By james art 
Arizona’s defense struggled to contain a Colorado offense that accounted for 250 passing yards and two passing touchdowns Saturday in Tucson. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
TUCSON – The University of Arizona was looking for a chance to defeat the Thunder Sanders and Colorado Buffaloes during a sold-out homecoming weekend in Tucson on Saturday.
Instead, the Wildcats could be watching their season slip away.
Arizona fell 34-7, their third straight loss, dropping to 10th in the Big 12 standings and leaving coach Brent Brennan’s team struggling just to reach six wins and bowl eligibility.
More than halfway through the season, the Wildcats (3-4 overall, 1-2 Big 12) have slipped from a team ranked in the top 25 nationally to a team tied with five others for second to last in their new conference.
More importantly, the Wildcats are suddenly asking what went wrong with an offense that ranked 18th nationally in scoring, eighth in passing and 20th in total offense last season for a team that finished 10-3 and defeated Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, sacked with seven sacks during a 34-7 loss at Colorado, tackles during Saturday’s game in Tuscon. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
Against Buffalo, Arizona mustered just one touchdown, which came in the first quarter. Colorado shut out the Wildcats the rest of the way, despite Arizona’s Noah Fifita’s most accurate passing performance in the last three games. He connected on just over 61% (16-26) but was sacked seven times.
“We have a standard and we’re not following it,” Fifita said. “And obviously losing makes it even worse.”
The Buffaloes also limited Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan to 38 yards on five carries and star kicker Tyler Loup, a two-time Lou Groza Star of the Week winner, to just one field goal attempt, a 52-yard miss.
“The biggest part is I just have to do a better job coaching this team,” Brennan said.
Arizona’s defense was no more successful than the offense, as Arizona’s defensive line was unable to get enough pressure on Sanders, who enjoyed plenty of time in the pocket to make plays.
Sanders passed for 250 yards, completing 23 of 33 and throwing for two touchdowns.
Masterpiece Sanders throws for 250 yards and two touchdowns as Colorado upsets the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday in Tucson. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
“When you play a quarterback that good, you have to try to get him out of rhythm,” Arizona defensive back Dalton Johnson said of Sanders. “We just have to execute the game plan.”
Arizona fans entered the season with high expectations for the Wildcats, despite the departure of former coach Jed Fish to Washington. Their hopes were boosted when Fifita and McMillan decided to stay in Tucson after Brennan was hired.
Even former President Barack Obama had high expectations for the Wildcats and wasn’t afraid to make his prediction known while speaking at a presidential campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris near Arizona Stadium the day before the game.
“I know Colorado has some good players, I also know you beat them twice in a row,” Obama told the crowd Friday. “Don’t bet against the Wildcats.”
Colorado coach Deion Sanders playfully fired back at the former president after Colorado’s win.
“President Obama is everything to me,” Sanders said. “I love him, I admire him, I respect him enormously, but I heard what he said.
“Come on, man.”
“President [Obama]you’re my man, I love you, I appreciate you, but come on, god.” 🤣@DeionSanders calls out the former president for his words @CUBuffsFootball there are 2 good players 😅⬇️ pic.twitter.com/785OlcDum6
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 20, 2024
Saturday’s injuries only added to the buzz around Arizona’s program.
Defensive lineman Jacob Manu and offensive lineman Rayno Tapa’atutai left Saturday’s game before halftime with leg injuries and are out for the season, Brennan said Monday.
Wildcats linebacker Isaiah Johnson didn’t even make it that far. He suffered what azcentral.com described as a leg injury during a pregame practice that surprised Brennan and led to speculation about Arizona’s strength and conditioning program.
Brennan said everyone “is very concerned about where this is.”
Deion Sanders watched his Buffaloes shine in a 34-7 win over Arizona as Colorado continues to thrive under the NFL’s Hall of Fame coach. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
Across the sideline on the Colorado side, wide receiver Travis Hunter left the game at halftime as a precaution to rest his injured shoulder, according to the team. Hunter had two receptions for 17 yards before being benched.
The Wildcats have lost three in a row and four of their last five games. With just five games left in the season, the team is looking for answers. It didn’t help that the Wildcats piled up more than 90 yards on penalties against Colorado.
Despite the adversity, Arizona is a slight favorite when it hosts West Virginia, which lost its home opener to No. 16 Kansas State, 45-18. Arizona fell to K-State 31-7 earlier this season.
“My message to (the team) is that the only way forward is together,” Brennan said. “I know this: when you lose games, the outside world wants to tear you apart, and that’s the one thing we can’t let happen.”