TCU heads to Tucson with momentum from a comeback over Kansas, but the Horned Frogs are walking into a much stiffer test against Arizona. If they want to leave with another Big 12 win, they’ll need cleaner execution on both sides of the ball.
The biggest problem for TCU is obvious: Noah Fifita. Arizona’s quarterback has already put together another huge season, and the numbers back it up.
He threw for 3,228 yards and 29 touchdowns last year, and with four regular-season games left this season, he’s at 2,481 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s on track to top last year’s yardage total.
His latest outing showed exactly why Arizona leans so heavily on him. Against Texas Tech, Fifita threw for a season-high 417 yards. He only had one touchdown pass, but it was a 94-yard strike to Isaiah Mizell.
That connection is the other half of Arizona’s offensive punch. Mizell has become the receiver TCU can’t afford to lose track of, and his recent stretch has been electric.
Over his last three games, he has 21 receptions for 499 yards and four touchdowns. For the season, he leads Arizona with 675 receiving yards and six touchdowns, while averaging nearly 20 yards per catch.
That duo is a major reason Arizona is still in the Big 12 championship race. If TCU can limit those explosive plays, the Wildcats will have to find answers elsewhere.
The challenge gets tougher because Arizona can also get after the quarterback. The Wildcats are tied for second in the Big 12 with 25 sacks, and TCU’s protection will have to hold up.
Chase Kennedy, a senior from Dallas, leads Arizona with six sacks, including five solo sacks. Taye Brown paces the team with 47 total tackles, and his 20 solo tackles rank among the Wildcats’ top five.
Dash Fifita, Noah Fifita’s younger brother, has added three sacks and five tackles for loss.
Arizona’s pressure has been a real strength, but the takeaway numbers tell a different story. The Wildcats are tied for the second-fewest interceptions in the Big 12 with two, and junior safeties Quinn Olson and Cam Chapa have one apiece. Even so, Arizona has forced six fumbles and recovered five, so the defense has still found ways to create disruption.
That means TCU can’t get careless. The Frogs came through against Kansas without turning the ball over, and doing that again would go a long way toward keeping this game in reach.
Arizona’s defense is not a soft landing spot, either. The Wildcats are allowing 334.5 yards per game, sixth-fewest in the Big 12, and about 5.0 yards per play.
The good news for TCU is that Arizona has been far less dangerous against the run. The Wildcats rank second-to-last in the Big 12 in rushing offense at 131.5 yards per game. If TCU can make Arizona work on the ground instead of letting Fifita and Mizell hit big plays through the air, that changes the shape of the game.
For the Frogs, that starts up front. They’ll need enough protection to let their receivers operate, and Jordan Dwyer could matter if TCU can give him time to work against Arizona’s coverage. But the bigger point is simple: TCU has to stay disciplined, avoid turnovers and make the Wildcats sustain drives.
This has the feel of a lower-scoring game, and TCU’s defense may have to deliver another timely performance like it did against Kansas. Fifita is a dangerous quarterback, but the Frogs can make life harder on him by getting pressure without losing sight of Arizona’s receivers.
There’s also a chance Arizona comes in a little flat after a tough matchup with Texas Tech and with Utah next on the schedule. If that happens, TCU has to be ready to pounce.
The formula for the Horned Frogs is clear: limit explosive plays, protect the football and finish drives. If they do that, they give themselves a real shot in Tucson.
In Other News...
Arizona Wasted Ivan Kharchenkovs Huge Night In A Frustrating Opener
Ivan Kharchenkov gave Arizona everything it could have asked for in its season opener in Las Vegas, turning in a career night with 38 points and 10 rebounds against UCLA. Even with that kind of performance, the Wildcats could not get enough support around him and fell 84-75 in a frustrating opener that exposed some early-season issues against a physical Bruins defense.
Arizona never found much rhythm from the perimeter, and several of its other key options struggled to make an impact as UCLA kept the pressure on. The Wildcats will have a quick chance to reset when they return home to face Cal Poly on November 5, but the opener was a reminder that one huge individual effort may not be enough if the rest of the offense does not come along. [Read more 🡒]
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Arizonas season opener at T-Mobile Arena had the kind of individual performance that usually travels a long way toward a win. Ivan Kharchenkov was everywhere for the Wildcats, piling up a career-high 38 points and 10 rebounds and giving Arizona a chance to make a statement right out of the gate. Instead, the night turned into a frustrating reminder that one big scoring burst does not always cover for the other end of the floor.
UCLA kept finding extra possessions and made Arizona pay for it, building enough separation to withstand the Wildcats late push. Arizona did rally in the closing stretch, but the Bruins stayed in front and finished off an 84-75 result that will sting because the effort was there, the production was there, and the win still slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Already Has A Problem It Cant Ignore Behind Kharchenkov
Arizonas season opener in Las Vegas already offered a reminder that being ranked No. 5 does not guarantee smooth sailing. Ivan Kharchenkov carried a heavy load for the Wildcats, turning in a career night with 38 points and 10 rebounds, but Arizona still came up short against No. 22 UCLA, 84-75, in a game that exposed how much the offense leaned on one player from the start.
The bigger concern for Tommy Lloyds group is what came after Kharchenkovs outburst, because the Wildcats never found enough balance or efficiency to keep pace. UCLA used its depth and second-chance opportunities to control key stretches, while Trent Perry helped close it out with 21 points and steady work at the foul line, leaving Arizona with an early issue it cannot afford to ignore if this is going to be a long season. [Read more 🡒]