Top 3 Arizona Offensive Threats Facing Colorado
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Arizona is 4-3 and in dire need of a road win. Brent Brennan has been dreadful away from home as the Wildcats' coach and this weekend at Colorado is one of the best opportunities he can have to buck the trend.
Three of Arizona's final five games are on the road, so this is a monumental game for Arizona's bowl hopes. Luckily for them, things seem to be swaying their way in this one, at least on paper.
The Wildcats had last week off while the Buffaloes were stomped in Salt Lake City by Utah, 53-7. Arizona's offense has found a rhythm through the air, in large part thanks to efficient play from star quarterback Noah Fifita.
The downside is that the Buffaloes have been good in Boulder this season. The Buffaloes have only two losses this season, both against ranked opponents: No. 7 Georgia Tech and No. 10 BYU, by a combined 10 points.
Colorado has allowed 27.4 points per game this season, but only allows 210.4 yards in the air per game. Fifita should have success, but this will be an important week for Arizona to find other avenues to keep defenses on their toes.
Here's three guys from the Wildcats' offense to keep an eye on this weekend.
Kedrick Reescano
Arizona has three capable running backs in Ismail Mahdi, Quincy Craig and Reescano. However, the ground game hasn't been very efficient lately. Reescano has had the hot hand since coming back from injury, so I'll look to him to help out the Wildcats this week.
To put it nicely, Colorado got bullied up front last week by Utah's physical offensive line. The Wildcats might not have the same level of talent up there, but they do have the size and chops to have success against the worst run defense in the Big 12. The Buffaloes allow 217.3 yards rushing per game this season.
Reescano is the lone returner to the Arizona backfield from 2024, and since coming back from injury, he's been their best back. Against BYU, he ran for 90 yards and a score, while against Houston he only picked up 32 yards, but still managed to find pay dirt.
Mahdi is the more physical back of the two, but I trust Reescano's speed more in this matchup given the softness of the Colorado front seven. Arizona should be able to get push up front to establish the run and for once take some of the weight off Fifita's shoulders early in the game.
Reescano has also been the best in pass protection from the backfield, providing another reason to keep him on the field.
Ka'ena Decambra
Largely for the same reasons as Reescano, Decambra should be a reason the Arizona backfield has a clean operation on Saturday. While he's not the best run blocker, he's excellent at protecting the interior defensive line from Fifita and directing traffic pre-snap.
The Wildcats' offensive line has been good for Fifita this season, and make no mistake, Seth Doege will still need to dial up some shots against an eager Colorado defense. Fifita has had to do a lot of running and extending plays lately, so hopefully Decambra can help the unit keep him safe.
Colorado's defense only has nine sacks this season, so blitzes and different forms of pressure shouldn't be a huge concern, but after the offensive line stumbled against BYU and Houston, this would be a good week to get back on track.
Sam Olson
Olson has done a fine job filling in for Tyler Powell, who was injured and out for the season on the first snap of the year. The sixth-year senior has 13 catches for 87 yards and one touchdown this season.
Arizona isn't using him as a big pass-catching threat, but he absolutely could be. The Wildcats only have 16 touchdowns on 31 trips to the red zone this season. Olson's 6-foot-3, 229-pound frame could make him a weapon in the low red area.
However, in Olson's two seasons in Tucson and his prior four years at San Jose State with Brennan, he has been utilized as a run blocker on the edge. It's not his strong suit, as there will be an occasional whiff or penalty, but he's done good enough to earn the snaps this season.
Colorado's second level has done a fine job covering tight ends this season. But Deion Sanders wasn't happy with the way his own offensive line handled blitzes last week. He's hinted at turning up the heat with his own defense, so if they do come after Fifita, Olson could be a safe target in the quick game.
Overall, watch for Olson to help in the short passing game and blocking on the edges as Arizona tries to establish a running game.
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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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