Arizona Wildcats Head Coach Shares Insight into How Team Calls Plays
The Arizona Wildcats are coming off their first real test as a member of the Big 12 conference prior to the bye week last week, a test they failed fairly miserably in a 31-7 drubbing at the hands of Kansas State.
Despite this fact, there is still hope surrounding the offense and new offensive coordinator Dino Babers who arrives in Tucson after a successful run as the head coach of Syracuse came to a close. In the first game of the season, the Wildcats put up 61 points while facing off against the New Mexico Lobos, and the Noah Fifita/Tetairoa McMillan connection looked as strong as it ever has with possibly the best game the duo has ever played together.
In the victory, Fifita completed 19 of his 31 attempts for 422 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. McMillan on the other hand accounted for 304 of those passing yards on ten receptions which included all four of the touchdowns Fifita threw as well. But since that first game, the connection has lacked the same spark, virtually disappearing in the second game against Northern Arizona, a game that was much closer than desired, and not finding the end zone once again during the Kansas State beatdown. Despite this, head coach Brent Brennan says he is comfortable letting Babers make the decisions surrounding play calling.
"I’m a little bit more big picture that way, just kind of talking through what they’re seeing, listening to what they’re talking about," Brennan said in his game week press conference prior to the road trip at Utah. "If I have a suggestion, I’ll say it. But I normally let those guys do their job."
Babers has well over a decade of head coaching experience and was considered to be among the better coaches in the country at his peak with Syracuse. Brennan empowering the man he trusted enough to hire as his play caller and offensive coordinator is probably a sound strategy as the team gets ready to navigate conference play as a Big 12 program.
It would take quite the game play calling wise from Babers for the Wildcats to have a chance to take down No. 10 Utah on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
