It a short week for No. 20 Arizona as it will be hitting the road to face No. 14 Kansas State in the final non-conference game of the 2024 season. Strangely enough, this is two conference opponents getting a chance to play against each other without it counting against their Big 12 records. Last week, UA struggled in an underwhelming 22-10 win over NAU in a game where it found itself trailing 10-6 at the half. But, the ground game led by Quali Conley was able to pick up the slack and help lift the team to a win.

Meanwhile, KSU was trailing at the half 20-10 against Tulane in a tough road game. The Wildcats battled back in the second half and outscored the Green Wave 24-*7 the rest of the way. Kansas State was led on the ground by running back DJ Giddens, who totaled 177 yards of total offense with a touchdown on 23 touches to help his team complete the comeback win.

The last time these two Wildcats faced off was in 1978 when Arizona rocked KSU 31-0 in Tucson. In the seven total matchups, UA has never gone on the road to Manhattan. SO, this will be a first of many for not only the team, but the program as well.

GAME INFO

Who: No. 20 Arizona (2-0) at KSU (2-0)
Kickoff: 5 p.m. (MST)
Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium | Manhattan, Kans.
TV and channels: FOX (11)
Radio: 1290 AM | SiriusXM: 83, 84
All-time series: Arizona leads 5-1-1
Odds: Kansas State (-7), O/U (56.5)

We will be posting all the weekly content in this thread and this will be used as a space to talk about the Top 20 showdown in Manhattan. Please join the conversation and ask questions that you may have about these two Wildcats.

Arizona had an interesting performance in Saturday's win over Northern Arizona. The Wildcats struggled to find momentum and rhythm on offense while the defense came through to help secure the 22-10 victory over the Lumberjacks. So, it is not surprising then that PFF assessed the game and delivered more positive grades on the defensive side of the ball. Here's a rundown of the top grades handed down from PFF plus an overview of the snap counts. Plus, I have some takeaways from what the numbers mean as we assess the Wildcats through the first two weeks of the season.

OFFENSE

Top 5 overall grades

1. WR Devin Hyatt - 90.2 (5 snaps)
2. RB Kedrick Reescano - 73.1 (8 snaps)
3. RB Quali Conley - 70.3 (47 snaps)
4. TE Tyler Power - 68.0 (19 snaps)
5. OL Alex Doost - 67.2 (4 snaps)

Top 5 individual grades

1. OL Jonah Savaiinaea - 90.2 (pass blocking)
2. OL Leif Magnuson - 87.9 (pass blocking)
3. WR Devin Hyatt - 84.5 (passing/receiving)
4. RB Quali Conley - 81.2 (passing/receiving)
5. OL Wendell Moe - 74.6 (pass blocking)

Snaps played

1. QB Noah Fifita - 61
2. OL Leif Magnuson - 61
3. OL Wendell Moe - 61
4. OL Jonah Savaiinaea - 61
5. OL Ryan Stewart - 61
6. OL Grayson Stovall - 61
7. TE Keyan Burnett - 56
8. WR Tetairoa McMillan - 49
9. RB Quali Conley - 47
10. WR Montana Lemonious-Craig - 39
11. WR Jeremiah Patterson - 23
12. TE Tyler Powell - 19
13. WR Malachi Riley - 18
14. TE Roberto Miranda - 15
15. WR Chris Hunter - 12
16. RB Kedrick Reescano - 8
17. RB Rayshon Luke - 6
18. WR Devin Hyatt - 5
19. OL Alext Doost -4
20. FB Kayden Luke - 4

DEFENSE

Top 5 overall grades

1. DL Tre Smith - 79.3 (44 snaps)
2. DL Chase Kennedy - 78.7 (44 snaps)
3. DB Treydan Stukes - 76.6 (57 snaps)
4. DL Stanley Ta'ufo'ou - 76.0 (13 snaps)
5. LB Taye Brown - 75.8 (57 snaps)

Top 5 individual grades

1. LB Taye Brown - 86.5 (run defense)
2. DL Stanley Ta'ufo'ou - 84.7 (pass rush)
3. DB Gensis Smith - 80.8 (tackling)
4. DL Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei - 78.9 (pass rush)
5. DL Chubba Maae - 77.7 (run defense)

Snaps played

1. LB Taye Brown - 57
2. CB Tacario Davis - 57
3. CB Marquis Groves-Killebrew - 57
4. LB Jacob Manu - 57
5. DB Genesis Smith - 57
6. DB Treydan Stukes - 57
7. DL Chase Kennedy - 44
8. DL Tre Smith - 44
9. DL Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei - 43
10. DL Chubba Maae - 34
11. DB Owen Goss - 30
12. DB Dalton Johnson - 27
13. LB Sterling Lane II - 22
14. DL Isaiah Johnson - 13
15. DL Lance Keneley - 13
16. DL Stanley Ta'ufo'ou - 13
17. DL Cyrus Durham - 1
18. DL Dominic Lolesio - 1

BREAKDOWN

• Let's first take a look at some of the overall numbers for the Wildcats through two games. UA is still holding strong overall with an 89.9 grade overall this season, which is good enough to sit at No. 25 among all FBS teams according to PFF. The offense ranks 27th with an 80.2 overall while the defense is at No. 55 with a 77.1 PFF grade.
• It's no shock that the defense received higher marks than the offense in Week 2 including registering an 86.5 in the run defense category. The Wildcats only had a higher number three times last season in games against NAU, Colorado and Oklahoma. UA received its highest pass rush grade ever from PFF with an 82.9 in the win over the Lumberjacks. UA only reached as high as 76.7 in that category last year when it played NAU.
• Defensively, the Wildcats scored best as a group in the tackling category with nine players scoring above a 70.0 in that area.
• As we begin to see some trends, defensive back Genesis Smith has been the defensive player to receive the most consistent praise from the staff at PFF when it comes to players who have been on the field often. His overall defensive grade of 80.3 puts him at No. 29 among all FBS safeties, but only six players above him have played as many snaps as he has. His coverage grade of 83.6 puts him at No. 20 nationally in the PFF grades with only four players above him having played as many snaps as he has.
• The defense was again active with 30 total pressures and 22 hurries against the Lumberjacks on Saturday according to PFF. UA only had eight missed tackles as well.
• Receiver Devin Hyatt registered a very high score of 90.2 after finishing with one catch for 30 yards against NAU, but it has to be considered that he only played five snaps in the game skewing the grade just a bit.
• Offensively, there weren't a ton of positive grades handed out as 16 of the 20 players who saw the field for UA scored below a 70.0.
• The Wildcats scored well in the pass protection category with Jonah Savaiinaea and Leif Magnuson both earning above an 87.0 in that area.
• Despite being held to just 11 yards receiving against NAU, Tetairoa McMillan remains the top-graded receiver in the Big 12 and No. 9 overall with an 87.6. Only two players ahead of him have been targeted as much (19 times).

Hello everyone, here is the game thread for the game tonight between Arizona and Northern Arizona. The Wildcats are looking to move to 2-0 after opening the season with a 61-39 win over New Mexico last weekend. The defense will look to get back on track against the Lumberjacks, while Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan will look to pick up where they left off following a historic performance to open the season.

We will update you throughout the game in this thread.

GAME INFO

Who: No. 21 Arizona (1-0) vs. Northern Arizona (1-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. (MST)
Where: Arizona Stadium | Tucson, Ariz.
TV and channels: ESPN+
Radio: 1290 AM | XM: 85
All-time series: Arizona leads 16-2
Odds: Arizona (-35.5), O/U (61.5)

Join the conversation below!

Yesterday the AP Poll came out a day early and despite the Wildcats' underwhelming effort against NAU in a 22-10 win over the Lumberjacks, Arizona didn't drop in the rankings and stayed put at No. 20 with Louisville jump three spots at No. 19 in front of UA.

Meanwhile, Kansas State moved up to No. 14 with its comeback 34-27 win on the road over Tulane. KSU was trailing 20-10 at the half and outscored the Green Wave, 20 to 7 in the second half. The Wildcats were led by running back DJ Giddens, who collected 177 yards of total offense while touching the ball 23 times to go along with a touchdown.

Arizona's offense look anemic at times against NAU and saw Noah Fifita struggle with 173 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. It was the running combination of Quali Conley and Kedrick Reescano that got the job done for the Wildcats with their combined 183 yards on the ground.

In all, Arizona ran the ball for 188 yards on 29 carries and put away the Lumberjacks on a 56-yard TD run by Reescanoi for his first collegiate touchdown of his young career.

Arizona will face No. 14 Kansas State Friday night at 5 p.m. (MST) with the game being televised on FOX.

With it's first game ending as a win in the Brent Brennan era, Arizona will face the valley's FCS product NAU at home on Saturday. The two battled last September where the Wildcats were victorious in a 38-3 blowout fashion.

These teams meet again but with different head coaches at their helms with Brennan of course taking over for Arizona and Brian Wright getting hired at NAU. Amid the coaching changes, UA retained most of it's players while the Lumberjacks saw quite the roster turnover only returning just four starters on each side of the ball. Even through all that change Wright's squad piled points on top of each other defeating Lincoln CA 66-6 in week 1.

Although Arizona pulled away against New Mexico to win 61-39, the program came away with lots of issues to patch up and the game vs. NAU will be a ample opportunity to try different looks and scenarios before opening up (sort of) conference play heading to Manhattan to take on No. 17 Kansas State in week 3.

The Wildcats stand as 44.5 point favorites over Northern Arizona and the offense has certainly shown that capability to light up the scoreboard, it's all up to Defensive Coordinator Duane Akina and the defense to show out in a "get right" game.

Here are three players from both teams to watch out for.

Arizona

OT Jonah Savaiinaea - stats vs. NAU: 57 snaps

In the fall when Brent Brennan announced that starting Left Tackle Raymond Pulido would be unavailable for the season, redshirt freshman Rhino Tapa'atoutai filled in with that "next man up" mentality.

Tapa'atoutai had a solid first start to his career when the Wildcats took on New Mexico logging 40 snaps before going down with a knee injury. There is still potential that Tapa'atoutai suits up and is a full go at left tackle for Arizona but his health will remain the priority and the team wont rush him back until he feels 100%. In the event that he does sit this game out, the Wildcats may shuffle some pieces around possibly resulting in a certain potential first round draft pick moving to the blindside.

After Tapa'atoutai was sidelined, true freshman Matthew Lado immediately came in for relief and for as raw as he is in his 6'6 frame, UA continued to move the ball. More shuffling resulted pushing right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea to the left side and Lado to the right side. If the Wildcats decide to play Savaiinaea as the blindside pass protector against NAU it will certainly be something to watch.

When linemen move to the opposite side it can be something of a learning curve as there is different technique, rhythm, and timing and if he proves he's still the same player at that different position, he's that much more of a versatile piece for the Wildcats front and his draft stock will rise as NFL teams are always looking for a left tackle.

TE Keyan Burnett - stats vs. NAU: one catch, 27 receiving yards

Quarterback Noah Fifita and Brent Brennan have each expressed that they want to get the ball into different receivers' hands after Tetairoa McMillan decided he'd start the season off hot and catch 304 yards along with four touchdowns. It's important to note because first the team wants to keep it's superstar and future first round draft pick healthy and in a manageable load and secondly, the Wildcats have a plethora of talented options they can look to especially if their No. 1 receiver is standing across double coverage.

When looking at the other weapons to potentially be more involved in the passing game on Saturday there is room to believe that Keyan Burnett could definitely see more work. Burnett enjoyed a fantastic training camp and his long standing chemistry with Fifita has definitely been visible.

The two connected on a beautiful 27 yard pass and athletic catch from Burnett and if Fifita keeps looking his way against NAU he could be in for a big game.

CB Tacario Davis - stats vs. NAU: seven tackles

In 2023 Tacario Davis led Arizona with 15 passes defended and tied for fourth most in the entire nation, he was a huge return for a Wildcats team with lots of uncertainty after former head coach Jedd Fisch left for Washington.

Davis entered the year with high expectations and a rising draft stock for a 6'4 CB with a tremendous knack for getting his hands on the ball. To open the season, generally all of UA's defensive backs looked a little lost in the first half before getting settled down in the final two quarters and Davis was included in that sentiment.

In the fourth quarter Davis was called for his second personal foul of the game leading to his ejection. This week of practice Coach Brennan preached cleaning up penalties and says the team has been hard at work in putting emotions aside throughout the entirety of a game.

Fans can surely expect a bounce back effort from one of Arizona's most talented corners and against NAU favors as a good matchup to get right in going head to head with a team that ran a balanced offensive attack so far.

NAU

QB Ty Pennington - stats vs. Lincoln CA: 114 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 78% completion percentage, 34 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Following Brian Wright from Pittsburg State, Quarterback Ty Pennington is only a sophomore but has earned the starting role being in the system longer than the other options at the Lumberjacks disposal. He accumulated 447 passing yards with six touchdowns passing to only one interception in his first collegiate year.

Being that NAU got off to an early and often lead against Lincoln CA, Pennington ended his efficient day quickly scoring one touchdown through the air and another on the ground. Gearing up to face a Wildcats defense, albeit one that was more break then bend on Saturday, will certainly be the biggest challenge yet in his young career and seeing how he performs against a roster covered with talent will be interesting to see.

He doesn't appear as mobile as New Mexico's quarterback Devon Dampier that gave Arizona some issues defensively a week ago but he absolutely has an ability to take off when needed racking up 359 rushing yards and four touchdowns a year ago at Pittsburg State and UA will need to monitor that ahead of the upcoming matchup as he ran for 34 yards and a score against Lincoln CA.

S Alex McLaughlin - stats vs. Lincoln CA: seven tackles

The FCS Freshman All-American Alex McLaughlin, opened his season strong a year ago against Arizona with 10 tackles and two pass-breakups. He would then finish his season with 71 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four interceptions and six pass-breakups.

A stellar first season brings a lot of potential to build on it in his second year and it can be expected that the Lumberjacks wont go down easy as they look to win anytime they play the Wildcats. Even though NAU's players are sure to bring a strong mentality onto the field this Saturday, Arizona boasts a phenomenal passing attack throwing for 422 yards to begin the season which is good for sixth in the nation.

This will be NAU's biggest test of the season going against the No. 20 ranked school in the country and players like McLaughlin will need to be playing to their highest ceiling to give the team a chance.

RB Seth Cromwell - stats vs. Lincoln CA: 43 rushing yards, 4.8 yards per carry, two rushing touchdowns

Moreso due to the Lobos' mobile quarterback, Arizona gave up 210 yards on the ground to New Mexico and if NAU is looking to replicate that kind of attack at all the ball may go through Seth Cromwell.

Cromwell was the Lumberjacks lead back to open the year and joined the program after playing at D-II Missouri Western in 2023 where he racked up 758 rushing yards (5.5 YPC) and a monster 18 rushing touchdowns. As he acclimates to the FBS level at Northern Arizona he had an efficient day against Lincoln CA running for 43 yards and two touchdowns before the game got out of touch and Wright brought in backups.

If there's anyone offensively for the Lumberjacks to count on to have a nice day it could definitely be Cromwell going up against a Wildcats rushing defense that struggled to set edges and penetrate in week 1.

Hey guys, I've been watching this KSU vs. Tulane game and man it's been amazing. However, I wanted to hear your thoughts on the KSU Wildcats.

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Troy and I are back with another episode of our preview podcast looking ahead to this week's matchup with NAU plus we had to take a look back at Tetairoa McMillan's stellar performance in the season opener. Hit the link or listen here by hitting the play button.

This season we'll again assess where things stand after each game when it comes to PFF and the grades its hands out as a service. Tetairoa McMillan has been collecting awards, so it is no surprise that he tops the list after his career day against the Lobos. Here's the full rundown of this week's final grades now that PFF has settled on them midweek.

OFFENSE

Top 5 overall grades

1. WR Tetairoa McMillan - 94.2 (47 snaps)
2. QB Noah Fifita - 91.5 (57 snaps)
3. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt - 86.0 (24 snaps)
4. OL Rhino Tapa'atoutai - 76.5 (40 snaps)
5. OL Leif Magnuson - 73.3 (35 snaps)

Top 5 individual grades

1. WR Tetairoa McMillan - 93.4 (passing game/receiving)
2. QB Noah Fifita - 91.0 (passing)
3. OL Alex Doost - 89.5 (pass blocking)
4. OL Rhino Tapa'atoutai - 89.2 (pass blocking)
5. OL Leif Magnuson - 85.3 (pass blocking)

Snaps played

1. QB Noah Fifita - 57
2. OL Wendell Moe - 57
3. OL Jonah Savaiinaea - 57
4. OL Josh Baker - 53
5. WR Tetairoa McMillan - 47
6. TE Keyan Burnett - 42
7. OL Rhino Tapa'atoutai - 40
8. OL Leif Magnuson - 35
9. WR Montana Lemonious-Craig - 32
10. RB Quali Conley - 28
11. TE Sam Olson - 24
12. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt
13. OL Ryan Stewart - 22
14. WR Jeremiah Patterson - 21
15. OL Matthew Lado - 18
16. TE Roberto Miranda - 18
17. WR Malachi Riley - 18
18. WR Chris Hunter - 9
19. OL Alex Doost - 7
20. FB Kayden Luke - 6
21. RB Rayshon Luke - 4
22. WR Reymello Murphy - 4
23. OL Grayson Stovall - 4
24. WR Devin Hyatt - 2
25. OL Shancco Matautia - 1
26. TE Tyler Powell - 1
27. RB Kedrick Reescano - 1

DEFENSE

Top 5 overall grades

1. CB Emmanuel Karnley - 89.0 (8 snaps)
2. LB Kamuela Ka'aihue - 82.5 (6 snaps)
3. DB Genesis Smith - 76.6 (56 snaps)
4. DE Sterling Lane II - 70.8 (16 snaps)
5. DE Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei - 69.4 (56 snaps)

Top 5 individual grades

1. CB Emmanuel Karnley - 86.8 (coverage)
2. DB Dalton Johnson - 85.3 (tackling)
3. LB Kamuela Ka'aihue - 82.5 (coverage)
4. DB Genesis Smith - 81.8 (coverage)
5. DB Marquis Groves-Killebrew - 80.6 (tackling)

Snaps played

1. LB Taye Brown - 83
2. LB Jacob Manu - 78
3. DB Treydan Stukes - 78
4. CB Tacario Davis - 74
5. CB Marquis Groves-Killebrew - 70
6. DB Dalton Johnson - 70
7. DE Tre Smith - 59
8. DB Genesis Smith - 56
9. De Ta'itai Uiagalelei - 56
10. DB Gunner Maldonado - 45
11. DL Chubba Maae - 38
12. DL Isaiah Johnson - 27
13. DL Kevon Darton - 24
14. DL Stanley Ta'ufo'ou - 24
15. DE Chase Kennedy - 23
16. DL Keanu Mailoto - 21
17. DE Lance Keneley - 17
18. DE Sterling Lane II - 16
19. DE Cyrus Durham - 11
20. DE Dominic Lolesio - 11
21. DL Julian Savaiinaea - 9
22. CB Emmanuel Karnley - 8
23. CB Jai'Ayviauynn Celestine - 6
24. DB Owen Goss - 6
25. LB Kamuela Ka'aihue - 6
26. DB Jack Luttrell - 6
27. CB Demetrius Freeney - 2

NOTES

- I'll star with the overall numbers, and Arizona finished up with the 33rd-best score in Week 1 and fourth-best in the Big 12. Unsurprisingly, it was the offensive grade that carried the Wildcats this week with a 90.0 in that category, which was good enough for seventh among all FBS teams. UA's passing grade of 90.9 put it in a tie for eighth with Tulsa and Tulane. Defensively, the Wildcats did not grade out well with the best grade coming in the run defense category, a 68.7.

- Tackling was an issue for the Wildcats in Week 1 with PFF crediting UA's defense with 15 missed tackles against UNM. It did get 22 total pressures on the quarterback with 18 hurries.

- On the offensive side, Arizona had eight players receive an overall grade of at least 70.0 including three with at least an 85.0. Outside of Tetairoa McMillan and Noah Fifita, running back Rayshon Luke had the best grade in the passing game category with a 77.0 in four snaps played. Receiver Chris Hunter (9 snaps) and running back Quali Conley (28 snaps) also scored above 70.0 in that category.

- The offensive line did a good job in pass protection according to PFF. The Wildcats finished No. 15 overall in Week 1 with an 84.9 as a group, and there were four players who earned a grade above 83.0 in the category. That group was led by offensive lineman Alex Doost, who secured an 89.5 during his 7 plays on the field. Fellow offensive linemen Rhino Tapa'atoutai (89.2) and Leif Magnuson (85.3) also scored high in that area. Conley (83.9) rounded out that group while fellow running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt received a commendable 78.5 for his ability to help keep the pocket clean.

- Croskey-Merritt was the highest-graded runner with an 83.9 in the running game category. The Wildcats had four players finish with a grade above 70.0 in the run blocking category led by receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig's 79.8. Fullback Kayden Luke (73.8), and offensive linemen Ryan Stewart (71.9) and Magnuson (71.6) rounded out that group.

- NOW, we can talk about McMillan and his record performance. The UA star topped PFF's receiver list this week as he graded out higher than anyone else at his position with a 94.2. Tre Harris from Ole Miss was the second player on that list. Luke Grimm from Kansas was the closest Big 12 player with a 91.1 overall. It wasn't just that he had the stats, McMillan also scored within the top five in the drops category with an 80.9 to go along with his No. 1 receiving grade of 93.4.

- Fifita's passing performance was stellar as well, and it landed him at No. 8 among all FBS quarterbacks with a 91.5 grade from PFF. That was tops in the Big 12 for the week. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders was the next-closest Big 12 player on the list with a 90.7 at No. 13 overall.

Following its 61-39 win over New Mexico this past weekend, Arizona moved up one spot in the AP Poll to No. 20 in the country.

WR Tetairoa McMillan posted a historic performance with 304 yards and four touchdowns on 10 receptions. He set the single-game record in program history in receiving yards and came just 11 yards shy of setting the single-game record in the Big 12.

The defense struggled against New Mexico QB Devon Dampier, especially in the first half. The 39 points were the most Arizona has allowed since allowing 43 points to USC in triple overtime last season. The Wildcats were able to make adjustments at halftime and looked better in the second half.

Arizona will look to carry that momentum into this week's game against Northern Arizona before heading to face Kansas State on the road next week.

After a historic performance by Tetairoa McMillan against New Mexico where he totaled a program-record 304 yards on 10 catches with four touchdowns, Arizona has started the season off 1-0 with a 61-39 win over the Lobos. Now, the Wildcats will get ready to face off against NAU and looking to fix some of the defensive issues that showed against UNM. I'll be posting all the content from this week leading up to the game in this thread so that it is easy for everyone to keep track of the articles, updates and videos from the week.


GAME INFO

Who: No. 20 Arizona (1-0) vs. NAU (1-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. (MST)
Where: Arizona Stadium | Tucson, Ariz.
TV and channels: ESPN+ (streaming)
Radio: 1290 AM | SiriusXM: 85
All-time series: Arizona leads 16-2
Odds: No lines are out


We'll have stuff coming in from the press conference today. There were no changes to the Wildcats' depth charts and I'll be at practice on Wednesday and see who is participating.

Feels free to ask any questions, or start a conversation as we get you ready for Game 2 of the season.

As we all expected, Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan has won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award after his performance against New Mexico.


McMillan finished with 10 catches, 304 yards and four touchdowns in the Wildcats' 61-39 win over the Lobos.

the 304 yards set a program record for receiving yards I a single game, which was previously 285 yards held by Jeremy Mcdaniel. And it tied a touchdowns record of four with Jacob Cowing.

In his first Big 12 game, McMillan came just 11 yards shy of setting a conference record for receiving yards in a game. He is now second all-time.

Wrote a piece on Arizona's offense in the season opener and how things came together in the second half after a stellar start by Tetairoa McMillan. There are still some things that need to be ironed out, but there was also a lot to like on that side of the ball against the Lobos.

Good morning guys! This is I'll be doing postgame breakdowns with Steve Rivera to give you guys insight from the game.

We'll be posting these recaps on Sunday mornings and here's the first edition:

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.

Hey guys, I'm getting the game thread up and running for the Arizona-New Mexico game as the Wildcats kickoff the 2024 season, which might be the most highly anticipated season in recent memory. The team will be lead by Noah Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan, Jacob Manu and Jonah Savaiinaea, who were key in getting the majority of the roster back despite the coaching change.

The 2024 season is a dawning of a new era in many ways for Arizona as Brent Brennan starts his first season as the head coach of the program and the Wildcats' are entering the Big 12 conference after being a part of the Pac-12/10 since 1978.

We will update you throughout the game in this thread.

GAME INFO

Who: No. 21 Arizona (0-0) vs. New Mexico (0-1)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (MST)
Where: Arizona Stadium | Tucson, Ariz.
TV and channels: ESPN (24, 140, 206, 700)
Radio: 1290 AM | SiriusXM: 81
All-time series: Arizona leads 44-20-3
Odds: Arizona (-31.5), O/U (57.5)

Join the conversation and let the 2024 season begin!

Hey guys! It's OFFICIALLY HERE! That's right, it's game week as the 2024 is about to kickoff in five days as the Wildcats open up against New Mexico Saturday in Tucson. I'll be posting all the content from this week leading up to the game in this thread so that it is easy for everyone to keep track of the articles, updates and videos from the week.


GAME INFO

Who: No. 21 Arizona (0-0) vs. New Mexico (0-1)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (MST)
Where: Arizona Stadium | Tucson, Ariz.
TV and channels: ESPN (24, 140, 206, 700)
Radio: 1290 AM | SiriusXM: 81
All-time series: Arizona leads 44-20-3
Odds: Arizona (-31.5), O/U (57.5)


We'll have stuff coming in from the press conference today. A first look at New Mexico and what they bring to the table and DEPTH CHARTS have been released.

Feels free to ask any questions, or start a conversation as we get you ready for kickoff!

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Troy and I spent some time chatting about Arizona's season opener and reviewing camp as the Wildcats prepare to return to the field Saturday for the first game of the Brent Brennan era. We tackled all the key topics in our first podcast episode of the season, and you can list to it by hitting the play button above.

It's Friday morning in the Midwest. I've got my #68 and #86 jerseys out, ready to put on tomorrow night. Game is on ESPN in Chicago so I get to see it live!

I'm so excited to see the 'Cats take apart the Big 12, I can't stand it!

BEAR DOWN!

Mr. Bauk

Saw this and was wondering if we’re going to be getting rid of our collective or bringing it in-house essentially? Curious if Troy or Matt have heard anything in regards to what Arizona’s plans are?

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Hey guys, I know I said that we can't talk about training camp from this point on due to rule changes by Arizona, which is still the case. However, we can talk about what has happened in practice previously to the change and dive into roster battles that we have seen up to the cutoff point.

So, I wanted to share my top five performances from newcomers (weren't here for spring) on the roster that could have an impact on the field for the 2024 season.


Top five performances (newcomers)

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- CB Marquis Groves-Killebrew

I know. I just said that I wouldn't include players that were on campus during spring ball. However, although Marquis Groves-Killebrew was on campus for spring, he wasn't able to participate due to an unknown injury that kept him out til the very end of the spring session. Therefore, we didn't really get a chance to see what Groves-Killebrew could do on the field when given that opportunity.

Coming to Arizona, Groves-Killebrew was a former four-star prospect that signed with Texas A&M before transferring to Louisville. At those two places, he didn't see the field and dealt with injuries that kept him from having a true impact. With that, he decided to transfer to Arizona as a walk-on and earn a spot on the roster.

While in camp and being fully healthy, Groves-Killebrew has been able to shine on the field during his opportunities with the first-team defense in the second cornerback slot alongside Tacario Davis. He has gotten a chance to go up against every receiver on the roster and held his own making plays in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.

Groves-Killebrew has speed to keep up with any receiver the Wildcats will face this season and the strength to play against physical playmakers that will try to use their strength to create space in the passing game.

The staff loves what Groves-Killebrew has done and has given him a scholarship, thus removing the walk-on title to his name. If he continues to progress, Arizona may have a case for the best secondary not only in the Big 12, but nationally as well.

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- RB Kedrick Reescano

During the 2023 season, Arizona was extremely deep at the running back position with Michael Wiley, Jonah Coleman, DJ Williams and Rayshon Luke having an impact on games helping the team finish with a 10-3 record and finishing 85th nationally in rushing with 139.7 yards per game despite playing in a pass-heavy system.

However, Wiley graduated and was drafted by the NFL, Williams graduated as well and Coleman transferred to Washington. This took away the Wildcats top three rushers in terms of yardage off its roster. For most schools that would be devastating, especially when you have a completely new staff coming in and taking over.

But, Brent Brennan and running backs coach Alonzo Carter went to work during the offseason after spring ball and were able to collect two backs to add to the roster in Ole Miss transfer Kedrick Reescano and New Mexico transfer Jacory Croskey-Merritt. We'll be going over both players, but this section is made for Reescano and the training camp he was able to put together.

Before transferring to Arizona, Reescano was a four-star recruit that picked Ole Miss over offers from Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Penn State and Arkansas among others. However, he didn't see the field on offense very much and appeared in ten games on the Rebels' special teams unit.

It's going to be a loaded backfield again for the Wildcats, but Reescano brings something that no one on the roster does and that is a power back that can move the pile for the extra yard, or two. He is very similar to Coleman in a sense that he could be that short yardage back that makes the difference between a field goal, or a touchdown.

In terms of order on the depth chart for Reescano or any of the running backs, its hard to say. I think it will be a situation where you give it to the hot hand that is hurting the defense.

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- DB Owen Goss

One of the biggest surprises during training camp has been Colgate transfer Owen Goss, who played four seasons where he was named to the All-Patriot Leauge First Team (2023) as a defensive back. In his career with Raiders, he started in 28 games and collected 115 tackles, 88 solo tackles and three interceptions to go along with his 13 pass break-ups and one touchdown.

Goss has seen the field with mostly the second-team defense and has worked at both the safety and nickel positions. However, he has been one of the guys that has been subbed in with the first-team defense and has gotten work with the starting units during special packages. When on the field, he has been able to make plays in both the passing and running game for the defense. He just seems to be all over the field.

When you think of Goss' game, it reminds me of Jared Tevis to a degree. Tevis played the safety position for the most part and really didn't get moved around the field. However the two have a similar trait in that they fly to the football and create havoc for their defensive unit, which could be a game-changer in tight games for the Wildcats.

I don't think Goss will be on the starting unit, but adding a player like that giving you the ability to have depth in the secondary will be critical for Arizona and defensive coordinator Duane Akina, who likes to rotate guys in order to have fresh bodies in the fourth quarter to help close out games.

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- WR Jeremiah Patterson

Everyone knows that the Wildcats will be relying heavily on star receiver Tetairoa McMillan for the 2024 season, but behind him is where some questions rise given that receiver Jacob Cowing moved on to the NFL and the two were the leading receivers during the 2023 season. It was a top priority of the coaching staff to find some help at the receiver position as they brought in two additions to the group in Reymello Murphy and Jeremiah Patterson.

Although both have had their moments, it has been Patterson that really stood out from the rest with his speed, route running and catching ability. Those three things have made him a difficult cover for most of the defensive backs on the roster during 1-on-1's, 7-on-7's and 11-on-11 drills.

Patterson started off on the second-team unit and was used in the rotation of guys that saw some first-team reps during the first week of training camp. But by week No. 2, he was a staple on the starting offensive unit and worked primarily in the slot receiver position. Not only does he have similar skill-sets to Cowing, but he is wearing his No. 2 as well, but he might be a touch faster than the former Wildcat.

The skills that Patterson brings to the table makes him a lethal weapon for the coaching staff where they could use him in many ways on offense and potentially on the special teams unit to be a game changer for the team.

I believe the Wildcats might've found themselves an all-conference receiver from San Mateo, who will post better numbers than he did at a loaded junior college where he collected 3328 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games last season.

Arizona's receiving corps looks like it is in good position to have a big 2024 season and a lot of that could be the play of Patterson, which will allow McMillan to get better looks instead of teams trying to double, or even triple team the star receiver.

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- RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

We've talked about the running backs group above when going over Reescano and what he brings to the table. Now we will be taking a deep diving into Croskey-Merritt, who had an interesting path to Tucson after having an all-conference season at New Mexico where he posted 1,190 yards and 17 touchdown on 189 carries in 12 games for the Lobos.

Before Tucson, Croskey-Merritt originally committed to join Arizona, but then flipped to Ole Miss. However, there were questions about his eligibility that some teams didn't understand and it was UA who did the research and determined that he was able to play for the 2024 season. The Wildcats' staff kept grinding on his recruitment, which led to him flipping back to the Cats and joining a program that was in need of help in the backfield.

The first thing that comes to mind when you watch Croskey-Merritt play is that he is the definition of an every down back. He has the ability to hurt teams in numerous ways and has the frame to carry the rock down in and down out. The combination of speed and power is rare in today's college football where teams want to go 100 mile per hour, 100-percent of the time.

Now, it is rare to see a running back get the rock 30 or 40 times a game and I don't think we will see that here with Croskey-Merritt. Although I think you will be the team go four deep at running back like Carter stated during a post-practice interviews, I think he will be the first back on the field for the Wildcats in most games depending on the game plan and the opponent the team is facing.

If you haven't watched his film from New Mexico yet, you need to do so. Croskey-Merritt reminds me a little of Arizona legend Ka'Deem Carey, but might have more speed to finish off long touchdown runs unlike the former award winning back.

Arizona will have a loaded backfield and Croskey-Merritt could be the difference maker in a handful of games for the Wildcats during the upcoming 2024 season.


We'll have more breakdowns of the roster as we get closer to kick-off and a depth chart that will be released during game week as the team prepares for New Mexico. Feel free to ask any questions regarding this list and maybe a player I didn't mention.

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I made the trek out to Hughson, California last night for the senior season debut of 2025 Arizona quarterback commit Robert McDaniel. He's had a stellar career up to this point, and he continued that with an impressive 2024 debut on Friday. He had three passing touchdowns and overall looked the part of a player ready to make the next step in his career. He found his brother Bryce on two of the touchdowns, and there were several high-level throws throughout the game. I was particularly impressed with his ability to throw on the run. He's advanced in that area, and he was great when working outside the pocket. One of his best plays didn't end in a completion (the DB made a nice play on the ball) but the ability to escape trouble in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield to make the play into even anything close to a completion was really impressive.

He even got out on the run a little bit and he looks like a natural fit for what Dino Babers and Brent Brennan want at the position. He'll enroll early, so the Wildcats will have him on campus in the spring, and he will be a really nice addition to the room.

Also, keep an eye on his brother. He still has some things he needs to fine tune as a receiver, but the natural ability is there and he has great size for the position. He looks the part of a high-level receiver, and I imagine he'll have a bunch of schools in the mix by the end of his junior year.

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You may have seen some people talking about it already. I've been messing with it all day today, but Rivals.com now has an official app for both iOS (iPhone) and Android devices. This is big news and as the new versions continue to update it will be another place for you to get all the coverage we bring you here at GOAZCATS.com. The iPhone (iOS) version just released in the Apple App Store today so you can download it now. The Android version is also available on Google Play store on your Android devices.

Keep in mind that there are still updates being made as bugs are detected so if you are having an issue the chances are good that it is being worked on and should be remedied soon.

I can only speak for the iPhone app since that is what I use but it definitely gives you what you need from the site in the palm of your hand. You will have access to the front page articles as well as the message boards. My favorite feature will be to ability to send out push notifications to you guys when we have breaking news or any articles of note. It will send a notification right to your phone, which will be a great feature that will get plenty of use for commitments, breaking news and more.

Another thing to note is that if you are on an iPhone you have to be a subscriber to get the full experience, so make sure to log in to get access to all the features of the new Rivals app.

Feel free to download the app and get started and let me know what you think or if you have questions about it!

Arizona has announced the dates for the Red-Blue Showcase and there is an added twist this season. Instead of one showcase, the Wildcats will hold two showcases one in Tucson and one in Glendale.

This really makes sense for Arizona given that it is thee top basketball program in the state and has a large fan base in the Phoenix area.


Dates and times:

Tucson (Oct. 4) 6 p.m. (MST)

Glendale (Oct. 11) 6:30 p.m. (MST)

Due to a recent NCAA rule change, Arizona is able to hold two showcase scrimmages.

Like last season, the showcase in Tucson will be hosted by the Road Trippin' podcast crew of Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton.

Plus, the crew will host the one in Glendale with Jefferson, Clifton and special guest Kedrick Perkins. The game will be held at Desert Diamond Arena.

Tickets go on sale Thursday August 22 on the Arizona athletics website.