Brennan Proud of Arizona’s Effort Despite Holiday Bowl Loss
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The Arizona Wildcats fell flat against the SMU Mustangs in the Holiday Bowl, missing a chance to reach 10 wins for the second time in three seasons.
The #17-ranked Wildcats were bested 24-19 by SMU on Jan. 2. Arizona trailed 24-0 going into halftime, before roaring back to make it a one-score game late in the contest. Despite SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings throwing 3 interceptions to zero touchdowns, and Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita tossing a trio of touchdowns to just one interception, it wasn’t enough for the Wildcats to take the victory.
It’s a disappointing ending for what many Wildcats fans would consider a special season in Arizona, especially after last season’s forgettable 4-8 record in head coach Brent Brennan’s first season at the helm.
Following the loss in the Holiday Bowl, Brennan spoke to the media about what went wrong in the upset defeat, but also credited his team for fighting back after halftime despite the large deficit they faced.
- “I would say the turning point in my mind was us coming out of half,” Brennan said. “We made it a game in that second half. One of the things I told the team is that, the truth is we didn’t play well enough in the first half to win it, and that starts with me. But, I love the way this team responded. I love the heart and the fight in this team.”
- “I’m disappointed and pissed off about tonight,” Brennan continued. “But I’m not going to let that wreck how I feel about [this team].”
Brennan championed several moral victories despite the disappointing result. Noting the pre-season expectations placed on the Wildcats before they ever took the field in 2025.
- “All year, this team bought in, and lived redline,” Brennan said. “That started last January, at a time when no one gave us a chance. I think it’s worth noting that team 122 here at the University of Arizona is one of eight teams in the history of our program to win nine games. So to me, that is incredibly impressive from a team that was picked to be dead last in the Big 12.”
Brennan and the Wildcats will now focus their attention towards off-season recruiting, as well as the transfer portal. After a fast ascension back into contention for the 2025 Wildcats, they’ll look to build off of that with a strong offseason heading into 2026.
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Justin Backer brings a wealth of experience to his role as a college football and basketball general sports reporter On SI. Backer is a proud graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies, and has worked for such media companies as The Sporting News and the Palm Beach Post.