Arizona Strong in Pass Defense, Weak Pass Rush

Arizona is 4-3 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 play after back-to-back one-possession losses — a double-overtime home defeat to BYU and a walk-off field-goal loss at Houston — and its road slide now extends to four straight road losses dating to last season. The offense has flashed explosiveness but repeatedly collapses in the middle eight and has produced an inconsistent run game despite a rebuilt running-back room that includes Kedrick Reescano, Ismail Mahdi, Quincy Craig, Wesley Yarbrough and Cornelius Warren. Defensively, Arizona has emerged as one of the nation's top pass defenses under coordinator Danny Gonzales, led by a strong secondary (Treydan Stukes, Michael Dansby, Ayden Garnes, Jay’Vion Cole, Genesis Smith) and a deep linebacker group. The primary defensive shortcomings are a lack of consistent pass rush — Arizona has just 14 sacks on the season — and vulnerability against the run. Coach Brent Brennan is using the bye week to correct fundamentals and shore up offensive consistency and the defensive line before a trip to Colorado, and Arizona will need at least two more wins to reach bowl eligibility.