Random thoughts on the current state of Arizona Football

It was yet another ugly loss for the Arizona Football team, as the program has lost 10 straight, nine of which have been by double-digits. 

Another Saturday, another ugly loss for our Arizona Football team, as they are now the owners of the fourth-longest, active losing streak in FBS.

If there were a play, to sum up, Arizona’s evening in Pasadena, CA, it would have to be the very first play of the game. And from all indications on that play, perhaps it was foreshadowing that it was going to be a long night.

Arizona Wildcats

Sophomore starting quarterback Grant Gunnell went down on the first play of the game after taking a nasty hit, and from there it did not get much better.

We had plenty of issues on offense as a result of the Gunnell injury, but let’s start with our defense. Whether it’s through the air or on the ground, this defense is constantly getting gashed every Saturday and their game against the Bruins was no different.

The Bruins ran for an impressive 281 yards, averaging five yards per carry, led by senior running back Demetric Felton who had 206 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries.

And another week went by with this defense failing to produce a single turnover. I know we have lost a lot of key pieces either through the transfer portal or through player opt-outs, but I am a bit disgusted by our defense’s inability to force turnovers. Having zero turnovers through three games is unacceptable.

As if the zero turnovers are not bad enough, every year they continue to struggle with generating a decent pass rush. According to Sports Source, in addition to not having a single turnover, this defense has only been able to produce one sack this season. If the offense is going to have a backup in at QB, they’re going to need as much help as possible, and to me, it starts with their defense.

That brings me to our offense. Normally one positive that Wildcat fans can look forward to is our rushing attack, but that was not the case against the Bruins. The Cats rushed for 147 yards, but only averaged 3.8 yards a carry. Star running back Gary Brightwell was the most disappointing, having only 57 yards on 17 carries. That did not help QB Will Plummer, who filled in for the injured Gunnell.

In terms of Plummer, he played ok. He showed to have mobility, which helped the Cats in certain situations. But when it came throwing the football, it did not go as well as he threw two interceptions, the last of which sealed the win for UCLA.

With all that said, we have two games remaining against Colorado and ASU, and the way this team looks, it would not be surprising to see them go winless in this COVID shortened season. Oh well, at least we have basketball… Maybe.