Arizona’s front seven is starting to make noise, and the Big 12 noticed.
After Saturday’s performance against Cincinnati, the Wildcats’ defensive line picked up Big 12 defensive line of the week honors. Arizona held the Bearcats, the No. 2 rushing attack in the conference, to 74 rushing yards and 2.6 yards per carry while adding 1.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and 16 tackles.
The message from Brent Brennan was clear all week: stop the run. Arizona did exactly that.
“They wanted to run the ball,” said Brennan. “We knew that, and we said no.
We’re not going to do that tonight, and that’s just a commitment and a mentality from the defensive staff and defensive players. I thought that was awesome.”
It’s the first time Arizona’s defense has landed a group Big 12 weekly award. The offensive line had already done it last season with offensive line of the week, and this latest recognition gives Arizona three conference honors this season and 14 Big 12 honors since joining the league.
Chase Kennedy, who is listed as a linebacker but moves on and off the defensive front, has been part of the reason the Wildcats have been better against the run this year. After the win over Cincinnati, he pointed to the challenge Arizona had in front of it.
“We know they came into the game averaging around 270 rushing yards a game, and so the goal is to keep them under 100, and we knew that we had a great chance to win if we did that,” said Kennedy after the win over Cincinnati. “Once we stopped the run we knew everything was going to be in our hands.”
The next test is even bigger. West Virginia brings the nation’s third-best rushing attack at 294 rushing yards per game, and the Mountaineers have two of the country’s top rushers in quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and running back Cam Cook, both inside the top ten in rushing yards nationally.
Arizona’s own ground game is still coming together, which sets up the RichRod Bowl to have real track meet potential on Saturday.
In Other News...
Arizona Run Defense Faces Its Biggest Reality Check Yet
Arizonas run defense has already passed one major test. In the 34-7 win over Cincinnati, the Wildcats held one of the nations better rushing attacks to 74 yards, another sign that this group is no longer just holding its own but becoming a real strength. Through the season, Arizona has trimmed opponents to an average of 79 rushing yards per game, a pace that puts this defense among the best run-stopping units in school history.
Now comes the part that will tell the fuller story. The Wildcats have leaned on a heavy rotation under their defensive coordinator to keep legs fresh and pressure steady, and that approach will be under a harsher spotlight against a much more punishing ground game. Arizona has looked the part against quality resistance already, but this matchup will show whether the depth and discipline that carried the day against Cincinnati can hold up when the workload gets heavier and the margin for error shrinks. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Late-Season Surge Could Set Up A Bowl Shot At Revenge
Arizonas 34-7 win over previously undefeated Cincinnati turned heads in a hurry, mostly because it was built on the kind of formula that travels well in November. The Wildcats leaned on a strong running game and a run defense that held the Bearcats to a season-low 74 rushing yards, a sign that this late-season surge is being powered by more than just one hot afternoon.
Next up is a conference date with West Virginia on TNT, and Arizona still has plenty to sort out before any postseason picture comes into focus. Even so, the Wildcats are tracking toward a bowl appearance that would add another layer of intrigue to the finish, especially with a matchup that would bring back a familiar opponent from last winter. [Read more 🡒]