Here are five key takeaways from the Arizona Wildcats’ 49-39 loss at Washington on Saturday. Because of travel and deadlines, we weren’t able to re-watch the game in time to write this piece, so it’s a slight variation on the usual format.
1. SACKLESS IN SEATTLE
Hunter Echols told the bold truth after the game: He and the other veterans on Arizona’s defensive line just haven’t gotten the job done lately. The Wildcats had no tackles for losses against Oregon; against Washington, they had no sacks. It felt at times as if Michael Penix Jr. and his receivers were playing 7-on-7 – i.e., no pass rush. Echols has been Arizona’s most effective pass rusher but has been stymied of late. Jalen Harris does a lot of dirty work but hasn’t registered a sack in the past five games. Kyon Barrs, who led the team with five sacks last year, is still seeking his first. Paris Shand, who we thought was headed for a breakout season, wasn’t even credited with a tackle Saturday. If you’re inclined to blame the apparent regression of this group on new defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, remember this: Barrs, Shand and the other interior linemen have the same coach as last year, Ricky Hunley. Are they being asked to do slightly different things? Are they playing through injuries we don’t know about? Both are possible. Regardless, this unit needs to play a lot better or Arizona won’t stand a chance against its next three opponents (USC, Utah, UCLA).
2. THE FLIP SIDE
The shame of it all is that the offense, for the most part, is playing well enough to win. Has it been perfect in the past two winnable road games? No. But it has put up a total of 70 points in those games (Cal, UW), and that ought to have been good enough for at least a split. Arizona has scored 30 or more points in five of its seven games. Do you know how many times that happened last season? Once. Do you know how many times the Wildcats scored more than 20 points last season? Twice. So progress clearly has been made on one side of the ball. Although he runs the offense, Jedd Fisch insisted he won’t be satisfied being a one-dimensional team. “Over the course of time,” he said, Arizona will have “a very good defense and a very good offense. It's going to be all three phases. It's not going to be a one-phase program by any means.” Can the Wildcats upgrade the defense next year the way they boosted the offense this year? We’ll see. It’ll require a combination of young players making a leap and transfer-portal additions making a splash.
3. ONSIDE TAKES OFF BASE
Fisch took a chance to start the second half. He called for an onside kick. It didn’t work, and that led to a lot of criticism from UA fans on Twitter. If you’re of the belief that that decision cost Arizona the game, well, you’re wrong. Just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean it was a misguided call. People often make the mistake of assessing a coaching decision based on the outcome of that decision. Fisch believes – and so do we – that process supersedes results, which are subject to human error and luck. What if the ball had bounced differently and Arizona had recovered it? Would you still have viewed the onside kick as a bad call? Of course not. Fisch explained his thinking afterward, and it made a ton of sense. The Huskies had just scored at the end of the half and would be getting the ball to start the second. The Wildcats, who were struggling to stop them, needed to steal a possession. Fisch also figured, even if Washington got the ball and scored, that a 14-point deficit wouldn’t be insurmountable the way the game was going. He was almost right, as Arizona made it a three-point game with 9:51 to play. The Wildcats just couldn’t get the stop they needed at that point. It’s impossible to say how the game would have played out without the onside attempt. But considering that Washington had punted only once in the first half, the difference in field position was a negligible factor. The ploy was worth the risk.
4. THIS TIME IT’S PERSONNEL
Our notes on individual players can be found here … For the most part, we liked what we saw from tailbacks Jonah Coleman and DJ Williams in relief of Michael Wiley. Both run with force and conviction. But we’d love to see what a healthy Rayshon Luke could provide as a change-of-pace back. Assuming he’s right upon returning from minor ankle surgery, Luke offers game-breaking speed none of the other backs possess. ... It’s been fun watching freshman WR Tetairoa McMillan’s progress. There were times during spring and summer practices when veteran CB Christian Roland-Wallace completely stifled him. Not only is McMillan producing in games, he’s showing he’s more than just a jump-ball specialist. ... The next stretch of games could determine whether OT Jordan Morgan is a second- or third-day draft pick. He seemed to be trending toward the former before having his hands full with UW’s rushers. ... Wanna get really crazy during the bye week? How about moving Paiton Fears to left guard and starting Sam Langi at right tackle? It won’t happen this late in Fears’ college career, but he won’t suddenly be able to handle top speed rushers either. ... Arizona needs to find even more snaps for freshman DE Russell Davis II. His quickness and twitchiness are top notch. ... Freshman LB Jacob Manu always will be undersized, but he’s always around the ball. As Nansen has said, Manu just has that knack. ... DJ Warnell Jr. reminds us of a young Christian Young. Warnell’s best long-term position is probably box safety.
5. BYE ... BYE?
We’re seven games into Nansen’s tenure as DC, and some fans already want to go in a different direction. Barring something unforeseen happening off the field, we don’t see that move being made or even considered. Nor do we think it’s a good idea. Fisch repeatedly has emphasized that this is a long-term build. He also values continuity. Arizona wouldn’t have a new defensive coordinator if Don Brown hadn’t left on his own volition. Fisch knew when he hired Nansen that there would be some growing pains; he’d never been a full-time coordinator before. The tradeoff: Nansen has been one of the top recruiters on the West Coast. Fisch knows how important that is. He also knows that if he were to hire someone new, the UA defense would be starting from scratch again. The Wildcats basically have averaged a defensive coordinator a year since 2019. Fisch had a plan, and he needs to stick with it. Which he will. That doesn’t mean Fisch and his staff won’t further evaluate the defense. Aside from recruiting, that’ll be atop their to-do list during the bye. Allowing 49 points and 500-plus yards in three of four games isn’t acceptable. Nansen would be the first to tell you that.
