The most appealing aspect of Arizona’s 2021 schedule is that the Wildcats are expected to play a full slate.
The UA ended up playing only five of seven scheduled games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. It didn’t feel like much of a season at all.
The first opponent of the Jedd Fisch era is the same one Kevin Sumlin faced — BYU. Arizona lost that game in 2018, and Sumlin’s honeymoon period came to an abrupt end. Fisch’s runway will be a lot longer as the program he inherited has lost a school-record 12 straight games.
That streak should end before Pac-12 play begins, whether it’s against BYU (a sizable favorite), San Diego State or NAU. The Pac-12 opener is rough — a trip to Oregon. An off week follows, allowing the Wildcats to regroup before UCLA comes to town.
There are no breaks from that point forward. But after last year, that’s a welcome development.
Here’s a week-by-week breakdown of the Wildcats’ 2021 schedule:
BYU
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
TV: ESPN
What to expect: With the Cougars coming off an 11-1 season and a national audience tuning in, this game represents an opportunity for the Wildcats to make a statement in Fisch’s debut. Although BYU lost a ton from that team — including QB Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft — it won’t be easy. The Cougars are always physical in the trenches, and they won that crucial battle the past two times the teams met.
Player to watch: WR Gunner Romney. After playing a complementary role behind Dax Milne a year ago, the senior from Chandler High School — who still caught 39 passes for 767 yards and two touchdowns in 2020 — is poised to emerge as the Cougars’ leading receiver.
All time: Arizona leads the series 12-11-1, but the Cougars have had the better of it lately. They have won the past two meetings (by a combined seven points) and six of the past nine.
SAN DIEGO STATE
When: Sept. 11, 7 p.m.
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: Pac-12 Networks
What to expect: Fisch wants every UA home game to be a four-hour party, and this game represents the first real opportunity for the fanbase to show it’s on board. Don’t expect a ton of offensive fireworks between two teams breaking in new quarterbacks. The Aztecs leaned on their run game (32nd in the nation) and defense (third) last season, and that isn’t expected to change. Regardless of how it looks, Arizona will be expected to win against a .500 team from the Mountain West.
Player to watch: DL Cameron Thomas. One of two SDSU defenders named to the preseason All-MWC team (along with linebacker Cade McDonald), Thomas has 18.5 TFLs over the past two seasons and will present an early test for a UA offensive line that was shaky in 2020.
All time: The teams haven’t met since 2001. The Wildcats lead the series 10-5. Arizona has won the past four meetings — the past three by an average of 15.3 points.
NAU
When: Sept. 18, 7 p.m.
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: Pac-12 Networks
What to expect: Regardless of what happens in the first two games — anything from 2-0 to 0-2 is possible — this should be a chance for the Wildcats to work out some kinks and gain some confidence entering Pac-12 play. The game also could prove an opportunity for the coaching staff to get a look at young players who are on the bubble between playing and redshirting. Remember, in a standard year, players can appear in up to four games without losing a season of eligibility.
Player to watch: S Morgan Vest. A preseason All-Big Sky selection, Vest had a team-high 53 tackles, five pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and an interception in five games for the Lumberjacks this past season (contested from February-April 2021).
All time: Arizona leads the series 15-1, with the only loss coming in 1932. The Wildcats have scored almost at will in the past three meetings (2015, ’17, ’19), averaging 68 points.
OREGON
When: Sept. 25, time TBA
Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon
TV: TBA
What to expect: Arizona’s Pac-12 opener and first true road game just so happens to take place at what most consider the conference’s toughest venue. The Wildcats likely will be significant underdogs against the Ducks, who were ranked 11th in the Associated Press preseason Top 25. Arizona won’t be expected to win. But if they can compete into the fourth quarter — unlike the majority of recent visits to the Pacific Northwest — that’ll be considered a positive development.
Player to watch: DE Kayvon Thibodeaux. The third-year sophomore might be the best defensive player in the country and is expected to be a top-five draft pick after pacing the Pac-12 in QB pressures in 2020 (34 in seven games, per Pro Football Focus).
All time: The Ducks lead the series 27-17 and have won three of the past four meetings. The Wildcats have only one win in their past six trips to Eugene — 31-24 over No. 2 Oregon in 2014.
UCLA
When: Oct. 9, time TBA
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: TBA
What to expect: No matter what happens at Oregon — upset win, close loss, blowout loss — Arizona needs to recognize the opportunity the Pac-12 home opener presents. There aren’t many league games you can circle as possible wins for the Wildcats; this is one of them. Although some view UCLA as a sleeper in the Pac-12 South — the Bruins return most of their starters and are one of the few teams in the conference with veteran stability at quarterback — the Cats have gone toe-to-toe with the Bruins in recent seasons.
Player to watch: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Entering his fourth year as the Bruins’ main starter, Thompson-Robinson could be poised for his best season after posting career marks in completion percentage (65.2%), yards per attempt (8.1), touchdown-to-interception ratio (12-4) and efficiency rating (156.3) in 2020.
All time: The Bruins lead the series 26-17-2. They have won seven of the past nine meetings, but the Wildcats have won the past two matchups in Tucson (2017, ’19).
Arizona running back Michael Wiley tries to stiff-arm Colorado safety Derrion Rakestraw during the first quarter of last year’s game at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats and Buffaloes will play Oct. 16 in Boulder.
COLORADO
When: Oct. 16, time TBA
Where: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado
TV: TBA
What to expect: Boulder is an outlier — the one Pac-12 precinct aside from Tucson where the Wildcats consistently win. They’ve won four straight times on the road against the Buffaloes. In fact, their 35-30 triumph there on Oct. 5, 2019, was the last game they won, period. For the veterans who are still around, that should provide a shot of confidence. Of course, Khalil Tate — Colorado’s tormentor — is no longer around to save the day.
Player to watch: RB Jarek Broussard. The fourth-year back will be the focal point of the UA defense after he torched the Wildcats for 301 yards as part of a breakout campaign that culminated in Broussard being named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year.
All time: Colorado’s 24-13 win last year snapped a three-game UA winning streak in the series. The Buffs hold a 15-8 edge all time, but it’s been almost all Wildcats (7-3) since CU joined the Pac-12.
WASHINGTON
When: Oct. 22 (Friday), 7:30 p.m.
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: ESPN2
What to expect: A Friday night home game on national TV presents an opportunity for an upset. However, the last two meetings between these schools have been physical mismatches. Fisch wants the Wildcats to be the toughest out on every team’s schedule. The Huskies are currently at the forefront of that conversation in the Pac-12. Does this Arizona team have what it takes to hang — and bang — with Washington for four quarters?
Player to watch: TE Cade Otton. One of UA tight ends coach Jordan Paopao’s former pupils made first-team All-Pac-12 last season, aided by a dominant seven-catch, 100-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Wildcats.
All time: Washington leads the series 23-11-1 and has won the past four matchups. Aside from a 51-27 loss in 2019, the Wildcats have been much more competitive at home, winning four of the previous five meetings, with the lone loss (2016) coming in overtime.
USC
When: Oct. 30, time TBA
Where: L.A. Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
TV: TBA
What to expect: Arizona gets an extra day to prepare for this game, but it’s a brutal back-to-back nonetheless. One potential advantage for the Wildcats: It’s a bit of a “sandwich game” for the Trojans, who visit Notre Dame the previous week and ASU — a legit contender for the Pac-12 South crown — the following week. Also: Arizona almost defeated USC last season, and all signs point to this UA team being better than that one.
Player to watch: WR Drake London. Arizona might have one of the better cornerback tandems in the Pac-12, but the 6-5, 210-pound London — who put up 502 receiving yards in just six games last season — is a mismatch for everyone he faces.
All time: Wins against the Trojans have been few and far between. USC leads the series 36-8 and has won eight matchups in a row. Last year’s four-point loss marked the 10th time in the past 13 meetings that the margin was one score or less.
CAL
When: Nov. 6, time TBA
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: TBA
What to expect: It’s homecoming for Arizona. But wait, there’s more: Earl Mitchell and Brooks Reed will be inducted into the Ring of Honor during the game. So the atmosphere should be to Fisch’s liking. As for the Golden Bears, we’ll know much more about them at this point than at the start of the season. Opt-outs and COVID-19 issues wrecked a promising campaign in 2020. Cal should be much more stable this year and a tougher out than many assume.
Player to watch: QB Chase Garbers. The veteran should be more proficient in second-year coordinator Bill Musgrove’s offense after a “normal” offseason — and Garbers wasn’t awful last season, completing 62.5% of his passes and accounting for eight touchdowns in four games.
All time: Arizona leads the series 18-14-2 and has won the past five meetings. But every one of those games has been tight, with no margin greater than seven points. Cal hasn’t notched a series road win since 2004, dropping five straight in Tucson.
UTAH
When: Nov. 13, time TBA
Where: Arizona Stadium
TV: TBA
What to expect: This has been a tough spot for the Utes in the past (see 2014 and 2015). They can’t afford to look past the Wildcats — a strong temptation with Oregon due to visit Salt Lake City the following week. The emotion of senior night should give Arizona a boost. The question is what kind of shape the Wildcats will be in at this point in the season, both mentally and physically.
Player to watch: LB Devin Lloyd. Lloyd earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and some All-America recognition after leading the team with 48 tackles in five games, including 10 stops for losses — nearly matching the 11 he registered in 14 games in 2019.
All time: The tide has turned in this series. Arizona won four in a row from 2012-15. Utah has won the past four meetings, the past two by a combined score of 72-17. Utah holds the all-time edge, 24-19-2.
WASHINGTON STATE
When: Nov. 19 (Friday), 7 p.m.
Where: Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
TV: Pac-12 Networks
What to expect: Fisch is trying to change the mindset of UA football, and this game represents the perfect litmus test. How many times in recent seasons has Arizona not shown up in a scenario like this — a trip to the chilly Pacific Northwest with the Territorial Cup looming? Oregon State in 2016 and Washington State in ’18 — losses by a combined score of 111-45 — spring to mind. This is a chance for the Wildcats to prove their mettle.
Player to watch: RB Max Borghi. The preseason All-Pac-12 pick appeared in only one game last year because of a back injury but offered a reminder of how explosive he can be, rushing for 95 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries against Utah.
All time: Arizona leads the series 27-17, but recent trips to Pullman haven’t gone well. The Wildcats have been blown out the last two times they visited the Palouse, yielding 69 points in each contest.
The Wildcats were routed 70-7 by rival Arizona State last year.
ARIZONA STATE
When: Nov. 27, time TBA
Where: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe
TV: TBA
What to expect: No matter what happens in the previous 11 games, Fisch can endear himself to the UA fanbase by beating the Sun Devils. After last year’s debacle, most would accept simply competing against them. The future of Herm Edwards and his staff — under investigation for alleged NCAA violations committed during the pandemic — serves as a juicy subplot. But from an Arizona standpoint, it’s all about redemption and carrying the buzz from Fisch’s first offseason into the next one.
Player to watch: QB Jayden Daniels. Last year’s matchup couldn’t have been much easier for Daniels, who completed 9 of 11 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns; the Wildcats need to make it hard for him.
All time: Arizona leads the series 49-44-1, but its advantage is shrinking. ASU has won the past four meetings. The Sun Devils also have won four straight matchups in Tempe, all by double digits.
Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at 573-4148 or mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter @michaeljlev
