No. 21 Arizona kicks off first season under Brent Brennan against New Mexico
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona took three short years to go from one of the worst programs in the FBS to a 10-game winner on the rise.
That was under Jedd Fisch. Now it’s Brent Brennan’s turn and he appears to have a stacked deck.
Kicking off a season with more expectations than any in recent years, No. 21 Arizona opens the Brennan era Saturday night at home against New Mexico.
"My message to the team is: it’s all about us," Brennan said. "It’s about our process and how we prepare. It’s very, very simple, it’s boring and it’s not sexy. I think that sometimes gets lost."
After seven seasons at San Jose State, Brennan takes over an Arizona program that climbed from the depths of a school-record 20-game losing streak to winning seven straight games to close out last season, the current longest run in the FBS.
Fisch took some players with him when he moved to Washington, but two key ones remained: quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
With two of the program’s best players opting to stick around, several others joined them, giving Brennan a stacked roster for his first season.
Fifita and McMillan headline what could be one of the nation’s most explosive offenses and the defense, long an issue in Tucson, took massive strides last season. Arizona has numerous playmakers back on defense, including linebacker Jacob Manu — the Pac-12’s leading tackler a year ago — cornerback Tacario Davis and safeties Dalton Johnson and Gunner Maldonado.
The Wildcats were ranked in The Associated Press preseason poll for the first time since 2015 and now get a first chance to show that it was warranted in their first Big 12 season.
"I had that thought walking out here just now, how much has changed in seven months," Brennan said. "It’s surreal but also really, really special, but I’m excited, just like our players are."
Bronco’s Lobos
Arizona won’t be the only team with a new head coach at Arizona Stadium.
Veteran coach Bronco Mendenhall was hired during the offseason to replace Danny Gonzales, who was fired after four mediocre seasons. Mendenhall had a successful stint at BYU before spending the past six seasons at Virginia, where he led the Cavaliers to three straight bowl games.
The Lobos got the Mendenhall era off to a shaky start last week, blowing a 17-point lead in a 35-31 home loss to Montana State.
"I saw capability, certainly, two defensive touchdowns, some fourth-down stops and some other positive things, but not consistent enough, not clean enough and not sound enough really, from beginning to end, to put the game away," Mendenhall said.
Talented connection
Fifita and McMillan give Arizona one of the nation’s most talented duos.
Fifita began last season as the backup, but played so well in place of injured Jayden de Laura that he kept the job when de Laura returned. Fifita threw for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns with six interceptions, setting a school record with a 72.4% completion rate.
McMillan was the top-rated recruit in program history nearly three years ago and has lived up to the hype. The native of Hawaii caught 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, helping him become the first Arizona player to earn preseason AP All-America honors.