2026 K-State Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 11: Arizona

K-State On SI analyzes each of K-State's 2026 football opponents, now breaking down the Week 10 matchup at home against Arizona in Big 12 play.

Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) is tackled by SMU Mustangs safety Tyren Polley (10) in the second half during the Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arizona is coming off a season where the Wildcats finished with a 9-4 record. The Wildcats got hot during the Big 12 portion of their schedule, winning their last five consecutive regular-season games. They had two brutal losses to BYU and Houston by a total of nine points.

The Wildcats are led by one of the most talented quarterbacks in all of college football, Noah Fifita. He is a guy who is looked at as a potential Heisman Trophy sleeper and the type of player who could take the Wildcats to the College Football Playoff.

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Offense

Fifita has been the quarterback at Arizona for the last three seasons and is coming off his best year to date. He finished the 2025 season with 3,228 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions. He is in complete control of the offense, and he does a tremendous job of getting the ball to his teammates in the best position to make a big play.

The Wildcats have been a good rushing team over the last couple of seasons, and that figures to be the case in 2026. Senior Kedrick Reescano rushed the ball 84 times for 396 yards and nine touchdowns.

Wide receiver Tre Spivey began his career at K-State and has become a very talented contributor for the Wildcats. Last year, he had 23 catches for 381 yards and seven touchdowns. With the top two receivers gone, Spivey figures to have a much bigger role in the offense.

A huge key will be how the offensive line does in protecting Fifita. The unit was up-and-down last year. As long as they can give Fifita the time to get to his progressions, the offense has a chance to be one of the best in the conference.

Defense

The Wildcats really struggled on defense two years ago, as they ranked 13th in the league by allowing 413 yards per game. However, in year one with Danny Gonzales as the defensive coordinator, Arizona was the second-best defense in the league by allowing 308 yards per game.

There will be a lot of new faces for Arizona, as the Wildcats lost six of their top seven tacklers from last season. The lone returning is Taye Brown, who was second on the team with 93 tackles. He is going to be asked a lot this season, and his leadership is going to play a huge role in how good this defense is.

The Wildcats' secondary was loaded last year, as it tied a record with four players drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. Arizona intercepted 22 passes as a team last year, and returning cornerback Jay'Vion Cole tied for the lead with four. Early in the season could be a challenge, as so much of the new guys are by way of the transfer portal

Schedule

The Wildcats open the season against Northern Arizona, but have a monster Week 2 road game at BYU in a game that will set the tone for the entire Big 12 season.

The Big 12 schedule is especially tough, as the matchups against BYU, Texas Tech and K-State are all on the road. The home portion isn't much easier, as home games against Houston and TCU figure to be a very difficult challenge as well.

Outlook

With Fifita at quarterback, the Wildcats will have the advantage at that position in nearly every game in 2026. He is putting together one of the best careers for a quarterback at Arizona, and to cap it off with a run at the Big 12 Championship Game would be the perfect ending.

A lot went right for Arizona last year, as the Wildcats led all of college football in turnover margin. The Wildcats threw only eight interceptions, while the defense intercepted opposing quarterbacks 22 times. They were also one of the best teams in the third quarter, as they outscored opponents 102-48.

Turnover margin is a stat that can vary year to year. To expect the Wildcats to be so dominant in that category is asking a lot. When Fifita has managed the turnovers, the Wildcats have been a very successful team.

Game Info

Date: Saturday, November 21
Time: TBD
TV:  TBD
Location: Bill Snyder Family Stadium
Series history: Arizona leads the all-time series, 6-2-1. The two teams have played twice since Arizona joined the Big 12, but this will be the first one that counts in Big 12 standings. Arizona was able to get a 23-17 home victory against K-State last year.