Sooners' face tall task in defending 'special player' Noah Fifita
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — After the unexpected change at quarterback in Week 4 due to an ankle injury to Jayden de Laura, the Arizona offense has shocked the nation under redshirt-freshman quarterback Noah Fifita. Since taking the helm, Fifita has led the Wildcats to 37.2 points per game, which would rank 12th in the FBS over the course of the full season. Fifita was also awarded the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award.
Brent Venables and the Sooners will face a tall task as they try to slow down the potent Arizona offense in the Alamo Bowl on Thursday (8:15 p.m. CT, ESPN). While most teams are facing personnel issues due to opt-outs, that is not the case for the Wildcats’ offense. Arizona will be entering the game with their offense intact outside of All-Pac-12 First Team tackle Jordan Morgan, who opted out for the NFL Draft.
The presence that Fifita brings to the offense has not gone unnoticed by Venables.
“I think you've seen what the quarterback Fifita, what he can do. Special player. His instincts, his command, his decision making, his ability to improvise,” Venables said Wednesday. “He has great weapons. He helps them execute at a really, really high level, completing 74% of his passes, top five in the country. He's got a great presence to him.”
There's also no shortage of weapons in Tucson. Fifita has found his big-three between wide receiver Jacob Cowing, tight end Tanner McLachlan and All-Pac-12 Second Team wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The trio combined for 2,339 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.
McMillan headlines the trio and ranks 8th in the nation with 1,242 receiving yards, while impressively also being tied for 15th in the nation in touchdowns at 10. McMillan and Fifita’s chemistry should not come as a shock, as the two Polynesians have played together since the eighth grade.
Venables was quick to compliment Arizona’s pass catchers.
“The receivers are fantastic," he noted. "They got great speed, they got length, size, play-making ability. They make a lot of competitive plays, 2 and 4 in particular. The tight end 84, an excellent player, big body guy.”
Despite the Wildcats’ status as one of the most lethal passing attacks in the nation, Arizona has a fully healthy and explosive rotation at running back. Headlined by 5-foot-9 sophomore Jonah Coleman, the offense has been effective using multiple backs this season.
Venables put emphasis on the Wildcats' variegated offensive nature.
“It starts with the run game, those types of things," he remarked, "but they have the ability to attack you vertically, certainly to pound you in the run game. They do a great job in all their screen presentations, as well."
The Sooners’ defense will be facing one of their toughest tests of the season when they take the field in the Alamodome tomorrow night.
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