Arizona Wildcats look to learn from ‘tough lessons’ against BYU

The Wildcats “went toe-to-toe (with BYU), our kids played physical and there were a lot of good moments in that game,” said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan.

The Wildcats trailed 21-17 until an overturned first down on fourth down with just over eight minutes remaining led to a turnover on downs — and BYU scoring a touchdown to move ahead by two possessions for the first and only time on Saturday.

“When it came down to it in the last eight-and-a-half minutes, we didn’t finish and that’s on me,” Brennan said. “We’ve got work to do.”

Brennan dubbed Arizona’s upcoming matchup with the winless Northern Illinois Huskies “a redline game.” The Wildcats are five-touchdown favorites to beat the Huskies on Saturday.

Said Brennan: “How do we respond from what happened Saturday and how do we attack our process this week going into it? … When I look at this week, this is about us.

“Northern Illinois is coming in here, but this is about our team. Our team attacking the work, attacking the process and diving into the things that we think stopped us from getting it done on Saturday afternoon. But I was proud of our kids. The physicality, the toughness, going on the road in a tough environment, I thought they did a great job handling those things. Obviously I’m disappointed that we didn’t finish.”

Both things can be true: Arizona faced a BYU team — on the road, in a venue that BYU is 13-1 at since the 2024 season — that could conceivably win the Big 12 championship and play in the College Football Playoff, and the Wildcats need to significantly improve in multiple areas, and this past Saturday exposed that.

“You respect what the game was, knowing we stood toe-to-toe with those guys for three-and-a-half quarters, and then we attack aggressively attack what we didn’t get done in the last eight-and-a-half minutes,” Brennan said. “I think that’s something we can definitely build into our practice environment. I think there’s things in every game that you look at and say, ‘Hey, we need to fix this. This isn’t exactly what we want it to be.’

“Looking at that tape, you know there are some lessons in that game that are some tough lessons, but we have to learn from it and improve.”

Here are other pertinent topics Brennan discussed, as the Wildcats turn their focus to NIU:

Arizona’s offensive line had five of the Wildcats’ seven penalties against BYU — all from left tackle Matthew Lado and left guard Rhino Tapa’atoutai. How do you assess the group’s overall performance, and what do you think that group can learn from the BYU game?

A: “The first thing I need to do is remind myself that we’re playing a really good football team. That’s a good football team. I felt like it was a tale of two halves, our ability to effectively run the football — we ran for 100 yards in the first half — and we did a great job moving the football in the first half.

“There were some things that stalled drives in the second (half). Some of those penalties were timely and costly for us. That put us behind the chains and made some of that stuff different.

“I have faith in that group. I have faith in (offensive line coach Josh Oglesby) and I believe they’ll come back this week and attack the work and I think we’re going to like how they look Saturday evening.”

Linebacker Max Harris, a five-for-five player, played 29 defensive snaps against BYU after he was cleared to play following a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the NCAA. What will it take for running back Ismail Mahdi, who led the Wildcats in rushing yards last season, to see the field?

A: “We’re going to see how that plays out in practice this week. That group is deep and we feel really good about (Kedrick Reescano) and (Quincy Craig) and (Wesley Yarbrough) and (Antwan Roberts). I know we’re going to need all those guys. I know the physicality and the nature of that position, the amount of hits those guys take. … We’re going to need all those guys to play. How the rotation will go, we’ll develop that this week.”

Can you elaborate on the two fourth-down decisions in the second half: the decision to punt on the BYU 36-yard line instead of kicking a field goal late in the third quarter, along with the fourth-and-4 play when Rodney Gallagher III was stopped a yard short and BYU got the ball and scored? Why not kick field goals in both scenarios?

A: “That’s an interesting one, because when you’re aggressive and you don’t get it, it’s all bad. I understand that. That’s the nature of making those decisions in those moments. The first (fourth-down play), the defense just pinned them back there on a down-and-punt situation, and then we stopped them and forced a punt.

“I was thinking, ‘Let’s get (quarterback Noah Fifita) a short field, let’s go for seven (points).’ That was my thought process. Instead of a 53- or 54-yard kick, let’s give our defense another chance to stop them, give them a short field and let’s go get seven (points). That was the first one, the field-position decision of that.

“The second one, I was being aggressive. … In my head, I was thinking about momentum, game, take the lead and they made a bang-bang play. They made a great play and we were short. That’s the hard part about making those decisions. It was an aggressive call, we went for it and we didn’t get it and I gotta live with that.”

What’s your assessment of the defensive backs through two games?

A: “I think they’re making progress. You got to see Daylen (Austin) play a little bit and I think we’ve gotten good reps from those safeties back there. I think Malcolm (Hartzog) continues to show up with some physicality. I thought Gavin (Hunter) did some really good stuff in that game. (Cornerback) Jay’Vion Cole is a good player. (Cornerback Dwight Bootle) played his tail off.

“He got beat on a couple of plays, but with what we do, he’s on an island out there. That’s how we’re built a little bit. He played his tail off and I know he’s disappointed that he slipped on one of those plays.

“But I’m encouraged by all those guys. … The fourth quarter, the frustrating part is that in the last eight-and-a-half minutes, both our offense and our defense had opportunities to help us win the game — and we didn’t. That’s on me. And that’s what we’re going to work on.”

Out of all the tough lessons to learn from Saturday, which one is the toughest?

A: “I think it’s a lesson we know and that is you have to finish. Championship football is played in the fourth quarter. When you’re playing against one of the best teams in the conference on the road, you have to finish. You have to play your best football in the fourth quarter and we didn’t do that the last eight minutes.”

Extra points

— Brennan, on sixth-year defensive end and captain Tre Smith not having any sacks or tackles for loss this season: “That’s coming. He played his ass off on Saturday. Physical, violent against a really good team, really tough. That’s all coming. You’re going to see it show up.”

— Arizona has allowed an average of 70.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks 17th in college football and fourth in the Big 12.

— Since last season, the Wildcats have surrendered 43 points in the fourth quarter under defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales — an average that’s less than a field goal (2.87 points).

— TNT broadcasters for the Arizona-NIU game are J.B. Long (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) and Coy Wire (reporter).