5 takeaways from the Arizona Wildcats’ 27-3 victory over Houston | Michael Lev

Arizona’s embattled first-year coach had just arrived from the victorious locker room, where the Wildcats had danced and sung and doused one another with water.

For the first time in over six weeks, they had something to celebrate.

Fueled by a swarming defense and the powerful right leg of kicker Tyler Loop, Arizona defeated Houston 27-3 Friday night at Arizona Stadium to end a five-game losing streak. The Wildcats (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) also kept their faint bowl hopes alive.

Brennan described a joyful postgame scene. It was undoubtedly a mixture of happiness and relief for a team that had struggled to bear the weight of great expectations.

Here are my top five takeaways from Arizona’s first victory since Sept. 28:

1. Chriss crossed up

After an abysmal performance at UCF, Arizona’s defense rebounded in a major way.

The Wildcats played aggressive and opportunistic football. They also threw a curveball at the Cougars that flummoxed quarterback Zeon Chriss.

In almost every long-yardage situation, Arizona used a funky, confounding defensive front. Two linemen had their hands in the ground. As many as six other Wildcats crowded the line of scrimmage. You never knew whether they would rush or drop.

Sometimes Arizona blitzed — including bringing cornerback Tacario Davis off the edge. Sometimes they fell back into an eight-man zone. Sometimes it was a mixture of the two.

“It was a new look that we added this week,” sophomore defensive back Genesis Smith said. “So they hadn't seen it before. A good changeup for us.”

Chriss — who’s more athlete than quarterback — struggled to decipher what he was seeing. Aside from a handful of zone-read runs, he rarely found space to maneuver. The Wildcats succeeded in surrounding the redshirt sophomore, limiting him to 55 yards on 18 carries.

Defensive coordinator Duane Akina knew Houston had one main mode of moving the ball — on the ground. If they could force the Cougars into third-and-long situations, the Wildcats would have the advantage.

They did exactly that. Houston’s average to gain on third down was 8.5 yards. The Cougars converted just 2 of 13 attempts.

2. Emptying the tank

Arizona did not play a great or clean game on offense. Four of the Wildcats’ first five drives ended in three-and-outs. Quarterback Noah Fifita got sacked five times.

But Arizona finally made an adjustment after weeks of struggles, and it seemed to help.

I counted 10 instances in which the Wildcats utilized an empty backfield, stretching the UH defense from sideline to sideline. It might have been even more than that.

Spreading the field accomplished two objectives: (1) It helped create quick passing opportunities for Fifita; and (2) it reduced traffic in the middle of the field.

It’s no secret that Fifita, who’s listed at 5-foot-10, has trouble seeing over the line at times. The empty look provides a clearer picture for him. It also discourages defenses from loading up the box and blitzing.

The empty formation produced mixed results. That’s how Arizona lined up on its first touchdown, a free play that saw Fifita roll to the left and heave a 33-yard bomb to Tetairoa McMillan. The Wildcats also surrendered two sacks when they emptied the backfield.

Brennan said going to the empty formation was mainly a matchup thing. “Just trying to mix it up,” he said.

It’s something Arizona ought to use more moving forward.

3. Project Genesis

Amid a season that can only be classified as a disappointment, Smith has emerged as a budding star.

Smith made an imprint in multiple ways Friday — in the run game, in the pass game, on special teams. He had a hand in several game-altering plays.

Smith finished with seven tackles, 1.5 stops for a loss, an interception, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery. He did it all from a position that might not be his best — the nickel cornerback spot previously occupied by the injured Treydan Stukes. Smith is a natural free safety. Maybe it’s more accurate to describe him as a natural football player.

You could tell Smith was locked in from the start when he blazed downfield to make a solo tackle on punt coverage. On Houston’s third offensive play, Smith corralled Chriss for a 1-yard loss. Two plays later, Smith recovered a fumble forced by Stanley Ta’ufo’ou.

The next time Arizona punted, Smith made the tackle again. Both of his stops on the punt team resulted in 1-yard deficits for the Cougars.

“He continues to find the football,” Brennan said. “He continues to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's a guy that we absolutely depend on.”

Even if all three of Arizona’s veteran defensive backs — Stukes, Dalton Johnson and Gunner Maldonado — return next season, Smith has proved too valuable to bump from the lineup. He’s also proved to be versatile enough to play multiple spots.

4. Extraordinary talents

The cruel irony of this unsatisfactory UA season is that the Wildcats have a handful of elite players who are destined to be pros.

McMillan is one. Loop is another.

McMillan’s touchdown came on a jump-ball situation that you just knew he’d win. Houston’s Jeremiah Wilson (5-10) simply had no chance against T-Mac (6-5).

But it was a near-catch later in the first quarter that had the press box buzzing.

McMillan broke free down the left sideline. Fifita slightly overthrew him. It appeared the ball would sail out of bounds. Running full speed, McMillan leaped, snagged the pass with his left hand, tiptoed the sideline — getting both feet in — and cradled the ball as he tumbled to the turf.

Even by McMillan’s lofty standards, this was an all-timer. Unfortunately, the officials ruled that McMillan didn’t have firm possession before he touched out of bounds. The Big 12 Conference’s X feed put it best: “The greatest catch that never was.”

Loop managed to upstage T-Mac later in the half, drilling a school-record 62-yard field goal as time expired. It didn’t surprise any of us who’ve watched him in practice or in warmups, where he’s made 75-yarders with a tee.

It was fun listening to Brennan and Loop — who later hit a 51-yarder; no big deal — talk about recent adjustments he’s made to minimize a draw and kick the ball straighter. Brennan lauded Loop’s attention to detail and mindset. NFL scouts undoubtedly are noting those traits, too.

5. A bump for Brennan

Is it an overstatement to say that Brennan saved his job Friday night? Maybe. Maybe not.

A loss would have knocked Arizona out of contention for a bowl game. A lopsided loss would have given a disgruntled fan base more fodder to call for Brennan’s firing — a ridiculous notion as recently as two months ago but one that’s gained steam, at least in the rumor mill, amid a dispiriting skid.

Then Brennan and his team flipped the script. And in doing so, they turned down the heat on the head coach — at least for a week.

The effort and determination with which the Wildcats played in a half-full stadium spoke volumes about Brennan’s ability to motivate them. With an extra week to prepare, they showed up ready to battle. They played with a palpable sense of urgency.

Afterward, Brennan had no interest in taking credit for the way his team performed.

“This thing is never about me,” he said. “It's about those kids. It's about seeing them smile and hug each other and dance and jump around and throw water.

“I'm just happy for them. To see that excitement again on their faces, that hope on their faces, is just really special.”

I’ve heard from multiple sources that Brennan is a man of high character. Whether he can coach effectively at the highest levels of college football remains to be seen.

The win over Houston felt like a first step toward affirmation.