For the Arizona Wildcats, it’s been quite a while since defense has been one of their strong suits. The last season in which UA allowed less than five yards per play was 2008, and that’s despite players like Brooks Reed, Scooby Wright III and Colin Schooler coming through the program since. A long cry from the Desert Swarm days of the 90s, indeed.
Still, Arizona’s defense has just slightly progressed under coordinator Marcel Yates, from 6.0 to 5.8 to 5.7 yards per play allowed the last three seasons.