The Iowa State Cyclones are going to be making history this weekend when they travel to take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt Conference.

This will be the first time that a Big 12 school pays a visit to Centennial Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It is also the first time since 2022 that a ranked opponent will be visiting the Red Wolves. That year, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers played a conference game. The No. 14-ranked Iowa State team is the highest-ranked team to ever play at Centennial Stadium.

That alone will create a difficult environment to play in. Arkansas State fans will be rearing to go, cheering on their team against a premier opponent. Upsets of this magnitude are what Group of Five schools can use to catapult a program to the next level, especially when led by a player as talented as their starting quarterback, Jaylen Raynor. 

There have been plenty of instances of that occurring, and the Cyclones do not want to be the next program to suffer such a defeat. However, the atmosphere in Centennial Stadium won’t be the only thing Iowa State is fighting against. Along with the roaring fans, they have some extreme weather to combat.

Temperatures for Saturday afternoon, when the teams kick off at 4 pm ET, are expected to be in the low 90s. Those conditions are incredibly strenuous for a team to prepare for. There is only so much that can be done in the days leading up to the game to have the players ready to go. Hydration before and during the game will be key to fighting off fatigue.

90+ degree days aren’t something the Cyclones are used to playing in, but head coach Matt Campbell doesn’t sound too worried. He knows the challenges his players will face, but believes his squad is prepared and ready to handle the elements.

“I think that all those things are real, and all those things obviously would be an excuse if we didn’t get better this week,” he said, via Field Level Media on CBS Sports. “It’s going to be hot everywhere, not just in Jonesboro, right? The reality of it is, the last scrimmage we had was at four o’clock and 107 degrees real-feel temperature.”

While uncommon, having to play in extreme heat isn’t totally foreign to Iowa State football. They would almost certainly prefer the kind of weather normally existing with the calendar moving toward mid-September, but they will make do. One of the advantages they should have is the sheer depth of their roster.

Campbell is not afraid to dip into his depth chart when need be. Against the South Dakota Coyotes, 80 players registered a snap. It wasn’t just because of a blowout, either. Last week against the Iowa Hawkeyes, 62 players took the field. That number of players taking the field could certainly occur again against the Red Wolves, and they will all be ready to perform.

“So, we’ve been there. We prepared for this, and you know what it takes, physically, to prepare yourself to do that,” Campbell added.