What Arizona coach Brent Brennan mentioned about Cougars – Deseret Information

[ad_1] The stakes are excessive for Brent Brennan.

Arizona’s second-year head coach is getting ready to conflict with No. 18 BYU this weekend, which very effectively could possibly be the most important alternative of his Wildcats tenure to date.

A win over the Cougars would put Arizona at 5-1 and loudly legitimize each the Wildcats’ scorching begin and potential to hold round within the Massive 12 title chase.

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“We all know (BYU) very well they usually have an important program,” Brennan advised reporters Monday. “Any time you've an opportunity to play an important program coming off a win, let’s go. It's going to be a big-time soccer recreation. I'm excited to see town of Tucson present out. … We're searching for Arizona Stadium to be the No. 1 game-day venue in faculty soccer in the entire nation subsequent Saturday.”

Whereas attendance at Arizona Stadium was uninspiring in final week’s victory over Oklahoma State, Brennan expects — and is asking for — far more depth in Tucson when the Cougars come to city.

“My problem to our fan base and to everyone that loves the College of Arizona is to indicate up,” Brennan advised reporters Monday. “Let’s promote out Arizona Stadium. Let’s make this factor the hostile surroundings we all know it may be and make it actually difficult for our opponents once they get right here.

“That’s one thing I do know we expertise each time we go on the highway within the Massive 12. We skilled it two weeks in the past at Iowa State, bought out, rocking, loud, exhausting to take care of. I believe that’s one thing that we're completely able to right here.”

However Brennan made an vital distinction together with his name for a raucous stadium ambiance.

“Once we try this, you already know, I might additionally ask our followers, let’s be respectful on this factor,” Brennan mentioned. “... We’re higher than (being disrespectful). Let’s be right here and let’s see an important recreation. Let’s cheer on the Wildcats with the whole lot we bought. Let’s make it extremely exhausting on BYU, however let’s be respectful within the course of.”

Brent Brennan spoke on Saturday about @ArizonaFBall carrying momentum into the BYU recreation off a 4-1 begin:

“Anytime you've an opportunity to play an important program coming off a win - let’s go. It’s gonna be a giant time soccer recreation, and I’m excited to see town of Tucson present out.” pic.twitter.com/AUpULk2u3W

— AZ Band Cat Sports activities (@AZBandCatSports) October 6, 2025

The request for respect comes following the Massive 12’s determination to positive Colorado $50,000 for vulgar chants directed at BYU in the course of the two faculties’ soccer recreation on Sept. 27.

Moreover, when BYU’s basketball crew visited Tucson this previous February, Arizona’s scholar part engaged in related chants and slurs after the Cougars’ 96-95 win, prompting an apology assertion from UofA athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois.

As for Saturday’s recreation, Brennan is aware of BYU might be a handful, particularly contemplating the sturdy current play of Cougars freshman QB Bear Bachmeier, who obtained Massive 12 Freshman of the Week honors Monday for the third time this season. In opposition to West Virginia this previous weekend, Bachmeier threw for a career-best 351 yards.

“We’ve identified this child for some time, we watched him enjoying in highschool and he’s clearly a dual-threat man and an actual dual-threat man,” Brennan mentioned of Bachmeier. “He’s their second-leading rusher on their crew, or (has the) second-highest carries anyway. He’s actually efficient throwing the ball, too.

“I believe that’s a kind of offers the place when you've a younger participant and you will get him comfy and get him to stream like they've after which additionally play good protection behind it, it offers him an opportunity to play with actual confidence, and he’s doing that proper now.”

Bachmeier’s quarterback counterpart for the Wildcats might be veteran Noah Fifita, who's coming off his personal 376-yard, five-touchdown effort in opposition to Oklahoma State to earn Massive 12 Offensive Participant of the Week recognition.

The Cougars are a lot accustomed to Fifita, having intercepted him 3 times final 12 months in Provo. The redshirt junior has improved significantly since then, nonetheless, already racking up 1,341 passing yards and 16 whole touchdowns in 2025.

“I’m excited for Noah, I simply assume he’s a kind of younger individuals who has constantly proven up for the College of Arizona, constantly proven up for his teammates, constantly proven up for our teaching workers, and we love him for that,” Brennan mentioned. “And I believe, you already know, he would even inform you there’s most likely extra performs for him to make in that recreation on Saturday than he made. Nevertheless it was nice to see him have a giant recreation.

“He’s a kind of gamers that we’re gonna need to lean on as we get deeper and deeper into Massive 12 play, particularly this weekend when you've a top-10 protection coming to city and a top-25 soccer crew. We’re going to wish Noah to play at a degree he’s able to enjoying at.”

After all, Brennan had loads of good issues to say about Kalani Sitake, with whom he holds a singular relationship.

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan and Kalani Sitake spent a 12 months collectively on Oregon State’s workers again in 2015.

“(Kalani)’s a very good soccer coach and an excellent higher human being” pic.twitter.com/ygZP3OZsUm

— Jackson Payne (@jackson5payne) October 6, 2025

The pair had been collectively on Oregon State’s teaching workers in 2015, and Sitake has since defeated Brennan head-to-head on two events — in 2017 when Brennan was on the helm of San Jose State, and final 12 months in Provo throughout Brennan’s debut marketing campaign with Arizona.

“Kalani is a superb human being. We had a variety of enjoyable collectively once we had been teaching (at Oregon State),” Brennan mentioned. “We lived in the identical neighborhood. Our youngsters ran round collectively within the neighborhood in any respect hours of the day and night time. It was actually enjoyable once we had been collectively.

Cougars on the air No. 18 BYU (2-0, 5-0) at Arizona (1-1, 4-1)

Saturday, 6 p.m. MDTAt Arizona StadiumTV: ESPN2Radio: 102.7 FM/1160 AM “I all the time thought he had simply unbelievable command with the crew when he was our defensive coordinator. He simply had a good way about him and he has an important capacity to be trustworthy with individuals but additionally be demanding, and that confirmed up in our time collectively.

“It’s been enjoyable for me simply watching the success he’s had and persevering with to have our friendship through the years. He’s additionally been a man that we’ve talked about stuff that we had been coping with inside our program or inside faculty soccer or no matter. He’s only a actually good soccer coach and an excellent higher human being.”

BYU coach Kalani Sitake, proper, and San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan meet following a recreation in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Brennan is in his second 12 months as the pinnacle coach of Arizona, and has his Wildcats off to a 4-1 begin. No. 18 BYU and Arizona play Saturday night time in Tucson. | Ravell Name, Deseret Information [ad_2] Source link