3 Games Arizona Wildcats Fans Should Pay Attention To This Weekend
Coming off their disappointing loss to Kansas State one week ago, the Arizona Wildcats have plenty of stuff to work on during their bye week before they face Utah in a huge showdown next weekend that will have major ramifications on how their season plays out.
Head coach Brent Brennan has discussed some things they are going to emphasize during this prolonged practice period, and ideally, the roster is also able to get healthier after dealing with multiple injuries across the offensive line.
It's not a secret that Arizona hasn't looked like the team many projected them to be the past two games, struggling to put up points against Northern Arizona and getting shutout following their opening drive touchdown against Kansas State.
The Wildcats have to perform much better if they are going to upset Utah on the road in Week 5, but that game won't be played until next Saturday.
With Arizona not playing this weekend, this might be a good time to run some errands, do some things around the house, or complete whatever tasks that have been put on the back burner once football season began, but for those who are still ready to camp out on the couch in front of their televisions, there are teams in action who the Wildcats play later this year.
Here are three games to pay attention to on Saturday.
3. TCU @ SMU
Arizona takes on the Horned Frogs late in the season on Nov. 23 right before their massive rivalry game against Arizona State.
TCU got off to a solid start this year, winning their first two games before having a massive collapse against UCF last weekend where they blew an 18-point third quarter lead and lost 35-34 on a missed field goal.
This will be a great opportunity for Arizona fans to get a look at TCU against a team in SMU who was expected to compete for an ACC title with so many returning starters in the mix. The Horned Frogs rank 113th at the FBS level in rushing yards per game with 96.3, so this contest could give them an early look at how to shut down the passing attack that is fifth with 351 yards per game.
Stats are bound to change, but SMU's offense could provide a blueprint on how Arizona should attack TCU's defense when these two teams face each other.
2. Kansas @ West Virginia
A matchup between two Big 12 foes should be on the radar, especially when the Wildcats take on West Virginia on Oct. 26. This is an interesting game to monitor because the Mountaineers were expected to be one of the best rushing teams in the country after leading Power 4 schools on a per game basis last season.
While they haven't lived up to the hype on that front, West Virginia is still a very good rushing team, ranked 39th in the country with 192.7 yards per contest so far this year.
That could be a huge problem for Arizona if they don't fix their inability to stop ground attacks of their opponents coming out of their bye, so this will be game to watch and see how West Virginia's running game operates.
1. Utah @ Oklahoma State
Not only is this No. 1 on the list for games Arizona fans should pay attention to this weekend, this is one of the best matchups of the entire Saturday slate as this is a showdown between two top 15 teams.
Wildcats fans will get a good look at Utah when they go on the road and face an Oklahoma State offense that has been able to put up numbers through the air despite having one of the best running backs in the country.
Getting an idea of how Arizona's offense can potentially attack the defense of the Utes will be on full display here, especially if the Cowboys utilize a balanced approach with their running and passing game like the Wildcats want to do this season.
BRAD WAKAI