Hey everyone! As a new intern I wanted to introduce myself to you all in the message boards and showcase some players to watch for the game on Saturday and you can find that below!
Arizona will stay at home to battle the visiting New Mexico in it's season opener this weekend in the first matchup between the two since 2015 where the Wildcats took home a victory against the Lobos in a 45-37 shootout. It's the first time UA will partake in a game as part of the Big-12 along with Brent Brennan coaching his first time with the Cats since taking over earlier this year.
New Mexico comes to Tucson looking to get one over on the Wildcats and get their season back on track after starting 0-1 losing it's opener to Montana State 35-31 last weekend and it'll be a definite challenge as UA looks to push for a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Arizona opened the week as 31.5 point favorites and while they're favored so heavily, New Mexico has players that they need to keep their eyes on and keep at bay.
Here are some players on both teams you'll want to be on the look out for during Saturday night's game.
Arizona
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt - stats in 2023: 1,190 yards rushing, 17 rushing touchdowns, 6.3 yards per carry
Last year, Jacory Croskey-Merritt enjoyed his most productive season of his career and now he joins an Arizona team he would've led in terms of statistics from the 2023 team. The team wants to deploy a "running back by committee" system where potentially four UA running backs in Quali Conley, Rayshon Luke, and Kedrick Reescano will see snaps, but even with that Croskey-Merritt projects as the leader of the group.
It's no secret that Croskey-Merritt was a Lobo and easily one of their best a year ago and he was one of Arizona's bigger additions in the off-season. In his first game suited up as a Wildcat it will be against his former team and fans can expect he'll get a number of opportunities as UNM's rush defense let up 362 yards on the ground in week zero.
QB Noah Fifita - stats in 2023: 2,869 yards passing, 72% completion percentage, 25 passing touchdowns, six interceptions
One of Arizona's most prolific passers of recent memory, Noah Fifita returns as the No. 1 quarterback for the Wildcats this year and is poised for a big things in his first season as the starting quarterback right out of the gate after taking over for Jayden de Laura in the middle of last year's campaign.
The most important thing to look out for in this matchup regarding Fifita is how he handles the offensive staff changes. Letting the returning signal caller play in a system that plays similar to what he was in previously might be critical this season and Offensive Coordinator Dino Babers has already hinted at calling a balanced style of offense this year. Seeing how that all plays out might set the blueprint for the season ahead.
Arizona also plans to play three new running backs, a new left tackle, and a few new receivers and tight ends for Fifita to play around and seeing how close their chemistry is will be something to look out for as well.
LB Jacob Manu - stats in 2023: 116 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception
Arizona's man in the middle also returns to the team after a monster season earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors at the linebacker position and many of the players on New Mexico's offense will have to make sure they highlight Jacob Manu.
As college football evolves and the teams now have access to helmet-to-helmet communication, Manu and Gunner Maldonado appear to be the leading candidates to have that helmet with the communication technology to link them to the sidelines. More commonly in the pros you'll see the team's primary linebacker have those duties as they typically won't leave the field for any reason other than injury or fatigue and because of that along with the depth-filled secondary, Manu might have that responsibility most and seeing how that works is something to note.
New Mexico wants to run the rock, a lot, and because of this Arizona's front seven play will have to be stout and keep everything in front of them. Defensive Coordinator Duane Akina has preached a "vertical" style of play for his defensive lineman and a key contributor in that is having your linebacker clean up when needed. Manu has showed an ability to really affect the opposing teams quarterback and that'll need to continue in order for Arizona to stop the Lobos early and often.
New Mexico
QB Devon Dampier - stats vs. Montana State: 172 yards passing, one passing touchdown, 69% completion percentage, 34 yards rushing, one rushing touchdown
Devon Dampier, like Fifita, is in his first official season started after having a successful 2023 with more to build on in 2024. As a true dual-threat quarterback, his legs are a real component in New Mexico's offense and could definitely pose a concern to Arizona's defense.
So far in his young career he's been turnover free and has played clean football whether on the ground or through the air with 525 passing yards, six passing touchdowns along with 328 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in 2023. He along with the rest of the Lobos will be looking to avenge their recent loss and get one up on the ranked Wildcats for the first time since 2008 when they beat UA 36-28 in Albuquerque.
RB Eli Sanders - stats vs. Montana State: 87 yards rushing, 5.1 yards per carry
In terms of who's producing behind New Mexico's rushing attack it's not just Dampier, Eli Sanders is the primary running back and notched himself a decent game on the ground and will look to do so again on Saturday.
The fourth year transfer from Iowa State ran his way to a solid year in 2023 before joining the Lobos where he ran for 477 yards (4.7 YPC) and four touchdowns rushing. He's a prototypical size for a running back at 5'11 194 lbs and the option game between Dampier and him could prove to be an issue and a good first test for the Wildcats defensive front who is shuffling a lot of different bodies at that position.
S Christian Ellis - stats vs. Montana State: 11 tackles, one fumble recovery, one touchdown (41 yard return)
In last week's defeat to Montana State there were two defensive backs flying all over the field making double digit tackles and returning fumbles for touchdowns respectively. Noah Avinger who plays multiple defensive back spots and former Servite teammate to Fifita, Manu, Tetairoa McMillan, and Keyan Burnett is definitely worth a mention and will be an honorable mention to be exact but his fellow DB in Christian Ellis brings more New Mexico continuity albeit with their coaching change.
If there's anything this Lobos defense showed other than mightily struggling against the run, it was their ability to be in the right place at the right time and using their ball awareness to house the other team's mistakes and turn them into touchdowns. If Arizona turns the ball over at all they'll have to be very careful that these experienced defensive backs aren't the ones on the receiving end.
