AMES — Following the result of now-No. 18 BYU’s 30-18 win over Houston to cap off the regular season of the Big 12, it meant that now-No. 16 Iowa State would be headed to Arlington, Texas, for another shot at the Big 12 Championship against No. 15 Arizona State on Saturday.

Especially with how the whole team had to wait and see whether they’d get this opportunity, the Cyclones are ready to face the Sun Devils head-on and get back what they should’ve had four years ago.

“Excited for all the work we put in,” defensive back Jontez Williams said. “We’re ready to go.”

But what awaits this enthusiastic Cyclones team is an Arizona State team that had played the whole season under a shadow of a doubt, as they were picked to finish at the bottom of the conference in the preseason.

Led by star running back Cam Skattebo, the Sun Devils finished with a 10-2 record, a 7-2 Big 12 record and enter Saturday’s matchup on a five-game winning streak.

“It’s a real challenge,” defensive coordinator Jon Heacock said. “This is a championship-level team. It’s going to take everything that we have, so we’re going to try and get our guys going.”

It grows as a testament to what first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham has done with this Arizona State program, as he helped lead them to where they are currently at.

“Kenny [Dillingham] is a dynamic, young football coach,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said. “He’s continued to ascend and has done a tremendous job, so just a lot of respect from my standpoint.”

But now, Iowa State will have to take on a Sun Devils team that has found a lot of success from the offensive side of the ball.

Led by freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, Arizona State has a top-10 offense in the Big 12, primarily breaking opposing defenses with the likes of Skattebo and Leavitt on the ground.

“They’re dynamic,” Campbell said. “They have such a unique ability to put the pressure on the defense in every way, shape and form.”

While Leavitt has contributed 350 yards on 90 carries with four touchdowns, the biggest contributor to this Sun Devil offense has come from the likes of Skattebo.

In his second season with Arizona State, Skattebo has exploded for 1,398 yards on 247 carries with 17 touchdowns. Skattebo is also second on the team in receiving as he has 468 yards on 35 receptions for two touchdowns.

“The tailback’s ability, not only as a runner but as a ball catcher in space is so impressive,” Campbell said.

The point of emphasis for the Cyclones will have to start with finding a way to contain yet another 1,000+ yard running back, which Iowa State has struggled with in the past, but has found a way to improve upon as of late after holding Kansas State running back DJ Giddens to just 72 yards on 14 carries.

“Holding to our fundamentals, practicing hard and being level-headed and focused,” defensive end Tyler Onyedim said. 

However, it will still be difficult nonetheless to try and limit a running back with abilities to make an impact in both the rushing and passing game like Skattebo has.

“I think the last guy I watched run the ball this way was David Montgomery,” Campbell said. “The passion he has to run the football with, he’s dynamic with his skill to run away from you, but also the unbelievable electric power to run through you. Anytime you see a guy play football the way it should be played, you have the utmost respect for.”

Speaking of the passing game, the Sun Devils will be without their most reliable weapon in wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who is ruled out for Saturday’s matchup.

“You never want to lose a good football player this time of year, but good football teams have good players,” Campbell said.

On the season, Tyson was able to collect 1,101 yards on 75 receptions, along with grabbing 10 touchdowns. He was one of the few Big 12 receivers to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this season, so having a player of his caliber out is a huge blow to Arizona State.

But with this unforeseen advantage, the Cyclones will have to utilize what they’re given and find a way to take home a Big 12 title.

The Big 12 Championship between Iowa State and Arizona State will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will also be nationally televised on ABC.