We met with Brian Pedersen of Arizona Desert Swarm ahead of TCU’s matchup against Arizona.
The TCU Horned Frogs are back. Following a second bye week of the season, the Horned Frogs are poised to take on the Arizona Wildcats at 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday. This matchup between the Frogs and the former Pac-12 squad will be the third occurrence and first in over two decades. The Wildcats won the first affair in 1999 before falling to the Horned Frogs in 2003. Going forward, these two teams will often see each other, at least twice every three years. Prior to the third matchup between TCU and Arizona, we met with Brian Pedersen of Arizona Desert Swarm on SB Nation. We discussed Arizona’s disappointing 2024 campaign, the regression of the Wildcats’ potent offense, and, of course, a prediction for this Saturday.
Frogs O’ War: The media picked the Arizona Wildcats to finish fifth in the Big 12 during the preseason. Should expectations have been tempered following Jedd Fisch’s departure?
Arizona Desert Swarm: In hindsight, absolutely. Bringing back the 1-2 punch of quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan, as well as several other key contributors from a 10-3 team, meant this wasn’t supposed to be the typical regression year following a coaching change. But Arizona also lost three players who were drafted, as well as a few starters that followed Fisch to Washington. Too much value was placed on who came back and not nearly enough on who had to be replaced.
Frogs O’ War: How has the transition been from the Pac-12 to the Big 12? Has Arizona overperformed or underperformed in its first season in its new conference?
Arizona Desert Swarm: Using the preseason prediction as the barometer, major underachievement, but the same could be said for most of the teams picked at the top back in July. I think most of the underachievement has been due to the losses mentioned above but also the struggle of Brent Brennan and his coaching staff to adapt to power-conference football after being at San Jose State for several years. It also doesn’t help that three defensive captains have been lost to season-ending injuries.
Frogs O’ War: The Wildcats’ offense has underachieved this season. Is there any one player or positional grouping that shoulders much of the blame? Or is it more of a playcalling or coaching issue?
Arizona Desert Swarm: Yes. To all of that.
Arizona has maybe the best receiver in the country in Tetairoa McMillan but it wasn’t until a few days ago that a viable second option (Chris Hunter) started to emerge, and that led to the offense being very inconsistent if McMillan wasn’t open. Last year, Jacob Cowing caught just as many passes, so teams had to pick their poison. Arizona also lost a record-setting tight end for whom the successor hasn’t been found, and the run game has struggled all year behind an offensive line that has used six different alignments.
And I haven’t even mentioned the scheme or lack thereof. Former Syracuse coach Dino Babers called the plays the first three games before getting replaced by tight ends coach Matt Adkins, whose previous play-calling experience had been in the Swedish (!!) Football League. Very good chance Arizona will have a new offensive coordinator in 2025.
Frogs O’ War: How has Noah Fifita’s perception changed amongst the Arizona fanbase? Is he still the solidified quarterback of the future?
Arizona Desert Swarm: Fifita has certainly regressed from a season ago, his completion percentage is way down, and his time to throw is way up. It just doesn’t feel like he gets this offense nearly as much as Jedd Fisch’s one, and it’s led to a lot of the inconsistency on offense. There’s not a better option on the roster, and I think most fans realize that, and the hope is a better OC will fix his issues next year. At the same time, I’m sure there are plenty of people who would be fine with him leaving after this season, especially since his best friend McMillan will be in the NFL.
Frogs O’ War: The Horned Frogs possess a strong aerial attack, leading the Big 12 in passing yards per game. Is Josh Hoover due for another big game, or are the Wildcats poised to slow down TCU’s passing game?
Arizona Desert Swarm: Arizona’s defense is much more vulnerable to the run than the pass, but this is a game where injuries to the back seven could really impact coverage. The Wildcats go with six or seven defensive backs in most games, but several have been forced into action and have been inconsistent. Tacario Davis is an NFL cornerback, and safeties Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith are very versatile, but the rest of the group can be picked on, and Arizona’s defensive line isn’t good at pressuring the quarterback.
Frogs O’ War: What’s your prediction for Arizona vs. TCU? Who wins? What’s the final score?
Arizona Desert Swarm: The most Arizona thing possible would be for it to win this game, thus staying alive for a bowl game, and then losing at home to rival ASU next week, but the Wildcats have had some of their worst performances following wins this season. If TCU avoids turning the ball over and gets a lead, forcing Arizona to play catch up, this could get ugly. Horned Frogs win 38-20.
Special thanks to Brian for offering a glimpse into Arizona’s season and this Saturday’s matchup! Also, be sure to check out Arizona Deseret Swarm’s version of “Know the Enemy.” This time, we got to interview and be interviewed. Thanks again, Brian!