Team 122 for Arizona will always be remembered as one that exceeded expectations, but most won’t want to remember how this season ended.
Safe to say that regardless of the outcome, Brent Brennan is proud of the fight his team showed. Here is what Brennan, Noah Fifita, and Riley Wilson had to say following the loss to SMU in the Holiday Bowl:
Brennan’s opening statement: ““First of all, I want to thank everybody for being here. Obviously, tonight didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but I do want to take
a moment because I’m sitting here looking at Noah Fifita and Riley Wilson and talking about how special this team was. All year, this team bought in and lived red line. That started last January, really at a time when no one gave us a chance. It’s worth noting that Team 122 here at the University of Arizona is one of eight teams in the history of our program to win nine games. That is incredibly impressive from a team that was picked to be dead last in the Big 12. It’s also important that I let everybody know that three weeks ago, we had some of our players tell us that they were not going to play in this football game. Those are family decisions, and we respect that. We love those guys. Those guys have made an incredible impact on our program this season, and for all the years they’ve been here at the University of Arizona. I want to be respectful of that for them and their families. It also gave some of our younger players a chance to get high-level, meaningful reps against a very good opponent. I want to give credit to Coach Lashlee and SMU. They played their tails off, and I respect those guys, respect that team. Then, for this program, now we have work to do. How do we build on this season? We’re going to dive into the transfer portal. We’re going to attack recruiting. We’re going to attack developing the next group, Team 123, with the great players coming back, the young players we’re in the process of developing, and the exciting players we’re going to add over the next month. Lastly, I want to thank our fans. What a great crowd. We had a great reception. We’re leaving the hotel today. There’s a really special moment for our players, kind of a Wildcat Walk here in San Diego, if you will. I want to say thank you to everybody who supported our football team throughout the season, especially everybody who made the journey here to San Diego for the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl. I love this football team. These young men are incredibly special to me. I love our coaching staff. I’m appreciative of everybody who’s helped us build this program, from our president to our athletics director to the coaches, our support staff, and the players who play all the games. We have a really special group of people here, and I love where we’re headed. Bear down.”
On if he would still go for two if given a second chance: “Yes, I would have done the same thing. At the time that I went for two, we were down a lot, right? I was like, ‘If we can go for two, we can reduce the possession we need to tie it.’ Part of that was the conversations we were having on the headset, how I felt about it at the moment, and then also some of the analytics conversation.”
On the importance of Ty Buchanan: “You want to talk about an absolute warrior. Ty Buchanan, we love that guy, and what a great story, because he played his best football here. He was a one-year transfer coming over from Texas Tech, and so many times he told all of us that this is the most fun he’s ever had playing football. He got to be an important part of a special journey. I just wish he could have finished it tonight.”
On what he thought the turning point was: “I would say the turning point in my mind was us coming out of half. We made it a game in that second half. One of the things I told the team is that the truth is, we didn’t play well enough in the first half to win it, and that starts with me, but I love the way this team responded. I love the heart and the fight in this team, and to get back in it the way they did. The throws Noah Fifita made at the end of the game – incredible, incredible! As for Riley Wilson, I don’t know how often a rushing outside linebacker gets two interceptions in the game, one of them on a tipped ball 25 yards downfield. Talk about fight. I’m proud of this team. I’m disappointed and pissed off about tonight, but I’m not gonna let that wreck how I feel about Team 122.”
Fifita on the season as a whole: “We didn’t finish how we wanted to, but I love this team. This is probably the most fun I’ve had playing football, just because of the coaches, Coach Brennan, Coach Doege, and the players. At the end of the day, when you’re down 24-0, the only thing that gets you through the game, the only thing that allows you, gives you a chance to come back, is the love you have for each other. At halftime, we knew that we had 30 minutes left to play for each other. That’s what we did. Obviously, tonight didn’t go as expected, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I love this team. I love these coaches, and best believe when we get back in two weeks, Team 123 is going to get to work.”
On Ty Buchanan: “I love Ty, and I think I can speak for the entire offensive line group and their selflessness. I told somebody this week that the offensive linemen are the best people on the football team. We go back and talk about Ty, and how he’s continuing to choose to play for us, everything he does, fighting through injuries, barely practicing, just trying to get to games to play for us and protect me. I owe my life to my offensive line and Ty Buchanan.”
Wilson on the defensive adjustments: “Schematically, nothing changed. It was just more of our mentality and sticking to our fundamentals. Coach Gonzales just really emphasized better tackling and obviously us forcing turnovers to get our offense an opportunity to put some points up.”
On playing hard and trying to finish the game on a strong note: “Red line. That’s what this program is built on, and Coach Brennan and this whole staff have done a great job of establishing that foundation. For us, that is what we rely on. Coming into halftime, this staff is just implementing that ‘red line, red line, red line.’ Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted, but you got to see this part, and the foundation of this team is just amazing. For next year, carrying into that red line is going to be the same standard, and it’s just going to increase with Coach Brennan and Arizona football. It’s going to be absolutely scary next year, and unfortunately, I won’t be there, but I’m going to be really happy this time next year, that’s for sure.”
