After Ismail Mahdi ran 22 times for 189 yards on Friday night as Arizona beat Kansas State 23-17 he and the Wildcats' offensive line were given a shoutout on the Pro Football Focus week three wrap-up show as standouts by hosts Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman.
Mahdi added two receptions for 32 yards. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita ran 15 times for 48 yards and two touchdowns versus Kansas State. Arizona finished with 45 carries for 234 yards and the two Fifita scores. Entering their first bye week Arizona is averaging 189.0 rushing yards per game,
The 234 rushing yards for Arizona were their most since running for 244 yards on 32 carries with one TD in a 31-10 win over Texas El Paso during the 2023 season. Mahdi was the second Arizona RB to rush for over 100 yards in 2025. Quincy Craig had seven carries for 125 yards and a TD in the season opener versus Hawaii.
Arizona has a much deeper team offensively in 2025. Mahdi was expected to be the top RB for Arizona entering the 2025 season. Mahdi showed why he was an All-American as All-Purpose Player in 2023. In 2023 Mahdi led the nation with 166.8 All-Purpose yards per game.
"I want to shout out Ismail Mahdi... he is a guy who did not really break a lot of tackles in the win over Kansas State....I don't think he actually broke any tackles, but he had 189 rushing yards...with 155...before contact. He averaged seven yards before contact... I want to shout out him and the Arizona offensive line for just kicking ass...against what usually, and I emphasize usually, is a really good run defense for Kansas State. It was not in this game. So, shout out...Mahdi for exploiting the holes...his OL gave him and the OL for kicking ass...Mahdi just was running wild on Kansas State."Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus
After allowing 234 yards rushing to Arizona on Friday night, Kansas State is 114th nationally, allowing 175.75 rushing YPG in 2025. Kansas State has not had this poor of a run defense since allowing 177.20 rushing YPG during the 2020 season.
Arizona last averaged over 189.0 rushing YPG when they posted 202.42 per contest in 2018. J.J. Taylor ran for 1,434 yards and six TDs in 2018. The breakout game from Mahdi could boost his production for the rest of the 2025 season. Mahdi showed great burst versus Kansas State.
The 155 yards without contact was impressive for Mahdi and the Arizona OL. The 45 rushing yards for Fifita were a career high and he doubled his career scores on the ground. Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege has proven he is a guru at calling a running game.
Doege and Mahdi are both in their first season in their positions in power conferences. Marshall was 18th nationally, averaging 201.69 rushing yards per game in 2024. Mahdi is averaging 87.67 rushing YPG in 2025. Mahdi averaged a career-high 102.38 rushing YPG in 2023 at Texas State.
In addition to Mahdi running for 155 yards before contact, Arizona had 100 of their 178 receiving yards after the catch. With Doege calling plays and Mahdi, Craig and Kedrick Reescano forming a quality offensive backfield, Arizona should continue to have a balanced and productive offense in 2025.