A win is a win, especially in this day and age of College Football where several teams endured tough setbacks in week one of the 2024 season. For head coach Brent Brennan and Arizona Football, I am certain that they are just happy to be waking up 1-0.
Coming into this week, there were bound to be some growing pains for this group, especially as the Wildcats are breaking in an entirely new coaching staff and are still getting acclimated to each other. And while Arizona did run away with the 61-39 win over the Lobos, this one was far from pretty.
Key observations from the Arizona win over New Mexico.
The Defense looked Slow, Small, and Undisciplined
Uncharacteristic of last season, the Wildcats then had no problems imposing their will against opposing offenses. However, on Saturday night, it was the complete opposite. Unable to generate pressure, contain the edges, or cover opposing receivers as they found soft spots in man/zone coverage, the Wildcats endured a myriad of issues in the first half.
Surrendering 305 yards and 24 points in the first half, New Mexico found a rhythm early, looking crisp as they had the Wildcats' defense on their heels for much of the first half.
🗣️ Coach B after his first win as @ArizonaFBall Head Coach #BearDown pic.twitter.com/yF7L0UBJ87
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) September 1, 2024
Granted, Arizona made some adjustments and responded nicely in the second half; however, in total, the Cats surrendered 39 points, 471 yards, and six penalties for 70 yards. Not exactly the effort I was hoping to see from a group that returned several starters from a season ago.
Luckily, it is week one and I imagine that this group will get better as the season progresses; however, my outlook on the rest of the season has changed a bit after what we witnessed against New Mexico.