Another game, another lackluster Arizona offensive display. This time against the Buffaloes where the Cats put up a goose egg that was good for 245 total yards with seven points as UA falls embarrassingly 34-7 to Colorado.
Whenever an offense can't sustain drives, can't score, and is unable to avoid penalties the blame gets put towards the coaching staff and play calling has been nothing short of disappointing.
It's been a time of self-reflection for Arizona along with passing game coordinator and acting offensive play caller Matt Adkins as the current scheme and gameplan simply isn't working.
Luckily for the Cats, they now enter the lighter stretch of their schedule with plenty of winnable games left on the schedule as West Virginia comes to town, and Arizona is favored by -4.5 points with an O/U of 51.5 points.
Currently injuries are hampering both teams and each will try to shift pieces around to find something good enough to propel them to a "get right" victory.
It's a must-win for West Virginia and Arizona as each still sneak around the Big 12 and here are three difference makers for both teams to assist their program to a big win.
Arizona
DB Dalton Johnson - stats vs. Colorado: 11 tackles
The injuries Arizona has suffered are those that neither the coaches or players have ever been in a situation like as they've mentioned multiple times after and before games.
One of the bigger blows to the team was when star linebacker Jacob Manu went out with a season-ending lower leg injury against Colorado and as the tackle leader with 47 tackles, so now it's time for the next man up to fulfill a crucial role for Duane Akina's defense.
Defensive back Dalton Johnson is the next highest tackler for Arizona having 44 so far, and he'll be forced to play a bigger role as well with Gunner Maldonado and Treydan Stukes also hurt in the secondary.
Johnson has also a forced fumble on the season and that playmaking that he showcased during last year's campaign and at times this year will need to elevated.
During the postgame press conference of the Colorado game, Johnson noted that it's tough to see all of his guys drop around him but it just means that the next man is up.
TE Keyan Burnett - stats vs. Colorado: Inactive
Just prior to the Colorado game it was found out that tight end Keyan Burnett would be unavailable for the contest and his presence was absolutely missed.
Arizona had less than 150 passing yards for the first time in 2024 and that can be attributed to many different things such as the play calling, offensive line play, and really the lack of executing as a collective.
There aren't any pass catchers even close to star WR Tetairoa McMillan in terms of stats who has accumulated 780 receiving yards and four touchdowns, but it's Burnett who comes in second with 205 receiving yards and a touchdown.
He's a player who has stepped up recently when Arizona has looked for another true option outside of T-Mac and had an electric 35-yard touchdown even to help the Wildcats beat then-No. 10 Utah a few weeks back.
With the emphasis in getting the ball out quicker and moving the ball consistently, Burnett if available, has the chance to become a chain-mover and safety net as the tight end lines up close to the quarterback while having the size and athleticism to make plays for a struggling Arizona offense.
QB Noah Fifita - stats vs Colorado: 138 passing yards, one passing touchdown, one interception, 71 rushing yards gained
It feels like it's becoming now or never for quarterback Noah Fifita to get Arizona's offense clicking, and the season is catching up at an alarming rate.
Having more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) isn't like the quarterback that was seen leading the Wildcats to an Alamo Bowl victory in 2023, and the offense is feeling the effects of it.
He's struggling with confidence as of late and getting back on track is something not only the player needs, but the human too.
Injuries along the offensive line to key starters will also make things tough this weekend to move the offense progressively in a non-ideal situation.
Both head coach Brent Brennan and play-caller Adkins have expressed the desire to keep Fifita upright in the pocket while getting the quick game going to not only get the offense in a rhythm early but to hopefully allow the team to play the style they've wanted to since the season's inception.
Like the aforementioned Burnett, look for running back Quali Conley to get decent looks to open up the pass for Fifita but to also catch quick passes as Conley has shown to be productive in that area as well.
There is certainly an urgency for Arizona to finally come together and put a good product onto the field and if it's successful Fifita should be a reason why.
West Virginia
Running Game - stats vs. Kansas State: 43 carries, 152 rushing yards, 3.5 yards per carry
West Virginia carries the 24th ranked rushing offense with 202.1 rushing yards per game and statistically speaking, is coming off of it's worst game of the season.
It's worth noting that against Kansas State, the Mountaineers held their largest deficit of the season which takes away the run game to an extent but this was the first game of the season where WVU had no rushing scores and the second time it ran for less than four yards per carry.
Coming to Arizona who has a severely banged up defense at the moment, it's safe to say that the Mountaineers will try get back on track themselves in the best aspect of their offense where they've yet to have less than 30 rushing attempts in a game.
It's a three-headed monster manning the run game for West Virginia with QB Garrett Greene leading the way with 471 rushing yards and three touchdowns with running backs Jaheim White running for 416 yards and CJ Donaldson Jr. running for 412 yards. The backs have five touchdowns a piece.
There's potential that Greene, who left the Kansas State game at halftime with injury, may be unavailable for the Arizona game. If that's the case then insert Nicco Marchiol as the next quarterback who has showcased some running ability as well with 63 yards and a touchdown in limited action.
If Marchiol starts, expect even more run game than usual but there is a good shot that Greene toughs it out and plays Saturday.
DL TJ Jackson - stats vs. Kansas State: four tackles, one tackle for loss
A five year senior, defensive linemen TJ Jackson has been a really good player for West Virginia in his first year with the program.
On the year he leads the Mountaineers in sacks with 3.5 along with 11 tackles for loss and has been a force in the trenches.
Arizona has mightily struggled in pass protection and is urgently trying to get their passing game and really offense back on track in general.
If Jackson comes to play as the disrupter he has shown to be, the West Virginia defensive line can give Arizona fits all game long.
However, the Wildcats really want to stress the quick game on Saturday to open things up offensively and if the ball is out of Fifita's hands fast enough it has the potential to eliminate defensive pressure,
Though the Cats did just allow a season-high seven sacks to the Buffaloes, so it's really up to Adkins and company to scheme around this.
LB Josiah Trotter - stats vs. Kansas State: eight tackles, one tackle for loss
Talk about football royalty here as West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter is the son of former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and brother to current Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2024.
Josiah is on track for similar trajectory as he is having a rather solid freshman season as a Mountaineer recording 53 tackles with an interception and a 0.5 sack.
He'll need a good day against the Wildcats and may actually be poised for one as Arizona is struggling on offense to move the ball, to score, and keeping the ball safe.
Like mentioned earlier, there will be an expectation this Saturday that UA will run the ball and pass it quicker than usual this season in an effort to help out with offensive line deficiencies and the non-sustaining of drives.
Still, Fifita has struggled in the passing game and if an ill-advised pass or a loosely handled ball is out there than Trotter may be able to make a play for West Virginia.
