Arizona suffered its first defeat in the Brent Brennan Epoch, Lost 31-7 to Kansas State on Friday night. There were signs of a strong game at every stage, but overall it was not enough to compete against a very physical Kansas State team.
Check out how we rated each part of the Wildcats:
Attack: D-
The offense started really strong and marched 73 yards with Quali Conley He finished the game with a 1-yard touchdown run. It was his fourth of the season, and the drive also included two third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion.
From there on, the offense struggled. They would score three points on their next drive and get out, and after marching back down the field, Noah Fifita would throw a costly interception as the Wildcats were just outside the red zone.
Arizona would not find the end zone again as their drives went like this: punt, punt, punt, turnover on downs, turnover on downs, turnover on downs.
Fifita completed 26 of 42 passes for 268 yards, including the interception. Tetairoa McMillan finished the game as the best receiver with 11 catches for 138 yards. Conley finished the game with 14 carries and 48 yards on the ground.
The offense also suffered six penalties over 45 yards.
Defense: C-
With a little help from some mistakes by Kansas State, the defense was able to keep Arizona in range for most of the game. Some issues that still plague the defense are containment and tackling.
QB Avery Johnson He ran for 110 yards on 17 carries, making him the leading runner for Kansas State. Missing tackles led to many long plays for Kansas State, especially in the third quarter. Technique and the ability to grab the ball are things that need to be improved during the off week.
Marquis Groves-Killebrew led the team with eight tackles. Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, Taye BrownAnd Owen Goss all sacks recorded tonight.
Overall, the defense allowed 391 yards and 21 first downs.
Special teams: D+
Since Arizona does not have Michael Salgado Medina And Jordan Forbes ready to play tonight, Kicker Tyler Loop took over the punting duties. He punted four times for a total of 53 yards.
The big mistake of the special teams was a 71-yard punt return from Dylan Edwards. It was a low kick from Loop that allowed Edwards to turn the corner and use his speed to escape punt coverage.
Coach: D
Brennan was introduced to Big 12 play tonight and has a lot to learn from this game for the future.
Overall, the team seemed motivated for the duel and showed a lot of grit in the first half. When the game could have slipped away from them early on, they showed Kansas State that the Wildcats from Tucson could keep up.
As the game went on, the team seemed to lose confidence. There was a lot of frustration on the faces on both sides of the ball. However, no one was pointing fingers and everyone stuck together, which is thanks to the way Brennan instilled that attitude in his team.
On defense, some adjustments should have been made to the quarterback’s runs and ability to hold the defense. Defensive Coordinator Duane Akina must address the issue of wrapping and finishing tackles.
Many of Kansas State’s plays ended with players gaining extra yards and falling forward. Kansas State only had three possessions where they didn’t score, one of which was a missed field goal.
Offensive Coordinator Dino Babers The first drive of the game was scored almost perfectly and it looked like Arizona had found its offense again after the NAU game. However, as the game went on, the offense stalled and struggled to stay in front of the chains.
The only thing that seemed consistent was the connection between Fifita and McMillan. Aside from that, the offense struggled to make plays and find a way to move the ball. It was also a game where the offensive line was well-positioned, and they struggled to protect the quarterback.
The week off comes at a good time for the Wildcats. Arizona needs the week to get back in shape, solve the problems on offense and find a way to improve the tackling.
