Storylines to Follow For Arizona vs Baylor
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For the final time in 2025 on Saturday, Arizona will take the field at Casino Del Sol Stadium to take on the visiting Baylor Bears and a juggernaut offense.
The Wildcats are 5-1 at home this season and will send off a strong group of seniors on Saturday, looking to improve to 8-3 on the year.
Brent Brennan has done an impressive job flipping the program around. From a 4-8 finish in year one to now, Brennan has built an entirely new narrative around the Wildcats this season. His job was once in question, and now, Arizona looks to be on the rise once again.
The Bears are 5-5, still looking to clinch a bowl berth. Baylor has been a team of opposites: a high-powered offense and a putrid defense. Baylor boasts the nation's No. 2 passing offense, but is the second-worst defense in the Big 12, allowing 31.9 points per game.
Arizona is much more balanced and should have a good chance to win this game and send the seniors off on a positive note. Here are three storylines to watch this weekend.
1) What Will Arizona's Seniors Do For A Final Act?
Several seniors could step up for the Wildcats on both sides of the ball. Offensively, wideouts Kris Hutson and Javin Whatley have led a diverse receiving core. Hutson leads all Arizona pass-catchers with 41 catches for 512 yards and three touchdowns. Whatley follows closely behind with 36 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns.
Hutson has been Noah Fifita's go-to target over the middle lately. He made eight catches for a season-high 123 yards in Arizona's upset at Cincinnati last week. He should be a big target once again, facing a Baylor defense that is decent against the pass, allowing 195.5 passing yards per game.
Up front, tackles Ty Buchanan and Tristan Bounds will say goodbye, although Bounds has already been listed as out for the game. Buchanan has been a reliable blindside for Fifita and should do fine against the Bears' pass rush, which ranks last in the Big 12 with just 10 sacks.
Tight ends Sam Olson and Cameron Barmore will also have an impact in the blocking department, clearing space on the ground for Arizona's trio of backs and occasionally making a play over the middle in the passing game.
On defense, the secondary will have all the eyes. Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, Ayden Garnes and Michael Dansby will have to play well to slow down athletic receiving threats like Josh Cameron and Michael Trigg for Baylor.
Sawyer Robertson leads an air raid attack that throws for 324.4 yards per game, the most in the conference. Robertson also leads all FBS quarterbacks with 3,210 passing yards this season and has six games with more than 300 yards through the air.
Stukes and Johnson mean a ton to this defense, both on the field and in the locker room. They are guys who could have walked away and into the transfer portal several times, but stuck it out in Tucson. Arizona will need some help from its veterans in the secondary to slow down the daunting offense.
2) Can Noah Fifita Outduel Sawyer Robertson?
Speaking of that offense, Robertson is the statistical monster in this matchup. His 29 passing touchdowns are second in the nation, only to Heisman contender Fernando Mendoza at Indiana.
Robertson isn't totally phased by pressure. He understands where to go against the blitz and how to get the ball out quickly. That said, this offense is all about shots downfield and explosives through the air.
Fifita can match that at times. He's thrown for 2,494 yards, 24 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He's been about as reliable a quarterback as anyone in the country could ask for. Fifita also set the program record for career touchdown passes with his 68th last week.
Arizona should be able to run the ball, but if the Wildcats' secondary struggles early on, this could develop into a wild west shootout, and that's not the game Arizona wants to play.
For Fifita to beat Robertson, he doesn't need to match the gaudy numbers and throw for more yards or touchdowns than him. It's all about taking advantage of the opportunities presented to him. Baylor plays a lot of man coverage, but will occasionally throw a funky look in and play zone.
That means Fifita should feel confident in his playmakers in solo coverage on the outside. Tre Spivey's 6-foot-4 frame could come into play this week.
Seth Doege should learn to have a more balanced and adjustable approach this week, but there are avenues for Fifita to dominate this week if needed.
3) How Much Does Arizona Lean On The Run Game?
That said, Arizona should absolutely win this game on the ground. The Wildcats got all three running backs involved last week in a win over Cincinnati, and that success should only build this week.
Despite the fact that Arizona is not a statistically great rushing offense, the Wildcats are fully capable of having success on the ground.
Center Ka'ena Decambra has been a great run blocker this season, opening rushing lanes from the inside for bruising backs like Ismail Mahdi and Quincy Craig to gallop through. Buchanan has been solid at reaching around and sealing the edge for Kedrick Reescano to use his speed in the open field.
The matchup here really isn't fair. If Arizona can keep all three backs fresh in a rotation, there is nothing Baylor can do to stop it. The Bears allow 197.8 yards per game on the ground, second-worst in the Big 12 ahead of only Colorado. Arizona ran for 204 yards on the Buffaloes earlier this season.
Mahdi could be the feature back this week. He had the fewest carries of the three a week ago, but his size and burst combo make him an ideal candidate to slow this game down.
If the Wildcats run the ball effectively, they can limit possessions for Baylor's offense and maximize the potential mistakes the Bears make.
What are your predictions for Arizona's final home game of the season against Baylor? To let us know, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.
Logan Brown is an alumnus of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently works as a General College Sports Reporter On SI. Logan has an extensive background in writing and has contributed to Cronkite Sports, PHNX Sports, and Motion Graphics.
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