After an abysmal 2016 on defense, head coach Rich Rodriguez fired defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and hired Marcel Yates away from Boise State. Improvement has been slow—Arizona is coming off a season-high four sacks after last week’s victory over Colorado. While that seems like a positive nod to the defense, Arizona barely won that game and the defense actually gave up 551 yards. They did just enough to win, mostly in the first half, and with Khalil Tate’s record breaking game, this barn burner of a game resulted in the Wildcats beating the Buffaloes 45-42. The U of A defense was on the field for a total of 36 minutes and gave up touchdowns on each of Colorado’s final four drives.
UCLA at Arizona Defensive Preview: The Wildcat Defense Continues to Rebuild
