Arizona football: 5 things we learned from the 1st half of the 2026 season
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Arizona has reached the halfway point in its season and heads into the bye week with a lot of confidence. The Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) have not always played to perfection but more often than not they are getting the job done.
Things won’t be getting easier for Arizona but the good news is that four of the final six games are at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Right now, the UA is still in the hunt for a berth in the Big 12 Championship but only time will tell if it will find its way to Arlington in December.
Here are five things that we have learned through the first half of Arizona’s 2026 campaign:
So goes Fifita, so goes Arizona
Going into this season, Noah Fifita was the undisputed leader of the Wildcats. There was some optimism that some returners and maybe even some new faces could make Fifita’s job easier.
However, now due to some injuries and with the offensive line slowly coming along, the reliance on Fifita’s strong performances is very high. While Fifita has not always been perfect, his ability to respond to adversity has been the difference in many games.
It’s pretty clear that as long as the Wildcats are not turning the ball over, and Fifita is finishing drives in the end zone, the offense will get the job done. It also seems like the defense feeds off of what Fifita and the offense does.
Playing for one another is a standard across the program, but wanting to play for and not let down Fifita also seems to be extra motivation for the Wildcats. Everyone in the locker room wants to make the fifth year quarterback’s last season one for the record books.
Brent Brennan recognizes just how fortunate Arizona is to have Fifita at quarterback. He makes everyone’s lives easier and makes wins that much more meaningful.
“I’ll tell you guys every day, twice a day, if you want to hear it. I’m so glad Noah Fifita plays for Arizona,” said Brennan after the Cincinnati win.
Offensive line slowly figuring it out
It has not been all sunshine and rainbows for the offense, even with Fifita being the difference maker he is. There was a three game stretch where the offensive line allowed a sack on the first offensive play of the game.
Despite the first play setbacks, in the last two games Arizona has still been able to find the end zone on that first drive. The line also did not start the season off strong in getting the run game going.
In two of the first three games, the Wildcats were held to under 100 yards rushing. Since then, it has shown signs of improvement. In the last three games, Arizona has reached the 100 yard mark in every game, including a 238 yard performance against Cincinnati.
“I know our running game hasn’t been as explosive as it was early last year, but if you look at the way they’re running, they’re about as physical as I’ve ever seen,” said Seth Doege. ”So I’m not down on our running backs.”
The running backs have been physical in their runs all season, but now with the offensive line figuring it out, the explosiveness is starting to show. Arizona has had 17 plays that resulted in runs of 10+ yards in the last three games.
Where things started to turn was the fourth quarter in Pullman. The Wildcats were able to lean on the Cougars and wear them down to create strong running lanes and move the pile.
“I thought that we really started to move them in the second half, and I thought that was impactful because they were playing good defense,” said Brennan after the Washington State win. “It was great to see that momentum swing in the second half for us, and where that run game became really impactful.”
There are still things to clean up with blocking assignments and penalty issues, and that’s why the bye week comes at a perfect time. If Arizona can translate the run success into the second half of the season, then the offense as a whole will be a constant threat.
WRs are ready for the moment
Giovanni Richardson left the BYU game with an undisclosed injury, but was able to come back against Cincinnati. The injury seems to have come back as he did not finish that game, along with the other two Arizona starting wide receivers.
Tre Spivey is now out for the season with a foot injury, and Chris Hunter III is out for the foreseeable future with an undisclosed injury. With the injuries piling up, the players that have come in have not flinched.
Many wideouts have seized their opportunity, whether they are a veteran player or a young guy, they are finding a connection and building trust with Fifita. Starting with a guy who has waited his turn, junior Brandon Phelps made his mark from the get-go.
On the season, he has 12 receptions for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Behind him, sophomore Isaiah Mizell is coming off a breakout performance at West Virginia. He had six catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
Mizell has 19 receptions for 359 yards and four touchdowns this season, but he’s not the only young gun showing out for the Wildcats. Caleb “Jet” Smith is now Arizona’s most dynamic receiver when he is in space.
Smith’s breakout performance came in the win at Washington State where he had four catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. He is also a very dangerous player on special teams as he has 125 punt return yards and a touchdown.
All have shown an ability to produce and have filled in well for the injured Wildcats. Whoever has the hot-hand is the receiver that Fifita will rely on but all are reliable and Fifita knows he can distribute the ball to everyone.
Defense gets it done by committee
One constant with Danny Gonzales’ defense is that every player runs to the ball. No jogging to the ball, no walking to the ball, no dancing to the ball (unless it’s fast). Gonzales wants as many bodies to the ball as possible.
Arizona has 13 defenders who have 10+ tackles on the season. A pair of linebackers lead the Wildcats in tackles with Taye Brown in first with 39 and Cooper Blomstrom in second with 30.
The Wildcats have 45 tackles for loss with Chase Kennedy leading the way with 5.5 tackles for loss. They also have 19 sacks on the season with Kennedy also leading that category with four on the season.
A reason for so many players being able to contribute is due to the heavy rotation that is used across the entire defense. The defensive front has a rotation, the secondary has a rotation, even the linebackers have one, although their rotation is shorter.
The rotation keeps bodies fresh and gives players a chance to make plays that perhaps wouldn’t be made without the rotation. While the drop off in turnovers from last season is not ideal, as long as the job is getting done then Arizona will stick to the rotation.
Run defense is Wildcats’ specialty
Outside of the game against West Virginia, the Wildcats’ run defense has improved since last season. In four out of the six games this season, Arizona has held its opponent to under 100 yards rushing.
It held Cincinnati, the second best rushing attack in the Big 12 to just 74 total rushing yards. While West Virginia was able to run wild on the Wildcats, it made up for it with two fumble recoveries.
On the season, Arizona is holding its opponents to 3.3 yards per carry and just 116.3 yards per game. In the Big 12, the Wildcats are tied for seventh in rushing yards allowed.
The standard is to hold every team to under 100 rushing yards, and given the way Gonzales runs his players in practice, it’s easy to see how successful Arizona is at group tackling.
“We go into every game wanting to hold people under 100 yards,” said Gonzales. “Demand excellence, demand a standard, and if we play aggressive and fast and physical, it makes it hard for them to do it.”
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