Arizona Wildcats Inside Top 50 in Latest College Football Power Rankings
The Arizona Wildcats are off to a fantastic start after the first month of the college football season saw them go 3-1, including an upset victory over the Utah Utes on the road last Saturday to open conference play in their inaugural season in the Big 12.
Their only loss so far has come against the 20th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats, with the remaining of their two wins coming over the New Mexico Lobos, and Division Two Northern Arizona.
The Wildcats have scored 113 points over their first four games while holding their opponents to a combined 90 points.
It has been a balanced attack for Arizona, with quarterback Noah Fifita totaling 1,060 yards through the air with seven touchdowns, and running back Quali Conley leading the charge on the ground with 322 yards and four touchdowns.
The defense has gotten in on the action as well, generating five turnovers, four on interceptions, with defensive back Genesis Smith leading the team with two.
The strong start to the 2024 campaign has seen the Wildcats' stock rise in the college football power rankings across the board, with Chris Vannini of The Athletic ranking the team 33rd overall, a 10-spot increase over their previous ranking for the publication.
"It’s Arizona’s 31-7 loss to Kansas State," writes Vannini, "that keeps the Wildcats from being higher for now."
Despite the loss holding them back, a 10-spot jump is a massive improvement, with another similar jump putting Arizona inside the top 25.
The Wildcats face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in their next contest, a team that has not had their bye week yet and holds a 4-1 record.
The Red Raiders rank 36th in these power rankings, just three spots behind Arizona, so it should be a good matchup between the two teams with FOX carrying the national broadcast.
While it has been a successful season so far, there is still room for improvement.
The program ranks seventh in the Big 12 in offensive yards per game (417.5), sixth in passing yards per game (265), 10th in rushing yards per game (152.5), and 13th in points per game (28.3).
Defensively, Arizona ranks 11th in yards per game (355.8), seventh in passing yards per game (201.3), 12th in rushing yards per game (154.5), and ninth in points per game (22.5).
First-year head coach Brent Brennan can help lead this program to further success, with a bowl game likely in the cards for the Wildcats this year.
