Brent Brennan and the Arizona Wildcats have an opportunity to secure bowl eligibility and give the fans a homecoming weekend present this Saturday when they host the Iowa State Cyclones.
Arizona (5-1, 2-1 in Big 12) is coming off a bye week where they jumped into the AP Top 25 at No. 25, thanks to a huge win by BYU over Notre Dame. The win pushed BYU to No. 2 in the country, and strengthened Arizona's resume as they led the Cougars at halftime in Provo before a scoreless second half cost them a win back in Week 2.
Now Arizona has a chance to pick up valuable win No. 6 in front of the home crowd, which would secure bowl eligibility for the second straight season - which has not happened since 2014-2015.
Arizona faces a versatile Iowa State offense
Iowa State may be just 3-3 on the year, and 1-2 in Big 12 play, but the Cyclones' roster has one of the best playmakers in the entire country in running back Aiden Flora. Flora does most of his damage on the ground, with 90 carries for 680 yards and six touchdowns, but he's also caught ten passes for 65 yards, and has even thrown a pair of touchdown passes as well - drawing praise from coach Brennan in this week's press conference.
"Their tailback Aiden Flora is like a throwback dude, man," Brennan said. "He does it all. He runs for touchdowns. He throws them. He catches them. He’s just a total stud. It’s really, really fun to watch him play."
Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor is no slouch either, throwing for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns on the year - although his four interceptions leave plenty of opportunity for the Wildcats to capitalize defensively.
Defensively the Cyclones have struggled, particularly against the ground attack where they surrender 153.8 yards per game - which ranks just 91st among FBS programs.
Should Arizona lean into Kedrick Reescano and Quincy Craig behind Noah Fifita, they could find plenty of success moving the chains and owning time of possession - key factors toward winning this football game.
The Wildcats have been firing on all cylinders lately, coasting to blowout wins over Cincinnati and West Virginia, and another dominant conference win would start to establish this team as a real contender not only in the Big 12, but nationally as well.
Below is a look at how to watch, stream, and listen to Arizona host Iowa State on Saturday for Homecoming in Tucson:
Arizona vs. Iowa State: How to watch, kickoff time and TV channel
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Game time: 4:30 PM MST
Where: Casino Del Sol Stadium (Tucson, AZ)
How to listen: Wildcats Radio 1290 AM
How to stream: Fubo
How to watch: ESPN2
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