Running Ismail Mahdi had a second consecutive productive game and linebacker Riley Wilson and wide receiver Kris Hutson lived up to their offseason billing as transfers in a 39-14 Arizona loss at Iowa State on Saturday.
Mahdi had 13 carries for 85 yards and three receptions for eight yards after rushing for 189 yards and added two receptions for 23 yards as Arizona beat Kansas State 23-17 in week two. On Saturday, Mahdi had three carries of over 10 yards versus Iowa State.
Mahdi now has 50 carries for 348 yards and one TD and seven receptions for 64 yards and a TD through the first four games. An All-American as an All-Purpose Player at Texas State in 2023, Mahdi has been very productive for Arizona in the past two games.
Huston entered the game on Saturday with two receptions for 51 yards, with both against Weber State after dealing with injuries. In his breakout game for Arizona, Hutson led the Wildcats with six receptions for 67 yards and one TD with a long of 31 on 10 targets.
Riley Wilson has made a crazy impact on a per-play basis this season.
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) September 28, 2025
Wilson, who has also dealt with injuries, finished with three tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one pass breakup on Saturday. In the only game he recorded stats, Wilson had six tackles and 1.0 TFL in a 48-3 win over Weber State earlier this month.
Saturday was a tough loss, but with 1-3 Oklahoma State coming to Tucson next week, Brent Brennan and his staff can build on the positives from Saturday and look at the video to correct what went wrong in the loss to Iowa State who looks like the best team in the Big XII.
Playing at Iowa State was likely the toughest game for Arizona this season. Hutson, Mahdi and Wilson will be key players for Arizona for the rest of the 2025 season. Hutson should be the Arizona leading receiver, Mahdi the leading rusher and Wilson could finish 2025 as the sack leader for the Wildcats.