Arizona's Coaching Staff Praises Brendan Sorsby Ahead of Matchup
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The Big 12 is full of talented quarterbacks. From top to bottom, there are more above-average gunslingers than there are quarterbacks that defenses are poised to crush.
Saturday's matchup in Cincinnati features two of the best the conference has to offer. Arizona became bowl-eligible last week with a comeback win over Kansas thanks to the running game, but Noah Fifita has been the driving force of Arizona's offense this season.
The junior quarterback has thrown for 2,200 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions this year, guiding the Wildcats to 33 points per game. Arizona averages 254.4 passing yards per game behind Fifita and an offensive line that has done relatively well in pass protection.
On the other side, Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby has fully broken out this season. Sorsby has passed for 2,064 yards, 21 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He's a dual-threat quarterback with 453 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on the ground. He has only completed 60.8% of his passes.
At Nippert Stadium on Saturday, the Wildcats and Bearcats have a lot on the line. Cincinnati is trying to stay in the Big 12 race, while Arizona is hoping to make a statement on the road for coach Brent Brennan and build its sixth victory.
The Wildcats have seen plenty of talented players under center this season within the conference. Kansas State's Avery Johnson, Iowa State's Rocco Becht, BYU's Bear Bachmeier, Houston's Conner Weigman and Kansas' Jalon Daniels highlight the top passers that Arizona's stout pass defense has faced.
Now, Arizona's coaching staff thinks this might be the toughest matchup for them yet.
Defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales has flipped the script on Arizona's defense, and now has the Wildcats among the nation's best, allowing just 19.9 points per game (26th nationally) and averaging two turnovers forced per game (ninth nationally).
Sorsby will be a big challenge for the defense and veteran secondary, led by Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson. However, the Arizona coaches aren't holding their breath, knowing Sorsby will find a way to make plays, and the Wildcats will just need to find ways to contain him.
What Arizona Coaches Had To Say About Brendan Sorsby
- "The quarterback (Sorsby) is the best quarterback we’ve seen so far. He’s a really, really clean passer, and he’s extremely athletic. This is the most team speed I think we’ve seen.” – Brent Brennan
- "Best quarterback we've played. There's talk about him being a first-round pick, which is viable. The dude doesn't make very many mistakes. He's thrown two interceptions on the year. One of them hit an offensive lineman in the helmet and the other one was in the very first game against Nebraska late.
- He's really particular with what they do offensively. He never gets them in the wrong play. He's similar to Rocco Becht, probably more athletic. He's got some moves in the open field that, if he has space, can really hurt you." – Danny Gonzales
- "The thing about him is when he comes around the corner, his eyes are down the field looking for the second and third option. Before he tucks it and runs it, where he's dangerous, he's looking to beat you with his arm." – Gonzales
- "He's playing at a really high level. He moves around well. He's got a really live arm. He can throw from different platforms. They do a lot with him with the run game as well, moving him off his spot." – Seth Doege
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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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