Key Takeaways From Arizona’s Dominant Week 1 Victory Against New Mexico
Starting off the year with a win is the goal of every program around the country, but it especially feels good for Arizona after they joined a new conference in the offseason and are led by a new coaching staff.
Because the expectations are so high surrounding this team since many of their star players returned instead of transferring, leaving Week 1 with a comfortable win is a great way to get this campaign underway.
But, even amid all the excitement that came from their offense putting up 61 points that was powered by their star quarterback Noah Fifita and the record-breakout output by Tetairoa McMillan, there are still plenty of things that need to be cleaned up before they face some of the best opponents on their schedule in the next few weeks.
So, here are the key takeaways after the Wildcats opened up their season with a dominant victory.
Superstar Duo Isn't Slowing Down
While New Mexico isn't exactly the best team to gauge the results of anything offensively, it's clear the chemistry between Fifita and McMillan continues to drive this unit, and could take them to their first ever College Football Playoff.
One could only wonder what numbers these two would have put up last year if Fifita had been the starter from the beginning, but after a historic 300-plus yard receiving performance by McMillan in Week 1, there's a chance the superstar wide receiver puts up the most prolific single-season numbers in program history.
Defense Has Issues
Coming into the year, there were some question marks about how the Wildcats might look on defense with a new coordinator in charge. Despite some high-end talent back in the mix, the pass rushing threat was viewed as the weakest link on this team.
Well, the entire defense has some improvements to make after they gave up 39 points and 471 total yards of offense that included 211 on the ground.
They struggled at the point of attack, getting gashed for 5.6 yards per carry as the Lobos quarterback ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Arizona has to come up with answers or else they are going to have a hard time contending in the Big 12, let alone for a College Football Playoff spot.
Running Game is Loaded
Much of the attention surrounding Arizona's offensive attack was centered around what Fifita and McMillan were going to do this season. While they certainly turned heads with their performance on Saturday, another area of the offense flew under the radar.
The Wildcats rushed for 205 yards on 26 carries with four touchdowns, averaging 7.9 yards per carry as their top two running backs of Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Quali Conley were gashing New Mexico's defense for almost a first down every attempt.
There was some thought throughout camp this could be a major strength of the team, providing them with a balance between their potent passing attack and effective running.
Even though this output came against an inferior opponent, seeing how well this running game looked in live action was huge for this team going forward.
BRAD WAKAI