Building on the game-enders
Iowa State
Tamatoa McDonough
Big #58 chose a hell of a time for his first two sacks on the year. It’s hard to know that Iowa is ever in a “must pass” situation, but that’s exactly where they were to close the game last week, and with the game on the line, McDonough broke through the offensive line on both second and third down of the final possession. This is an Iowa State team that accumulated 16 sacks in 14 games and had just 2 through the first two weeks of this 2025 campaign. That number has grown to 4 after
McDonough ended the Iowa game in the backfield. Look for him to build off this momentum and put the pressure on Arkansas State QB Jaylen Raynor.
Arkansas State
Terry Kirksey
Alright, so I’d be lying to you if I said I know who and what to look out for with Arkansas State, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, but Terry Kirksey, at least on the stat sheet, it the name to watch. He’s the Red Wolves’ second leading tackler with 15 on the year (7 solo, 8 assisted) and also has 1 of the 2 interceptions their defense has forced. He also wears the number 5 as a linebacker, and let’s be honest for a second, that’s pretty sick. The Cyclones will look to establish the run, setting up their play-action and RPO shots over the linebacking group, and Kirksey (along with fellow linebacker Nigel Nelson) will be the group under the most stress going against that. Keep an eye out for #5.
