Iowa State just dropped their final availability report for tomorrow’s game against Arizona, and honestly, it is not looking good. They downgraded two key guys, Trey Verdon and defensive tackle Donovan Fitzmaurice, to completely out. Ouch.
Iowa State’s Defensive Woes Deepen
That is not all either. The Cyclones are now missing a total of five players, including three other defensive players, with Beni Ngoyi also on the list of guys sitting out. We are talking about a team already sitting at 3-3 overall and just 1-2 in conference play. Losing five players, especially on defense? That is a brutal hit for a squad trying to climb out of that conference hole. Remember last year? Iowa State took down Arizona 39-14 in Ames. You have to wonder if this injury report changes the vibe for tomorrow’s rematch.
Arizona Catches a Break (Mostly)
On the flip side, Arizona had some movement too, but it feels a lot more positive for them. They actually removed safety Lee Molette III from their report, which is a win for their secondary. However, cornerback Swayde Griffin got downgraded to out for Saturday’s game. So, not completely clean, but removing a key guy from the list is a much better look than Iowa State’s situation heading into Week 8.
So, it all comes down to tomorrow. Jaylen Raynor, the Cyclones’ quarterback, is gonna have his work cut out for him with so many teammates sidelined. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. Can Iowa State overcome these setbacks on the road, or will Arizona capitalize on a banged-up Cyclones squad? It is gonna be a tough one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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