Arizona made changes at all three coordinator positions during the offseason, but one got the bulk of the attention. That was the hiring of Seth Doege to revamp the Wildcats’ offense after an abysmal showing in 2024.
Doege’s up-tempo scheme has produced good results so far, but not anything like what has come from the UA’s new defensive coordinator.
Danny Gonzales has instantly transformed Arizona’s defense into a viable unit, one that has allowed only 26 points through the first three games. That’s
almost half as many as the fewest allowed during any 3-game stretch last season and the most stingy 3-game stint for Arizona’s defense since 2013.
Arizona ranks 10th in FBS in scoring defense, at 8.7 points per game, a year after finishing 109th at 31.8 per contest. The Wildcats are also top 10 nationally in total defense (222.3 yards per game) and 3rd down defense (22.5 percent) and their eight takeaways are tied for first in the country.
“We gotta give the defense their flowers, man,” UA coach Brent Brennan said after the 23-17 win over Kansas State for the program’s first 3-0 start in a decade. “I think anytime you hold any Division I team to under 200 yards in total offense, that’s a special night. Like that is a hell of a football night.”
K-State threw for only 68 yards, the second consecutive opponent Arizona has held under 100 through the air. The last time it did that was 1995, during the peak of the Desert Swarm era that every UA defense since has strived to replicate.
The 49-year-old Gonzales is in his 20th season coaching college defenses, including stints at New Mexico, San Diego State and ASU. He was head coach at New Mexico, his alma mater, from 2020-23, before joining the UA last year as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator and was elevated to defensive coordinator shortly after the 2024 campaign ended.
Aggression has been a big part of Arizona’s defense under Gonzales, who has had his players flying to the ball and making massive hits. The Wildcats are graded as the 10th-best defense in FBS by Pro Football Focus, which charges them with 26 missed tackles through three games compared to 142 in 12 games a year ago.
“I feel like (we’re) just living and dying by our mantra,” safety Genesis Smith said. “Know what to do, how to do it. Keep the team out of the end zone. I feel like just doing that every single play puts us in the best position for success.”
Before K-State broke off a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter on Friday, Arizona hadn’t allowed a TD all season. Opponents have gotten into the red zone six times in three games, coming away with just one TD and three field goals.
In 2024, the UA gave up 36 red zone TDs and eight field goals on 53 possessions. It was also abysmal in getting off the field on third down, with opponents converting 41.5 percent of the time, but on Friday K-State was 3 for 17 on third and fourth down.
“Coach Gonzales has this kind of mantra that third and medium is a championship down,” Brennan said. “And we showed up on a lot of those third and mediums. I like the confidence our defense is playing with. They trust coach Gonzales and the staff. They’re all doing their job, and when they do their job with red line, you’re seeing fantastic results.”
Adding to the impressiveness of what Arizona has done on defense is that it’s yet to have its entire starting 11 healthy. Defensive back Treydan Stukes made his return from knee surgery against K-State and got half a sack on the opening drive but only played seven snaps, while defensive end Tre Smith missed the game after getting hurt the week before.
Additionally, cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew has logged only 32 snaps in two games and Montana transfer Riley Wilson has played only sparingly in one contest. The hope is each will be back after the bye for the Big 12 opener at No. 12 Iowa State.
“I’m just encouraged to look for that thing to continue to develop and evolve over this next couple of weeks of practice and over the course of the season,” Brennan said.
