this season, having moved into the AP Top 25 despite not playing last week.

Arizona was sharp following its bye, jumping to a quick 15-0 lead and dominating both sides of the ball to match its best start since the 2014 team opened 6-1.

“Coming into this thing we had a plan and that plan was really based on playing a physical football game,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “I think that physicality showed up all night.”

Fifita completed 27 of 34 passes and hit Henry Gabalis for a 40-yard touchdown with 6:41 left before sitting out the rest of the game. Mizell finished with eight catches for 134 yards.

The Wildcats stagnated offensively for most of the second half, but it didn’t matter the way their defense was playing.

Arizona held the Cyclones (3-4, 1-3) to 221 total yards, including 52 yards on 31 carries to end their 23-game streak of running for at least 100 yards. Aiden Flora, who entered the game ranked ninth nationally in rushing yards per game (113.3), had 36 yards on 12 carries.

“They’re good and we struggled,” Iowa State first-year coach Jimmy Rogers said. “Not going to point the finger at one person, it’s a collective group effort.”

The Wildcats overwhelmed Iowa State from the start, going up 15-0 on Mizell’s 71-yard TD catch and Quincy Craig’s 6-yard touchdown run the next drive. Kendrick Reescano added a 5-yard TD run to give Arizona a 25-3 halftime lead.

The Wildcats were just as good on defense, holding the Cyclones to 112 first-half yards.

“I thought our defense was lights out,” Brennan said.

Iowa State crossed Arizona’s 40-yard line three times, its only points coming on Kyle Konrady’s 40-yard field goal. The Cyclones failed on a fourth-and-3 from the Wildcats 22, thanks to an open-field tackle by Cam Chapa, and lost a fumble on an ill-advised pitch by quarterback Jaylen Raynor while trying to avoid a sack.

Connor Moberly relaced Raynor to start the second half and it didn’t help – ISU didn’t cross midfield once in the second half.

“It doesn’t change my feel of who he (Raynor) is as a leader or what he’s capable of,” Rogers said. “We were just looking for a spark there.”

Part of Iowa State’s offensive woes came from its inability to convert on third down.

The Cyclones didn’t have their first third-down conversion until midway through the third quarter and finished 3 for 14. Iowa State also was 1 for 3 on fourth down.

Iowa State: A bye week did little to help the Cyclones. They fell into an early hole and had no chance of recovering with an offense that stagnated no matter who was behind center.

Arizona: The Wildcats got off to a great start and dominated both sides of the ball to win their fifth straight. A move up in the rankings could be next.

Iowa State: Hosts Oklahoma State next Saturday.

Arizona: At No. 8 Texas Tech next Saturday.

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