Though Arizona has already played a conference game, Saturday’s trip to Washington State feels like the end of the warmup portion of the 2026 season. Starting next week the rest of the opponents are in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats (2-1) are seeking their fourth consecutive 3-1 start, which last happened during Rich Rodriguez’s first four seasons in 2012-15. Between 2016-22 the UA only won three of its first four games once, in 2019 when it began 4-1 ahead of a 20-game losing streak.
WSU (1-2) marks the
first former Pac-12 opponent—other than those that joined it in the Big 12—for Arizona to face since moving conferences. The Wildcats own a 28-19 all-time record against the Cougars, including 12-7 in Pullman.
Here’s what to watch for when Arizona visits WSU:
Getting the run game in gear
In the season-opening win over NAU, Arizona ran for 189 yards and three touchdowns. It has gained 181 rushing yards in the two games since, including only 84 last week against Northern Illinois.
The Wildcats are last in the Big 12, averaging 123.3 yards per game which is 39 lower than any other team in the league. In 2025 they averaged 152.4 yards, which ranked 12th in the Big 12.
“It’s not the standard right now,” offensive coordinator Seth Doege said. “Like we we should be better at running the football, and it starts with me. I don’t think it has anything to do with our personnel. I don’t think it has anything to do with our plan. I think I got to do a better job adjusting and calling better runs in games.”
Doege noted that NIU was loading the box, which made passing to open men a better option than forcing the run. It resulted in Noah Fifita setting a school record by completing 31 of 34 passes en route to becoming the UA career yardage leader.
“I didn’t help our rushing guys for sure,” Fifita said about the NIU game. “I took four sacks, and at least three were my fault, holding the ball too long.”
Arizona’s QBs have taken nine sacks, for a loss of 61 yards. Take those out of the equation and the UA is averaging 143.7 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry, respectable numbers but still not good enough considering the depth it has at the position.
“I would like us to be a little bit more efficient there,” Doege said. “I do think we’re capable of that. I don’t think it’s an issue right now, but it is something we’re being intentional about, and we want to fix.”
A run first opponent
Washington State has called more pass plays than run plays in its first three games, but those numbers are skewed since the Cougars were trailing for most of its losses at Washington and Kansas State. The 48-7 win over Duquesne showed how they really want to operate on offense, which is to put the ball in the hands of one of three rushers including QB Caden Pinnick.
The trio of Pinnick, Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods have combined for 530 yards on 79 non-sack carries, with Pinnick and Vorhees each scoring twice. Vorhees and Woods each ran for 100-plus againsst Duquesne, the first time WSU has had multiple 100-yard rushers since 2006.
Stopping the run remains an issue for Arizona, which early against NIU was gashed for multiple big runs before it took control and forced the Huskies to throw all the time. And BYU took control in the second half by staying on the ground, with QB Bear Bachmeier dictating how the run game went.
“Just get downhill,” safety Cam Chapa said. “It’s really about the whole defense, just all 11 to the ball with a bad humor.”
Which defenders play?
Arizona held out defensive linemen Mays Pese and Zac Siulepa, linebacker Chase Kennedy and cornerback Dwight Bootle II against NIU, but all could return for this game. Safety Daylen Austin suffered a season-ending injury in that win, thinning out the defensive back rotation that saw Tyrese Boss have a hot-and-cold first start at corner and Chapa see his most significant run at safety behind starters Lee Molette III and Quinn Olson, with Gavin Hunter also in that mix.
Freshman Kaisi Lafitaga made his first career start in place of Pese, while Myron Robinson was back in the starting lineup at LB 10 months removed from a major knee injury.
A year after using the most players of any team in the Big 12, Arizona has already sent 32 different defenders onto the field through three games. Only six have logged more than half the 182 defensive snaps but 26 have averaged 10 or more per contest.
Third downs and takeaways
Arizona is allowing third down conversions at a 39 percent clip so far, up a big from last season’s 34.1 rate. But not all third downs are created equal, and a particular subset has defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales stressed.
“The difference right now, where we’re struggling, really is the issue that we need to fix at hand is we’re not good enough on third down,” Gonzales said, nothing that the UA has allowed 11 conversions when the opponent needs seven or more yards. “That’s like the ultimate sin on defense in football.”
Last season Arizona only yielded a first down 17 times on a 3rd and 7 or more, out of 95 tries.
The UA defense ranked second nationally in turnover margin in 2025, at +18, and its 31 takeaways were also second most. Through three games the Wildcats have forced one turnover, an Olson interception in the opener, and given it away five times.
The Wildcats have lost the turnover battle in all three games.
