The Wildcats are coming off the heels of a close defensive win against NAU in week 2 where they were able to escape that game 22-10. Arizona's opponent also faced a scare when Kansas State trailed 10-points at halftime and was able to best Tulane off of a fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter putting KSU up 34-27 and 2-0 in the win column.
Each team shares a defensive unit with a plethora of talent across the boards with young quarterbacks manning the offense that have the capability to rally the team when they need it the most. While this is is a non-conference game and the last one scheduled at that, it's the first Big 12 matchup for both teams in the 2024 season and a great opportunity for each as Arizona will go on to face No. 12 Utah next after a bye week and Kansas State will take on 2-0 BYU next week.
Arizona currently stands as seven point underdogs in a contest that could really go both ways and the health of the team as well as complimentary football should be the key factor in the Wildcats coming away with the upset.
Here are three players on each team to look out for come Friday.
Arizona
C Josh Baker - inactive vs. NAU
Every football team has a glue guy, the kind of player that holds his side of the ball or even the team together and when they miss a game it is sorely noticed. For UA's offense that is certainly Josh Baker who didn't play against NAU which broke his streak of starting 28 consecutive games for the Wildcats in his tenure with the program.
He was more so a healthy scratch it seemed like in week 2 and it was all in preparation for the game versus K-State. He's expected to play on Friday and if he does, it'll be interesting to see how cohesively the offensive line plays together. Whenever guys are shuffled around on the line they're being asked to all play as a collective when they haven't prepared in that order during the off-season and training camp.
If starting left tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai is able to give it a go as well, then the offensive line will be in great shape as they take on a competitive Wildcats defensive unit that has racked up nine sacks so far and Arizona will need to protect quarterback Noah Fifita as he looks to bounce back from an off game in his previous performance.
LB Taye Brown - stats vs. NAU: 12 tackles, two tackles for loss
Arizona has been searching for a starting linebacker right next to Jacob Manu for a while now and have brought in many different names who unfortunately haven't worked out the best. Sophomore Taye Brown was primarily a special teamer last year and recorded only six defensive tackles in 2023 but has since been thrust into the starting role beside Manu in Brent Brennan's first season as coach.
In the two games so far, Brown has been a dependable piece and a solid tackler racking up a career-high 12 tackles and two tackles for loss against NAU. Facing KSU will be a big test for him as Coach Klieman's group has two running backs they feel great about in DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards who've combined for 335 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the season and that's without mentioning quarterback Avery Johnson who's a severe rushing threat as well totalling 77 yards on the ground.
The defense as a whole has their work cut out for them in this matchup but seeing how this front-seven and Brown in particular are able to play this run game will be something to watch out for and could be a big turning point in a potential Arizona upset.
DE Tre Smith - stats vs. NAU: six tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble
The season is young but Tre Smith is coming off of his best game as a Wildcat and he'll need to bring this same type of juice off the edge if Arizona wants to succeed against Kansas State.
UA recorded it's first sacks in the NAU game and Smith was a big part in not only getting through to the passer, but opening up lanes for his teammates Isaiah Johnson and Chase Kennedy to bring down the quarterback.
In the teams opener with New Mexico, they played a high-level athlete in quarterback Devon Dampier who caused real havoc for the Arizona defense with his legs. He ran for 130 and two touchdowns and was the reason the Lobos were in that game to begin with. On Friday the Wildcats deal with a quarterback who head coach Brennan described as "faster" than Dampier and he certainly looks so on the tape.
Avery Johnson is hyper athletic and can cause significant issues for Duane Akina's unit if they don't prepare enough for him. One of the biggest things that led to Dampier's success in week 1 was the lack of edge containment that let him roll out left, right, and straight with an opportunity at a chunk play everytime he got going. At 6'5 270 lbs, Smith is an excellent size to succeed in the run game and the defense will count on him to cause pressure and prevent the big run.
Kansas State
QB Avery Johnson - stats vs. Tulane: 181 passing yards, 65% completion percentage, two passing touchdowns, 40 rushing yards
The K-State offense has started somewhat slow in terms of passing as they are ranked 106th in the nation with 173.5 yards a game and that could just be a testament to it's strong running attack and offensive philosophy but it is worth noting as the UA defense will look to force Avery Johnson to beat them with his arm in an effort to limit the run.
In limited playing time to begin his career, Johnson has showcased that he's a very talented quarterback in college with a big arm and extremely mobile legs. In only four starts he's ran for 373 yards and seven touchdowns as well as throwing for 813 yards and nine touchdowns.
He's for sure the most gifted and best all around passer that Arizona has faced in the 2024 campaign and the Wildcats will look to limit his rushing ability as they've been gashed there before. This may be a game where we see Johnson have the highest passing volume of his career where his career-high of completions in a game is a mere 15 and he's yet to eclipse 200 yards passing in a game.
The quarterback duel between Fifita and Johnson from a talent and production standpoint is arguably the most "must-see" matchup in college football this week and whoever has the better performance gives their team a big shot at 3-0.
RB Dylan Edwards - stats vs. Tulane: 54 rushing yards, 13.5 yards per carry, one rushing touchdown
Led by two good running backs, Kansas State loves to run the football having the 20th best rushing offense with 249 yards a game in that department.
After having a decent freshman year at Colorado, Dylan Edwards decided he'd transfer closer to home by choosing Kansas State and this year he's been a good back for them complimenting DJ Giddens and being very productive with his limited touches. Giddens is the true No. 1 that gets the bulk of the work while Edwards will come in almost as the change of pace back with receiving upside. He's only receiving about five to six touches a game but with those minimal looks he has 114 scrimmage yards on the year and scoring three times total.
In a contest that could go down the wire and be a potential situation where the last team with possession has a chance to close things out, expect Edwards to get his most action of the year, however both running backs are going to be an important watch as Kansas State is built to manipulate Arizona's defensive weakness as seen with the New Mexico game when the defense allowed 211 rushing yards and if Giddens and Edwards get going early it could spell trouble for the 20th ranked Wildcats.
LB Austin Romaine - stats vs. Tulane: eight tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two sacks
Pure dominance was on display from the linebacker position as Austin Romaine had the best game of his young career with a performance you can't ask much more of.
In the run and pass game he was effective and applied pressure to Tulane's offense where he'll look to do the same against Arizona.
When the Wildcats faced NAU last Saturday Fifita was sacked three times, albeit with a banged up offensive line. The blitz really affected Fifita's playmaking and it left the offense at a stalemate for most of the game. With K-State bringing a high octane defense that gets after their assignment, the pass protection will be crucial against this front.
Arizona also boasts a smashmouth rushing attack that's averaging 196.5 yards a game on the ground and seeing how Romaine and the rest of his defense plays on Friday will be an interesting watch.
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