Arizona Wildcats College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Arizona Wildcats Biggest Key: Offense
Start converting on third down chances again. The offense has to take the pressure off the defense, and it has to start doing more to keep the attack going.
The offensive line has to do more in pass protection, the rushing attack has to be something about the attack to throw a scare into defenses. It all starts, though, with simply moving the chains.
The 2019 offense converted 44% of its third down chances, and so did the 2018 attack. Third down conversions haven’t been a problem for the Arizona offense over the years – even through the down times – but nothing worked last season.
The Wildcats were dead last in the Pac-12 and among the worst in the nation on third downs, converting just 33% of their chances. Game after game slipped away partly because the offense couldn’t get into any sort of a groove.
Arizona Wildcats Biggest Key: Defense
Stop the run, and that included getting into the backfield. The Wildcats came up with just two more sacks than you did. The 0.4 sacks generated per game was the lowest in college football and fewest by anyone in over a decade.
Statistically, it all ties together. Don’t get into the backfield, don’t come up with sacks, and the run defense is going to have problems, too.
The Arizona defense had problems two years ago allowing 4.8 yards per carry. That was an issue, and then came 2020 – the Wildcat defense allowed 5.9 yards per carry and 19 touchdowns in just five games.
Colorado ripped off over 400 yards, Arizona State scored seven times on the ground, and everyone rumbled for over five yards per carry.
With BYU, San Diego State and Oregon coming up early, this has to be fixed … fast.
Arizona Wildcats Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Paiton Fears, Jr.
The Wildcats already have a good option at one tackle spot – Donovan Laie should be a full-time blocker on the outside after spending a ton of time at guard over the last few weeks – but the pass protection and the offense as a whole can’t and won’t be better until the line improves.
The 6-5, 312-pound Fears came in from the JUCO ranks in 2019 and started for most of the year somewhere on the line, and last season he got the call at right tackle – and he struggled. He’s got the skill and upside to grow into a factor, but if he’s not far better in pass protection, there’s going to be a scramble.
Arizona Wildcats Key Game To The 2021 Season
BYU, Sept. 4 (in Las Vegas)
There aren’t a whole lot of winnable-looking games on the Arizona slate – Northern Arizona is one, and good luck finding a second. BYU isn’t totally rebuilding, but this isn’t going to be quite the killer last year’s team was – not having QB Zach Wilson around is a big part of that.
BYU might be more of a 50/50 game than it appears. At the very least, it’ll show just how far Arizona has to go under the new regime. In a perfect world, win, and with San Diego State and NAU to follow, there’s a shot at a fantastic 3-0 start.
– Arizona Football Schedule Analysis
2020 Arizona Wildcats Fun Stats
– 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 44 – Arizona 10
– Sacks: Opponents 17 for 113 yards – Arizona 2 for 3 yards
– Fumbles: Arizona 9 (lost 5) – Opponents 3 (lost 1)