Three Keys to Colorado's Success on Defense Against Arizona
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The 4-3 Arizona Wildcats are fresh off their second and final bye week of the season and will be looking to turn their midseason woes around, starting with a convincing win over the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder this Saturday.
Arizona dropped their last two games in gut-wrenching fashion, losing to No. 10 BYU 33-27 in double overtime and to Houston 31-28 in the final seconds, leaving fans disappointed with the outcomes.
The Buffaloes are hoping to turn their season around as well, as they are currently 3-5 and coming off their biggest loss of the season, being routed by the Utah Utes 53-7.
There is no question that Colorado plays much different football at home, as it nearly knocked off No. 10 BYU under the lights and upset Iowa State in a thrilling game. However, the Buffaloes will need far more than homefield advantage to take down a very determined Arizona team hellbent on winning out and playing in a bowl game.
Here are three things that Colorado must do on defense to nullify the high-powered offense of the Wildcats.
Shut down the running game
The Wildcats have a dangerous trio of running backs, each with a different talent they have used to their advantage on the field.
That rushing offense has been nullified over the last two games, but now that Kedrick Reescano and Quincy Craig are fully healthy, they will look to get back to bullying teams at the line of scrimmage, starting with Colorado.
Colorado's rushing defense is ranked last in the Big 12, but if it is successful in shutting down Arizona's running backs, then it will be a long night for the visiting team.
Disrupt Noah Fifita
Fifita is coming off his best game this season, going 24-for-26 with 269 yards and four touchdowns in a three-point loss to the Houston Cougars.
Before that, he threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns against BYU. The talented junior is on his way to surpassing his totals from last year, just seven games in, and is only getting better.
The Wildcats hold the fourth-best passing offense in the Big 12, while the Buffaloes are ranked eighth as a passing defense, so it should be a thrilling matchup to see who comes out on top.
Minimize points in the red zone/no third down conversions
Arizona is 10th in the Big 12 when it comes to red zone trips. In 31 attempts from within 20 yards of the send zone, the Wildcats have turned 26 of those into points. 16 of those 26 successful trips were for a touchdown. Tre Spivey has also become a serious threat when inside the red zone, as six of his 11 touches have resulted in touchdowns scored.
Colorado boasts the seventh-ranked red zone defense in the Big 12, yielding 24 of 29 trips to go for points. It will be interesting to see how Arizona has improved in that area of the field following the bye week.
Arizona is also 33-for-99 on third down conversions, putting it at 11th in the conference. It has had issues converting all season, and Brent Brennan addressed the issue. Houston stopped Arizona on most of its drives after Arizona scored 14 points in the first quarter. After that, the Wildcats weren't able to move the ball as effectively until the fourth.
Colorado has allowed 37 successful conversions on third down out of 105 attempts. Look for the Colorado defense to show Arizona a ton of pressure as it attempts to the offense off the field.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.