Arizona Football: 5 reasons why Wildcats will struggle in 2017
By Zach Bigalke
Not even the fire of a hot seat will save Arizona football this season. Here are five reasons why the Wildcats will struggle in 2017.
Last season, Arizona bombed from perennial postseason participant to its worst record since 2005. Three years removed from a Fiesta Bowl appearance, the Wildcats fell to 3-9 in 2016. Surely things can’t get any worse in Tucson than the rock bottom they hit last year… can they?
Head coach Rich Rodriguez needs to win now to placate the Wildcats faithful. Since arriving in Arizona, Rodriguez has gone 36-29 in five seasons. The Wildcats have won three of their four bowl appearances under him, but back-to-back losing seasons could be detrimental to his employment.
There are plenty of reasons to like the Wildcats this season. They have an experienced offense, a defense that can only improve, and have a reliable kicker in Josh Pollack. That is all good and well, but Arizona hasn’t suddenly morphed into a powerhouse.
Optimism is to be expected from a team’s fans. But there are plenty of reasons why the Wildcats will struggle in 2017.