Evaluating Brent Brennan’s First Half of the Season
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The Arizona Wildcats are now 4-3 following a two-game skid, dropping heartbreaking one-possession matchups to BYU 33-27 in double overtime and Houston 31-28 on a walk-off field goal with seconds remaining.
With those losses comes the bitter pain of being so close to a win, but not doing enough to get the job done. Head coach Brent Brennan knows all too well what that feels like and will do whatever it takes to make sure his team does not feel that pain again for the remainder of the 2025 season.
- "When you lose two games that way and it's so hard and it's so challenging, the thing that we talk about with the players is what choice do you have?" Brennan said. "
- "You want to choose to believe you can or you can't. And so with this team, this team believes they can. And that's the way they showed up for work yesterday, and that's the way they'll show up for work tomorrow."
- ... Helping our players navigate that and doing those things the right way and continuing to live redline and continuing to dive into our process is what's given us a chance to play better football. And if we stay the course, we will get it. We have to keep pounding the rock. Eventually, it's going to break."
With the Wildcats heading into the bye week, they will have plenty of time to correct any blemishes they have had so far.
Head coach Brent Brenan has done a stellar job transforming a program starved for culture into one rich in it and now needs to turn that into wins and a Big 12 title.
The second-year head coach took over the program after Jedd Fisch left for Washington. He posted a 34-48 record while coaching at San Jose State and is currently 8-11 at Arizona, but the program is on track to end the season with a positive record.
Grade: B-
Brennan receives a B- for the job he has done this year in shifting the culture to one that prioritizes winning and giving 100% effort 100% of the time.
Brennan didn't get a fair shot last year because he was hired after the portal closed and took over a team he hadn't had a hand in building.
Now that he is in his first official year building his own team, his players are fully bought in and committed to the program's success.
On offense
Brennan's offense has seen a huge amount of success after the hiring of Seth Doege and the rebuilding of the running back room, the wide receiving corps and the offensive line.
The addition of Ismail Mahdi and Quincy Craig saw the Wildcats' rushing attack become one that is to be taken seriously after they finished second-to-last in the Big 12 last year.
The passing attack is currently the third best in the Big 12 after Brennan and staff signed six new receivers to spread the ball around more following Tetairoa McMillan's departure to the NFL.
On defense
The defense has looked solid after promoting Danny Gonzales from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator, as the players have embraced the unique style of play and energetic attitude.
The addition of Joe Salave'a as the defensive line coach was another incredible hiring, as he is a former Wildcat legend and brings his recruiting expertise to the team.
Brennan and staff went out and dramatically reset the defense by signing new players, mostly in the defensive backs and linebacker rooms. The Wildcats now boast the third-best pass defense in the Big 12 and have the second-most interceptions in the conference.
Special teams
The special teams unit has also seen quite a bit of improvement, with two big legs joining the team in Ian Wagner and Isaac Lovison.
The place-kicking game still needs some work, as Michael Salgado-Medina is 11-16 through seven games of the season. He is 1-5 on field goals between 40 and 49 yards, 2-3 on field goals over 50 yards.
What to work on
Now that the Wildcats are on a bye week, they will have an opportunity to adjust any issues they have had.
The play calling has been called into question lately, as Brennan decided to take a knee with 19 seconds left and two timeouts in the fourth quarter against BYU.
Arizona must also work on its redzone offense if it wants to end the season with a positive record and a bowl bid.
The run defense must also be worked on, as Arizona yielded 490 yards combined in the last two games,
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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.