The gridiron stage is set as the No. 14 ranked Arizona Wildcats, seemingly reborn from a woeful one-win season just two years ago, are slated to clash with the heavyweight No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners in the Alamo Bowl this Thursday. The Wildcats, neck-deep in revival under the tutelage of third-year head coach Jedd Fisch, are strutting into the Alamo Bowl with a six-game winning streak, as reported by KSAT.
"This is a brand-new experience for a majority of our team," Fisch told KSAT, noting that a mere eight of his players have previously tasted the bowl game experience, those being transfers. The Arizona Wildcats (9-3), riding high on their victories, including four against teams ranked at the moment of their contests — have something to prove at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables acknowledged Arizona's prowess to KENS5, "There’s nobody in college football right now that’s playing better football the last half of the season than the University of Arizona."
Amidst the anticipation of this significant match-up, both programs are looking down the road at grander landscapes. The Wildcats are set to bid their farewells to the Pac-12 and leap into the Big 12. Meanwhile, the Sooners prepare to transition into the arms of the Southeastern Conference after the Alamo Bowl. Fisch sees this bowl game as an opportunity, saying to KSAT, "It will probably be a kickoff for us into the Big 12, this game, and really being able to see and show our players and let the state of Texas see the type of energy that our players play with."
On the field, Arizona's quarterback Noah Fifita and his favorite receiver Tetairoa McMillan have been making waves, with Fifita racking up a school-record 527 yards and five touchdowns in his latest feat against Arizona State. McMillan for his part, has been nothing short of impressive with his season performance earning him a third-team AP All-American accolade, as noted by KENS5. Both will be looking to make a statement as they face off against an Oklahoma side that saw their linebacker Danny Stutsman reject the allure of the NFL to "stay with what we’ve built going into year three with coach Venables," according to an interview he gave to KSAT.
