Countdown to Kickoff – Arizona Preview

Story from the tape
Points per game	23.0	28.4
Points against it	27.6	28.7
Rushing yards per game	136.0	202.1
Rushing yards are allowed per game	144.9	127.7
Passing yards per game	253.4	204.6
Passing yards are allowed per game	217.1	254.3
Total yards per game	389.4	406.7
Total yards allowed per game	362.0	382.0
First downs for	139	168
First defeats against	141	145
Fumbled/lost	8/5	10/3
Interceptions/Return Yards	June 24th	03/22
Net punting	37.8	41.2
Field goal/attempts	14/18	8/9
Time of possession	30:42	31:07
3. Down conversions	34/93	38/90
3. Down-conversion defense	38/93	38/83
4. Down conversions	4/11	13/21
4. Down-conversion defense	14.05	14.9
Lost bags per meter	12/80	13/90

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A struggling West Virginia football team looking to get back on the winning side will face Arizona tonight at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.

The game begins at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on FS1.

The Wildcats (3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play) have also struggled recently, losing three straight games to Texas Tech, BYU and Colorado after their 23-10 upset win over the then-10^Th-Rank Utah.

First-year coach Brent Brennan took over a Jedd Fisch-led Arizona program that posted a 10-3 record and beat Oklahoma 38-24 in last year's Alamo Bowl. Fisch was part of Nick Saban's fallout after Kalen DeBoer replaced Saban at Alabama and Fisch took DeBoer's old job in Washington.

“They’re a team that had a great year a year ago,” the West Virginia coach said Neal Brown said. “They finished in the top 10 in the country and a lot of players had come back from there. They are very similar to us. They need a win at worst, and it's going to be a great duel out in the desert. It's a…”It's difficult to play there and we have several people on the team who have been out there. We have great respect for this team and these players.

After switching from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 Conference this season, the Wildcats were expected to finish fifth in the preseason media poll behind Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Kansas. But Arizona fell on hard times when the calendar turned to October, losing 28-22 to Texas Tech, 41-19 at 14^Th-ranked BYU and 34-7 last Saturday against Colorado.

Against the Buffaloes, Arizona struggled to protect quarterback Noah Fifita, who was sacked seven times, and the Wildcat ground game managed just 107 yards on 34 attempts.

In total, Fifita has been sacked 13 times so far this season.

When he has time, 6-foot-1, 188-pound junior Tetairoa McMillan has one of the best pass-catching targets in the country to throw to.

The Waimanalo, Hawaii, resident ranks first in the conference with 47 catches for 780 yards and four touchdowns. He caught 11 passes for 138 yards against Kansas State and had eight catches for 161 yards in the Texas Tech loss. His best career game came last year against rival Arizona State, when he caught 11 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown.

Given West Virginia's struggles defending the pass this year, slowing Fifita and McMillan will be a big issue.

Heading into Saturday's game, Fifita has completed 66% of his 609 career pass attempts for 4,771 yards and 35 touchdowns. McMillan's best career performance came in the same game against Arizona, when he completed 30 of his 41 pass attempts for 527 yards and five touchdowns.

He threw for 422 yards and four touchdowns in the season-opening win over New Mexico, but managed just 138 yards, one touchdown and one pick in the 27-point home loss to Colorado last Saturday.

Senior Quali Conley, listed as a co-starter on Arizona's depth chart alongside senior Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who is dealing with eligibility issues, plans to have a good season for the Wildcats if he has room to run.

Conley leads the team with 500 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He ran for a career-high 155 yards against San Diego State last year and rushed for a season-high 112 yards in a win against Northern Arizona earlier this season.

The Wildcats' other standout player is senior placekicker Tyler Loop, who scored on 63 of his 75 career field goal attempts, including a 54-yard strike in the opener against New Mexico.

Former Syracuse head coach Dino Babers is now in charge of Arizona's offense.

Defensively, according to Brown, Arizona will mix up its front lines but will operate in a 4-2-5 system. On the backend, new defensive coordinator Duane Akina relies on an aggressive attacking style with a lot of man coverage.

Linebacker Jacob Manu, Arizona's leading tackler with 47 stops, was injured against Colorado and is out for the rest of the season, as is offensive lineman Rhino Tapa'atoutai.

Defensive back Treydan Stukes suffered a season-ending injury against Utah, while safety Gunner Maldonado has been out since Texas Tech. Defensemen Isaiah Johnson and Tacario Davis were also injured against Colorado, but Brennan did not provide any updates on them earlier this week.

Sophomore Kamuela Ka'aihue is expected to replace Manu at Mike linebacker.

West Virginia is also dealing with the cumulative effects of injuries, which were exacerbated by the loss of its offensive starters last Saturday night Garrett Greene, Wyatt Milum And Jahiem White didn't play in the second half.

Tonight's game could depend on both teams' depth charts.

Arizona is ranked 100th^Th This week he scored just 23 points per game on offense. The Wildcats also rank low nationally in passes intercepted, pass efficiency, turnover margin, fourth-down conversions, penalties and punt return defense.

The Wildcats are ranked 94th^Th in goal defense allow 27.6 points per game and are 70^Th The total defense gave up 362 yards per contest.

West Virginia is ranked 70th^Th in scoring (28.4 points), 98^Th in goal defense (28.7 ppg.), 55^Th total offense (406.7 ypg.) and 86^Th in total defense (382.0 ypg.).

WVU allows 254.3 yards per game through the air, which ranks 110th^Th in the country this week.

After beating Oklahoma State 38-14 on Oct. 5 in Stillwater, West Virginia (3-4, 2-2) has lost consecutive games to 11^Th-Ranked Iowa State 28-16 and 17^Th-Ranked Kansas State 45-18.

Here is today's countdown to kickoff:

10 – West Virginia ranks TENTH in the nation for fewest penalties per game this week, averaging just 4.3 per game.

9 – Quarterback Garrett Greene ranks ninth in school history with 25 rushing touchdowns.

8 – West Virginia's defense limited Kansas State to just EIGHT rushing yards in the first half of last Saturday's game. The Wildcats came into the contest averaging more than 240 yards per game on the ground.

7 – The Mountaineers have held five of their SEVEN opponents under 130 yards so far this year.

6 – Today's game marks the SIXTH time West Virginia has traveled to Arizona to play a football game and the second time during the regular season. In 1979, the Mountaineers ended their regular season with a game at Arizona State.

5 – The Mountaineers won FIVE times on this day, the last victory coming in 1957 against William & Mary in Morgantown, 19-0.

4 – West Virginia's 13 FOURTH-down conversions are the second-most among FBS teams this season.

3 – Tonight's contest will be the Mountaineers' THIRD consecutive kickoff at 7:00 p.m. ET or later.

2 – If Garrett Greene Can't go today, backup Nicco Marchiol will be making his SECOND career start and his first of the season.

1 – Tonight's game will be the FIRST meeting between West Virginia and Arizona.

West Virginia played at Arizona Stadium once in 1998, when it hosted the Insight.com Bowl. The Mountaineers dropped a 34-31 decision to Missouri that night. WVU's only other regular season trip to Arizona came at the end of the 1979 season, when the Mountaineers lost to Arizona State 42-7 at Sun Devil Stadium.

FS1's announcing team for today's game is Alex Faust and Robert Smith.

Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage begins at 4:00 p.m. ET with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show and leads to regular network coverage at 6:00 p.m. with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning on stations across West Virginia, online at WVUsports.com and the Varsity Network and WVU game day apps.