Top 3 Storylines for Saturday’s Arizona vs. Kansas Game
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A blowout win coming off a bye week can sometimes spark a rally. Arizona is counting on the momentum from last week's big win in Boulder to carry back home to Tucson against Kansas this weekend.
The Wildcats and Jayhawks are both fighting for their sixth win and bowl eligibility, which is an important milestone for both programs after disappointing 2024 seasons.
Brent Brennan needs to show that his Wildcats are on the rise and can sustain some success by pushing Arizona into the postseason with a roster full of veteran talent.
Arizona did whatever they wanted to against Colorado, winning 52-17. The Wildcats jumped in front quickly with a 57-yard touchdown strike from Tre Spivey, and the defense forced five turnovers from the Buffaloes to set up quick scoring opportunities.
Kansas bounced back from a pair of blowout losses with a 38-21 victory over Oklahoma State, where the Jayhawks scored on every drive behind a stable rushing attack.
It's another important game for the Wildcats to take with just one home game remaining afterward. Here are three things to watch as Arizona takes on Kansas this weekend.
1) Will Noah Fifita Break the Program's Passing Touchdown Record?
Noah Fifita has been on a roll lately. The junior quarterback has thrown for more than 200 yards and multiple touchdowns in every Big 12 game this season. He tore apart the Colorado secondary last week with four touchdown passes before being pulled early in the third quarter.
This week, Fifita has a chance to make history in Tucson. With 21 touchdown passes already this season, he is just two shy of the career record at Arizona of 67. Former Wildcats Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles share the record currently.
Fifita has thrown for two or more touchdown passes in six of Arizona's eight games this season. Offensive coordinator Seth Doege has been aggressive in calling plays that rely on Fifita's right shoulder downfield. It's very possible that the record is tied or falls this weekend.
The Jayhawks have struggled against the aerial attacks this season, holding numbers not much better than what Arizona saw last week at Colorado.
Kansas allows 213 yards per game in the air (11th in the Big 12) and has surrendered 11 touchdown passes this season. There's no reason to think Fifita can replicate his performance from a week ago back on home grounds.
There are a pair of safeties from Kansas that bear watching out for. Lyrik Rawls and Devin Dye are both very smart and experienced on the back end and do a great job of baiting throws downfield and outside the numbers. They move around the field a lot and don't always play a traditional deep safety role.
Kansas also has 19 sacks this season, making the one of the best pressure teams the Wildcats have seen this season. There are a few things from this Kansas defense that make the poor numbers seem odd. Fifita will have to be aggressive if he wants to climb to the top of the Arizona leaderboard.
2) How Does Arizona Slow Down Jalon Daniels?
On the other side, the Jayhawks have an experienced quarterback of their own. Jalon Daniels is a true dual-threat player in his sixth season. He's having one of his best seasons as well, throwing for 1,991 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. Daniels has also run for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
Kansas puts Daniels in a lot of great positions to succeed. They get him on the run, moving the pocket and playing to his strengths, providing options downfield with his quick-trigger release or lanes to scramble.
The Jayhawks also do some funky stuff in the backfield. They occasionally rely on wildcat formations with Daniels split out as a receiver, motioning across and taking a handoff, or even throwing from out wide.
Daniels has done a good job of keeping the ball this season, but he has a track record of turnover problems. He tied with Fifita for the Big 12 lead with 12 interceptions last season and has also fumbled six times this season.
Arizona should be emphasizing punch-outs this week in practice against Daniels, who will run against a Wildcats defense that has struggled against QB runs, especially when breaking the pocket.
With how Kansas moves Daniels by design, it will be critical for edge players like Riley Wilson and Chase Kennedy to be smart about how far up the field they get when rushing to not get blocked out and provide a lane to run.
3) Can Arizona Prevent Explosive Plays?
The Jayhawks like to take their shots downfield when they can. Daniels has a good arm and gets the ball out quickly to receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. along the sidelines.
Henderson leads the Jayhawks with 36 catches for 573 yards and four touchdowns. He's lightning fast and could break away from the Arizona secondary, which struggled last week defending deep route combos from the Buffaloes.
Arizona was a bit fortunate that Colorado missed out on several of those opportunities, either because of bad throws or the Wildcats' defensive line forcing another turnover, but Daniels likely won't make those same mistakes.
Lance Leipold is very aggressive on the ground as well, and the Wildcats have had a tough time against some of the better tailbacks in the Big 12. Kansas brings two in Leshon Williams and Daniel Hishaw Jr., both of whom have more than 300 yards rushing this season.
They play between the tackles, but Kansas is all about speed, getting guys on the perimeter and outrunning the defense in space. This is another big week for the Arizona defense to step up and reestablish its early-season identity as a stronger unit of stoppers.
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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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