The last time Arizona played a college football game, hope and hype around the program was its highest in 25 years. What followed was arguably the most chaotic offseason in school history.
But all that uncertainty is in the past, as the Wildcats can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the 2024 season opener against New Mexico set for Saturday night.
“We’re finally here,” quarterback Noah Fifita said. “I think through all of the things that we had to go through as a team we’re closer than we’d already been. The culture, it’s continued to grow. So I’m really excited to be able to finally play with these guys, be able to just compete at the highest level, and we’re looking forward to just adding to (it).”
First-year coach Brent Brennanwearing a shirt to his Thursday press conference that simply said ‘Loyalty,’ said the energy in practice this week has been great.
“I’m so fired up for these players and for this team and our fans, just to finally get to Game Day,” he said. “It’s obviously been a lot the last seven months.”
Here’s what to watch for from the first game of the Brennan era:
New faces
If the first depth chart is any indication, Arizona will have 11 players making their first start for the program. Seven of those are transfers, either from another FBS school or a junior college, while linebacker Taye Brown and defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson will be starting for the first time after seeing action as a reserve in 2023.
But there will be two Wildcats making their first start in collegiate debut. Redshirt freshman Rhino Tapa’atoutai is expected to start at left tackle while true freshman Michael Salgado-Medina will be Arizona’s punter.
Brennan said both players won those jobs by their performance in training camp, but he’s well aware of how nervous each could be on Saturday night.
“He’s a kid that has just incredible poise, and he’s really talented,” Brennan said of Salgado-Medina. “The biggest thing for him is first game, freshman, just control all that.”
Brennan credits offensive line coach Josh Oglesby for getting Tapa’toutai so prepared to start. Oglesby’s experience playing both tackle spots at Wisconsin, and starting as a redshirt freshman, helped with that process.
“I think that Josh has done a really fantastic job coaching him,” Brennan said. “We wouldn’t put him out there if we didn’t think he gave us the best chance to win.”
New tech
Saturday night will also mark the debut of two pieces of technology available in college football: in-helmet communication and sideline tablets. The former was implemented during spring ball, while the Microsoft tablets came around during the summer and both have taken some getting used to.”
“After we worked out some technical difficulties it was cool,” said safety Gunner Maldonadowho will be the defensive player getting info in his helmet when linebacker Jacob Manu is not on the field. “It was real cool to have Coach kind of be able to have a coach give you little pointers of what you see up top. I’m curious to see how it’s gonna feel in a live setting.”
STARS coach Brett Arce will be the defensive communicator, with offensive coordinator Dino Babers in Fifita’s ear.
The Wolves
New Mexico is visiting Arizona Stadium for the first time since 2007 when it pulled out a 36-28 win over the UA. That was the last time the Lobos won on the road against a power-conference team, while their last win over a ranked team came in 2003 at Utah.
Already 0-1 this season after failing to hold a 17-point lead at home against Montana State, New Mexico was 4-8 in 2023 (with UA assistant Danny Gonzales as head coach) and hasn’t had a winning record since 2016.
Now coached by Bronco Mendenhallwho was previously at Virginia and BYU, the Lobos scored a pair of defensive touchdowns on fumbles but also gave up 567 yards including 362 on the ground. That could mean Arizona’s running backs are in for a big night, particularly Jacory Croskey-Merrittwho will be making his UA debut against the team with whom he ran for 1,190 yards and 17 TDs last season.
“I’ve had a couple players who I’ve coached that kind of went through the same situation,” Brennan said. “I think the biggest thing for them is just don’t let it be about you. Let it be about this team, because that’s really what it’s about anyway. I think Jacory is in good head space, and he’s excited to play.”
The revamped defense
Arizona’s defense was a huge key to last year’s 10-win performance, and that’s also the side of the ball that has the most uncertainty going into the opener. While the secondary is almost completely intact, and Duane Akina is back for another year, this time around he’s going to be the one calling plays.
The plan according to Akina and defensive line coach Joe Seumalo is to be aggressive up front, to get “vertical” rather than hold the blocks for the linebackers. And that will be happening with an almost completely new set of players rotating at the four spots, with only four of the 14 listed on the depth chart seeing action for the UA last season.
Akina said he’ll go “by feel” as to how to rotate those spots, but he’s expecting big things from the group. Brennan echoed that sentiment earlier in the week, saying he felt that unit could be one of the big surprises on the team.
Return of the T-Mac
A consensus preseason All-American, Cheers McMillan is as close to a lock to be a first-round NFL Draft pick as Arizona has had in a while. That’s assuming the “procedure” he had on his foot at the end of spring ball doesn’t impact his performance this season.
According to the teammate who knows him best, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Earlier in camp Fifita said McMillan has actually looked better than he did before getting hurt or during his breakout sophomore year when he had 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 TDs. T-Mac has been a full participant in practice since spending the first two weeks of camp working on the side, but Fifita believes that time only helped.
“You could see him building his repertoire, from his speed and his strength to little things you’ve never seen him do,” Fifita said. “When you take the best player in the country and give him more tools it’s kind of scary what he’s gonna do this year.”
McMillan enters the year eighth in school history in both receiving yards (2,104) and TDs (18). He needs 1,248 and 15 TDs, respectively, to become the UA career leader.
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