Wildcats hoping to claw their way to another victory after big win against Utah

In their first season as a member of the Big 12 conference, the Arizona Wildcats have seemed to right the ship after a shaky start to the 2024 season.

Picked to finish fifth in the Big 12's preseason poll, the Wildcats allowed 39 points in a 61-39 victory over now 1-4 New Mexico and followed that up by narrowly beating FCS school Northern Arizona 22-10.

After suffering their first loss in a beatdown by the Kansas State Wildcats 31-7, the team responded big coming off of a bye week by beating the 10th-ranked Utah Utes on the road in a defensive battle 23-10. They now head into week 6 set to face off with Texas Tech, the Red Raiders have averaged 46.6 points per game over their last three games and currently sit at 4-1.

In his first season as head coach of the Wildcats, Brent Brennan and his staff have shaken off the rust to begin the season and have their team playing high-level football.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita has not lived up to his standards after a breakout season last year but he made a couple of plays against Utah that showed flashes of the special talent he can be on the field.

His highlight play was on 3rd and 11 with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Fifita connected with wide receiver Keyan Burnett with a perfect pass to the back of the end zone while on the run to extend their lead to 23-10.

With star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillian continuing to prove why he is considered one of the best players in college football and a future first-round pick in the NFL Draft, while the rest of the offense has slowly begun to show signs of life they will need all the help they can get versus Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders enter their matchup with the second-best offense in the Big 12 averaging 486.4 yards per game and the top-scoring Big 12 team at 41.6 points per game. Employing a balanced attack led by senior running back Tahj Brooks and senior wide receiver Josh Kelly, the Wildcats defense will have its hands full as this game is lining up to be a shootout in the desert.

A win this weekend would be huge, with two big matchups at BYU and versus Colorado the Wildcats could be in the driver's seat in the Big 12 if they can string a few wins together given the rest of their schedule.

Read more: