Arizona awaits a key test on Saturday
BY DAVID MOORADIAN | 365 Sports
TUCSON, AZ — The Wildcats returned home expecting to win. They needed to win. Facing an Oklahoma State team eleven days removed from firing their longtime head coach, there were few, if any, excuses if Arizona lost.
The Wildcats require no such excuses. Arizona had little trouble with the Oklahoma State Cowboys and swiftly defeated them, 41-13.
Second-year head coach Brent Brennan finds himself in a similar spot to where his team was exactly one year ago. Last season, the Wildcats were 3-2 before facing BYU. Arizona was .500 in conference play and looking for a signature win against an established top team in the BIG 12. The game was indeed a measuring stick moment for the Wildcats, but the data they received was troubling. After jumping out to a 7-0 lead over BYU, Arizona was thoroughly outclassed in the preceding three quarters. The Wildcats ultimately lost 41-19; they would win just one game after that.
This week, Arizona will be at home. Saturday, BYU will travel to Arizona Stadium, where the Wildcats will again be looking to make a statement against a well-respected, nationally ranked Cougars team.
Arizona hopes they are a stronger team than the one that was run off the field last season in Provo, UT. Statistically, they are. In 2024, Arizona averaged just over 21 points per game, and its opponents scored more than 31 points per game. In fact, the Wildcats were exactly 10 points under their scoring average per game in 2024. This season, counting only the three games against teams in the BIG 12, Arizona has scored 26 points per game and has allowed just 23 points per game.
Quarterback Noah Fifita has done a better job moving the offense down the field in his second season under Brent Brennan. As a result, Arizona is averaging nearly five more first downs per game than last year. To his own credit, Fifita has tossed 13 TDs compared to 3 INTs this season and has completed just below 65% of his passes. Saturday was perhaps his best performance of the season. The Redshirt Junior completed 28 of 38 for 376 yards with 5TDs & 1INT.
With a record of 4-1 (1-1 in conference play), Arizona has an opportunity to enter the BIG 12 conversation. A win on Saturday against No. 18 BYU would be difficult for the rest of the conference to ignore. It would also be the biggest win by far in the Brent Brennan era. However, a loss will just as quickly silence any hopes of contending for the BIG 12 in 2025. The stakes are undoubtedly high this Saturday at 5 pm MST at Arizona Stadium.