Key Decisions Haunt Arizona Wildcats in Latest Disappointing Loss
The Arizona Wildcats let one slip away on Saturday in their loss against Texas Tech in what was their first-ever Big 12 Conference home game.
There were frustrations throughout the entire contest, highlighted by them settling for two field goals and having a turnover on downs in their three trips inside Texas Tech's red zone.
If even one of those possessions resulted in a touchdown, the game could have played out much differently.
That was a microcosm of this head-scratching performance where the Wildcats looked like a disparate version of themselves than the one who went into hostile territory and pulled off an upset over the No. 10-ranked Utah Utes just two Saturdays ago.
Decisions were firmly in the spotlight after the clock hit zero.
Noah Fifita had a killer interception and Tetairoa McMillan's fumble came at an inopportune time when they were trailing 21-19 that turned into a 28-19 deficit three plays later.
But it's some of the coaching decisions that need to be figured out going forward.
Arizona was 3-for-14 on third downs, having an average of 7.1 yards to gain in those situations. That points to the play caller and gameplan not doing enough to put this offense in positions to succeed on a consistent basis.
Outside of their blowout win over New Mexico, who has one of the worst defenses in the country, the Wildcats have combined to go 12-for-51, which would have them ranked 130th out of 133 FBS teams if their 8-for-12 effort in the opener was scratched.
Even with that game added in, Arizona finds themselves sitting 115th in third down conversion percentage, moving the chains in that situation just over one out of every three times.
Another key decision by Brent Brennan came in the fourth quarter after the Wildcats had scored 13 straight points to cut the deficit to two.
After recovering a fumble on the plus-side of the 50-yard line, Arizona moved the ball further into Texas Tech territory when Fifita connected with McMillan on a pass that had them three yards shy of the red zone.
They couldn't convert a 3rd and 6 when running back Quali Conley was tackled one yard short of the first down, but with momentum on their side, it seemed like a great opportunity for them to be aggressive and go for it on fourth down.
Instead, Brennan opted to try and draw the Red Raiders offsides, taking a delay of game when they didn't jump into the neutral zone, settling for a field goal and a 19-18 lead.
Points were at a premium in this game, so it's understandable why they opted to play it safe, but that slim lead was gone just three possessions later when Arizona missed a field goal and Texas Tech made one of their own.
If the Wildcats had gotten the first down to give themselves another opportunity to score a touchdown, they would have potentially gone up 23-18, making the Red Raiders needing a touchdown of their own to take the lead.
Instead of being aggressive in a key moment and dictating results with his offense on the field, Brennan put it in the hands of his opponent to make a mental mistake that didn't occur.
Again, that was a decision that came back to haunt Arizona.
This needs to get figured out, and figured out in a hurry, or else the Wildcats will continue to underperform throughout this campaign.
