Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan praised his team’s grit after the Wildcats erased a 14‑0 early deficit to defeat Washington State 34‑24 on Saturday night. The win marked the first time in at least four decades that Arizona secured a road victory after falling behind by two touchdowns.
Resilience on the road
“We went down 14‑0 and nobody flinched,” Brennan said after the game. “Everybody just went to work doing their job, playing Redline, and the results followed. I’m excited about the resiliency of this team. We’re going to need it in the Big 12.”
The Wildcats rallied in the second half, taking the lead in the third quarter and pulling away to finish two scores ahead. The victory follows a similar comeback against Cincinnati, where Arizona erased a 10‑0 hole to win 31‑26.
Historical context
Since 2004, Arizona has been 10‑108 in games where it trailed by two or more scores. Four of those rare turnarounds have come with quarterback Noah Fifita at the helm, including the bowl‑eligibility win over Kansas and the 2023 Alamo Bowl victory.
Early‑game challenges
While the Wildcats have improved after the first quarter—outscoring opponents 62‑17 in the first quarters of the last two games—they remain outscored 31‑24 in opening periods overall, a stark contrast to a +24 first‑quarter margin a year ago.
“Obviously we’ll work on that,” Brennan added. “We want to start fast. Trust me.”
Looking ahead
Arizona now turns its focus to the upcoming Big 12 matchup against Cincinnati, a team that also demonstrated comeback ability by erasing a 14‑0 deficit against Miami (Ohio) and a 10‑0 hole against Kansas State.
Both programs emphasize the importance of finishing games strong, a theme that coach Brennan highlighted as a key factor in the Wildcats’ recent success.
Original reporting: Arizona Desert Swarm (Tucson Sports) — read the source article.
