It’s Homecoming this weekend at Arizona, with the Wildcats ranked for the first time this season and a favorable late-afternoon kickoff time for the game against Iowa State. All that’s missing are the fans coming out to Casino Del Sol Stadium, which has been a challenge this season.
The UA’s three home games so far have averaged 41,434 fans, well below the capacity of 50,782.
“A huge focus for us this week is how do we sell out The Sol?,” UA coach Brent Brennan said Monday. “Let’s pack that thing.
I think just the importance of home crowds, after watching a little bit of college football on Saturday, the incredible impact a rabid, fanatical, crazy home crowd can have on the outcome of the game is unbelievable, and I’m excited to see that environment on Saturday late afternoon here in Casino Del Sol Stadium.”
Arizona will be seeking its sixth win of the season, which would ensure being bowl eligible for the second year in a row. That last happened in 2014-15.
Here’s what Brennan said at his Monday presser to open Iowa State week:
On the Cyclones: “We’re playing a really good football team. I think Coach (Jimmy) Rogers has done a fantastic job, considering the time out of that hire and the roster he’s built, how well coached they are, the physicality they play. Their tailback Aidan Flora is like a throwback dude, man. He he does it all. He runs for touchdowns. He he throws them. He catches them. He’s just a total stud. It’s really, really fun to watch him play. I think their quarterback is outstanding. He’s athletic. He can make all the throws he needs to make. And then offensive, they’re big and physical up front. Defensively, I think Coach (Jesse) Bobbit does just an outstanding job, has for a long time. A lot of comfort in their scheme and what they do. He’s been calling it. He’s got a lot of history in it. And this team executes at an extremely high level. They’re incredibly physical, and that’s a challenge for our football team.”
On the College Football Playoff likely expanding to 24 teams: “I think it’s awesome. Access, I just think that part of it. Didn’t the NCAA basketball tournament just add more games this year? To me, that’s the best example of a postseason high-level competition tournament that we have in college sports, and so I think it’s outstanding. I think the more people that have a chance to to be involved in it, the better. I’ve heard a lot of detractors on like what it means for the regular season. Like to me, it doesn’t change anything with the regular season. Everything’s just as important in the regular season, and now more people have an opportunity to get to the postseason in that way than ever before. So I think it’s fantastic. I really do.”
On being part of a program rebuild and how Iowa State is doing with that: “First of all, I think he’s doing a hell of a job. He and that staff are doing a hell of a job. Like I said at the beginning of this, like the timing of it and what they had to put together, the amount of people that left with the previous head coach, all that stuff. I think they’re doing a great job. My experience in that, I would say this one and the San Jose thing were so different because of the portal, so different because of NIL and rev share. They’re not even comparable in that way. It could be apples to oranges, I think. But I do think the first year always is a little bit complicated. You’re you’re learning the place. They’re learning you. Lots of new players. Lots of transition. I just think that’s complicated.”
On defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ ability to make in-game adjustments: “I think part of it is that because he’s called a lot of games, there’s value in that. He’s been through a lot of situations, a lot of experiences. You know, all games are different, but there can be similarity in schematics. There can be some similar situations. I think his experience really helps him make good decisions in those moments, and then he also has like an incredible memory. I don’t know if people know that, but you guys have probably got a taste of that when he filibusters on Tuesday or whenever you guys talk to him. Sometimes I might put a shot clock on Danny G. Because he’s been in a lot of those situations before, he can understand how people want to attack what he does. He can hopefully anticipate or have a counter punch to what they’re doing.”
On if he mentions being ranked to the players: “Of course. You’ve heard me talk about a lot, but in this program we work really hard on focusing what we control, and we don’t control any of that. So all we can control is how we’re handling what we’re doing right now. So for our team, it’s yeah, that’s nice and that’s great and blah blah blah. But the bigger thing is, what are we doing with today, and how are we tackling the work today and the practice tomorrow? It’s a one day at a time deal, but I get it. That’s awesome, and they should be proud. But nothing means less than the score at halftime. And right now we’re at halftime of the season.”
On what BYU beating Notre Dame meant for Arizona and the Big 12: “I think it just validated what we knew, that BYU is really good and playing them there is hard. I’ve actually coached a bunch of games there now over my career, and just they do a great job. That’s one of the reasons we need to pack the Sol this Saturday. The impact of a home crowd. Watch the game, watch that game Saturday night, and tell me that that crowd didn’t impact Notre Dame’s ability to execute. It’s just part of it, and you know we all know that when you go on the road, it’s all part of it. All those venues are really tough, let’s make Casino Del Stadium the toughest place to play in the Big 12.”
On Noah Fifita taking sacks rather than making a bad throw: “We don’t want to take sacks, and I think it’s playing out that he’s making as good, if not better, decisions than most of the quarterbacks playing college football right now. Protecting the football is a big part of that, and that’s the selflessness of him, too. Not making bad decisions, not forcing the ball in the situations that’s going to hurt our football team. So I give him a lot of credit.”
On Homecoming: “I think the 4:30 kick is awesome, I think that’s great. It’s going to Homecoming. Homecoming is always such a special day on every campus. You got generations of Wildcats coming back to Tucson. So many people that have such a cool history or great memories of going to a college football game here and getting to relive those those memories with their buddies. It’s a fun weekend for everybody. For us it’s all about the football in that moment in that game, but for everybody else, it’s a great event, a great experience, and that’s why we need to pack The Sol.”
On RB Quincy Craig: “Quincy Craig is one of the best football players on our team. His toughness, starts on three of the big four in the kicking game. He’s a self selfless leader. He’s got a great voice with our team. They totally respect him, and he’s just really, really tough. The touchdown throw to Mizell on an all out blitz against West Virginia, that was him. He had to step into the A gap and take that linebacker head on so that Noah could deliver that ball. He’s a complete football player, he’s a great leader and he’s one of those guys that I’m so glad he’s a part of our football program.”
On CB Jay’Vion Cole: “He’s playing great football. He’s always been a confident kid, like that part of it was interesting that showed up right away, and we knew a lot about him because he also a Bay Area kid. I think you see just there’s a confidence that he’s playing with because he has just a bunch of experience and a bunch of reps stacked behind him. But you could see even when he transferred in from Cal Poly his first year, like you could see his film at Cal Poly, you could see him playing with like I would say a unique maturity and anticipation for someone who is young like that. He’s emerged as a great leader for us. He’s got a really good voice. You don’t hear it all the time, but when he talks, it’s impactful. And so I just think it’s really fun to to be on this journey with him and to see it in two different places, and for him to continue to improve and work and grow and achieve is just awesome.”
