TUCSON, Arizona — University of Arizona head coach Brent Brennan is rallying the Wildcat fan base to pack Arizona Stadium for the upcoming clash against No. 18 BYU, following a disappointing turnout in their recent game against Oklahoma State.
Despite an announced crowd of 40,685 last Saturday, the stands were noticeably half-empty, with many fans leaving early, even before kicker Michael Selgado-Medina’s impressive 57-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Brennan remains steadfast in his support for Selgado-Medina, a young kicker who has shown both promise and inconsistency. “We have faith in Money Mike,” Brennan said. “He’s a young player, but he’s getting better every week, and we’re going to keep putting him out there because we believe in him.”
The Wildcats also celebrated a bright spot this week as quarterback Noah Fifita was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his stellar performance, throwing five touchdown passes against Oklahoma State. Fifita’s season stats underscore his growing importance to the team, with a 155.8 passer rating, 1,341 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions over five games.
“It was great to see him have a big game,” Brennan noted. “He’s one of those players we are going to have to lean on as we get deeper into Big 12 play, especially this weekend when you have a top-10 defense and a top-25 football program coming to town. We’re going to need Noah Fifita to play at the level he’s capable of.”
Arizona faces a formidable challenge this weekend against undefeated BYU (5-0), led by true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who has thrown just one interception this season. Brennan praised BYU’s ability to nurture their young quarterback: “When you have a young player, and you can get him comfortable and in the flow, like they have, and play good defense behind him, you give him a chance to play with real confidence, as he’s doing right now.”
With a critical game looming, Brennan issued a passionate challenge to the Arizona fan base: “Let’s sell out Arizona Stadium. Let’s make this the hostile environment we know it can be and make it really challenging for our opponents when they get here.”
The Wildcats will need both their star quarterback and a roaring home crowd to take on BYU’s top-tier defense and maintain momentum in Big 12 play.
