👋 GOOD MORNING – Happy Thursday. Can you believe we’re only six weeks from the College Football Playoff?

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Now, let’s get into the Wildcats‘ homecoming festivities, and the latest in the Cardinals’ winding QB journey.

— Alex D’Agostino, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

Wildcats Face Critical Homecoming Matchup

Only one of Arizona’s major football programs plays a game this week, as Noah Fifita and the Wildcats face the Kansas Jayhawks in a homecoming matchup in Tucson, needing just one more win to get back to a bowl game following a 4-8 season 2024 season.

The Sun Devils, meanwhile, will get a week off after a quality, record-breaking win for Kenny Dillingham and backup QB Jeff Sims over Iowa State.

There’s no denying that Arizona is a significantly better, more entertaining and more fundamentally-sound product in 2025 — a far cry from where Brent Brennan’s team was a year ago.

The Wildcats have lost some close games to good teams and just served up one of their most impressive blowouts in recent history, taking down Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes 52-17 last week.

Can Wildcats Get Back to a Bowl Game?

Arizona Wildcats (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) vs Kansas Jayhawks (5-4, 3-3)
Game info: Saturday, 1:30 p.m., ESPN 2
Last Meeting: L, 35-13 (Sep. 24, 1966)

Arizona and Kansas have not squared off in a matchup in nearly 60 years. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 3-2-1, but four of those matchups came before 1950.

Now’s as good a time as ever to start a new rivalry, I guess. Welcome to the Big 12.

Arizona sits at 11th in the conference despite their 5-3 overall record. Kansas is 5-4, but have a half game lead in conference play (3-3 to 2-3). That is enough to lift them three spots to ninth, but the two teams come in as a somewhat even matchup.

Arizona is scoring 34.1 points per game, while Kansas is dropping 31.3. Arizona’s defense does hold a bit of an advantage, allowing 19.9 points per game to Kansas’ 25.3.

The Wildcats are favored by nearly a touchdown at home, but these types of Big 12 matchups often feel like a coinflip.

The keys for Arizona:

• Get Tre Spivey the Football

WR Tre Spivey has 12 touches on the entire season — 11 receptions and one rushing attempt. He has seven touchdowns on those 12 touches. He had one reception in Arizona’s last game, and it went for 57 yards and a score. He had one reception and one rush two weeks ago — the former went for 70 yards and a touchdown, and the latter for just three yards but another six points. Some guys just have that big play ability.

The Wildcats have plenty of weapons, but no longer have the same type of alpha target as Tetairoa McMillan. QB Noah Fifita has had to spread the ball around significantly, but the explosive plays have still been there for Arizona under new offensive coordinator Seth Doege.

• Keep Jalon Daniels In the Pocket

This matchup is shaping up to be quite the QB duel. Noah Fifita has 2,041 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season, while Kansas’ Jalon Daniels has 1,991 yards, 20 touchdowns and three picks.

But the Wildcats have struggled to keep mobile QBs contained this season. Daniels has not necessarily torn up opposing defenses on the ground, but he’s taken double-digit carries in four of his last five games.

If the Cats can keep Daniels from breaking out of the pocket, that’s when Arizona’s top-end secondary (second in the Big 12 with 12 interceptions on the year) can look to take advantage, even if Daniels isn’t exactly turnover-prone.

Quick Hits

QB Clarity: After a long, winding Cardinals QB controversy finally seemed to reach its high point on Tuesday after Jacoby Brissett was named the starter for Arizona’s upcoming matchup with the Seahawks, another wrinkle arose yesterday: Kyler Murray will go on Injured Reserve for his mid-foot sprain, and will have to miss at least the next four games.

That allows Brissett to maintain control of an offense that has been humming ever since he stepped in while also giving Murray’s foot time to heal.

This may or may not be the end of the Kyler Murray era in Arizona, but at least there will be some level of certainty about who’s under center for the next four games.

Hall of Fame QB and Cardinals legend Kurt Warner joined Johnny Venerable and Bo Brack on yesterday’s show to talk about Arizona’s QB situation:

Green Pastures: The Suns get a home matchup with former best friend Bradley Beal and the Los Angeles Clippers tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Phoenix is 3-5 after a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, but highly-anticipated guard Jalen Green (part of the return in the Kevin Durant trade) is expected to finally make his Suns debut after battling a hamstring injury that has held him out of Phoenix’s first eight contests.