Arizona Wildcats on Pace To Accomplish Something for First Time Since 2013
Things haven't gone as planned for the Arizona offense through six games this season.
After putting up 60-plus points in the opener that made it seem like they would be one of the best units in college football, things have largely regressed following that contest where there are now questions each weekend about how they might perform.
That was not expected when superstar wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Noah Fifita announced they were coming back to Tucson this season.
A change in head coach and offensive philosophy has played a role in this regression, but it's really the drop in form from Fifita that has stunted them on that side of the ball.
The star signal caller has discussed his poor play and is doing everything he can to turn things around, but even amid the rough stretch he's had this year, he and the offensive line are on pace to do something that hasn't happened for Arizona since 2013.
According to Michael Lev of The Arizona Daily Star, the six times that Fifita has been sacked through six games has them on track to beat the mark from 2013 when B.J. Denker was sacked 17 times.
That is an impressive aspect of this offense, and much of that has to do with Fifita.
Lev points out that his pressure-to-sack rate is 6.7%, which is the lowest in the Big 12 and the fourth-lowest among FBS-level programs. This is a major improvement from last year when that rate was around 17.5%.
The offensive line should be commended as well, especially with some injuries they have sustained throughout the season that has caused there to be multiple players used across different positions depending on who is available.
Avoiding sacks is a marker for an offense being able to sustain drives and score points, so even though the Wildcats have been sporadic on that side of the ball, not losing huge chunks of yards should help them eventually figure things out if Fifita returns to form.
