Big 12 team preview: Arizona has an experienced QB, but is it enough to get Cats back on track
A second or two after stepping to the podium at the Big 12 football media days last week, Arizona Wildcats coach Brent Brennan was apologizing to UofA fans throughout the world.
'Obviously, last fall was unacceptable for our staff, our program and our university, and we've been busy fixing that ever since,' Brennan said.
How bad was it?
After starting the 2024 season reasonably well with wins over New Mexico, Northern Arizona and Utah and a close, 28-22 loss at home to Texas Tech, the Wildcats rolled into Provo for a Big Noon showdown with No. 14 BYU and were pummeled 41-19 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The first-year coach's team never really recovered, after having gone 10-3 under departed coach Jedd Fisch. Arizona would only beat Houston the rest of the way, finishing at 2-7 in league play and 4-8 overall.
Whatever momentum was garnered in 2023 was out the window like cool air conditioning in the Tucson heat.
Which brings us to 2025. Quarterback Noah Fifita is back — which may or may not be a good thing, depending on one's perspective — but standout receiver Tetairoa McMillan is gone, having been drafted by the Carolina Panthers of the NFL.
Whatever the case, Brennan is promising a better product this season, beginning with the arrival of new defensive coordinator, Danny Gonzales, and new offensive coordinator, Seth Doege, who came over from Marshall.
'I am really excited about our team so far,' Brennan said in Frisco, Texas. 'We have the kind of aggressive, explosive offense that we want to play at UofA. … I also think about Noah Fifita being a year older, a year more mature. I think the consistency of our coaching staff, our leadership and the team knowing what my expectations are and how we're going to do things going forward. I think it is a lot cleaner right now than it was a year ago.'
Adding insult to injury last year was the fact rival Arizona State surged, after the Wildcats were picked to have a standout season and the Sun Devils were picked to finish dead last in the Big 12. Cats fans know how that turned out.
'I am optimistic about how the season is going to go, and that things will be different for us,' Brennan said.
Can Arizona pull off an ASU-like turnaround? The Wildcats aren't going that far, but they did say they have a solid nucleus to build around, along with the return of Fifita.
The quarterback, who was a big BYU recruiting target a few years ago, went from six picks in 2023 to 12 picks in 2024, and is without his biggest weapon this fall, McMillan. However, receivers Chris Hunter and Jeremiah Patterson are back, along with tight end Keyan Burnett.
'The step back for Noah Fifita was my fault, not his,' Brennan said. 'We didn't do a good enough job running the football and we didn't do a good enough job protecting him.'
The coach said better protection and an improved running game will be the veteran QB's best friends in 2025.
'I think when we get to December, everybody in the conference and maybe everybody in America is going to be talking about Noah Fifita,' Brennan said. 'When you watch how he delivers the football, he's one of the cleanest throwers I've ever seen, and I am excited to see what he's going to do in Seth Doege's offense.'
Arizona hosts BYU on Oct. 11 and does not face Utah at all this season for the first time in a long time.
In a battle of Wildcats, Arizona welcomes Weber State to Tucson on Sept. 6. Arizona travels to Arizona State on Nov. 28 looking for revenge after getting waxed 49-7 by the Sun Devils last year.
Brennan said it was all a good learning experience.
'The biggest thing maybe I learned is the transition is challenging,' he said. 'Transition is hard. There are a lot of things that I could have done better as a head football coach, as the leader of the program. I have a better understanding now of what that looks like and exactly which way we are going to do it.'
Arizona Wildcats 2025 preview
2024 record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12)
Local ties:
Linebacker Chase Kennedy began his career at Utah
Defensive lineman Ammon Kaufusi prepped at SLC's Highland High
2025 Schedule
Aug. 30 — Hawaii
Sept. 6 — Weber State
Sept. 12 — Kansas State
Sept. 20 — Open
Sept. 27 — at Iowa State
Oct. 4 — Oklahoma State
Oct. 11 — BYU
Oct. 18 — at Houston
Oct. 25 — Open
Nov. 1 — at Colorado
Nov. 8 — Kansas
Nov. 15 — at Cincinnati
Nov. 22 — Baylor
Nov. 28 — at Arizona State
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