The long offseason is almost over, and Arizona finally has a football game to play.
The Wildcats open the 2024 season on Saturday night against New Mexico, playing for the first time since the 2015 Albuquerque Bowl and the first time in Tucson since 2007.
According to VegasInsider.com, the Wildcats are a massive favorite, with the point spread between 30-31.5 points depending on the site. Here’s what our staff thinks.
Kim Doss — Arizona wins 45-13
Projecting the Wildcats’ first game of the season isn’t quite as difficult this season simply because the opponent has already played. While Montana State is a good FCS team and went into the game as a double-digit favorite, it’s still not encouraging for New Mexico to lose its season opener on its home field the way it did.
The Lobos were unable to hold their early double-digit lead against the Bobcats. It would be a shock for them to ever have such a lead at Arizona.
The Wildcats have superior talent all over the field. They are capable of scoring more than 45 points against the Lobos, but if they get sufficiently out in front, it would not be a surprise to see some of the younger players get some time. They should at least cover the 30+ spread.
Brandon Combs — Arizona wins 52-10
Arizona is coming off one of their best seasons in program history. They are returning plenty of talent and is starting the season off right at home. One of the questions is how this team will react in live action with a new coaching staff. Luckily for the ‘Cats, the first two games are perfect for ironing out the kinks and solidifying everything together. And the first game up is against the Lobos. I don’t foresee any major issues and do expect to see plenty of player rotation throughout the game.
Ezra Amacher — Arizona wins 42-10
This is a game that Arizona should win handily as long as it doesn’t commit many turnovers and executes well enough on defense. We already know the offense will be gearing up for an opponent that just gave up 21 fourth quarter points to Montana State. I’m most curious to see which running backs are utilized in which situations. Arizona has an explosive backfield but sorting out the depth chart is no easy task. I expect Arizona to just barely cover.
Adam Green — Arizona wins 45-13
This is the most anticipated season opener since, well, maybe 2018? That was Kevin Sumlin’s first game as coach and with a returning Khalil Tate, and suffice to say that game, season and coaching tenure didn’t go well. At least when it comes to this game, things should be different. Much different. Arizona has more than enough talent to beat New Mexico and plenty of motivation to come out and show that they are ready to build off of last season’s success. The Wildcats have some things to figure out, sure, and this game should give the team a chance to get plenty of guys live game action.
Juan Serrano — Arizona wins 45 – 17
Most teams have their most improvement from week 1 to week 2. Fortunately for New Mexico, they already have one game under their belt. This is not going to be the same Lobo team we saw last week against Montana State. They will be ready to play and show that they are not a push over team. However, it is the season opener for Arizona, the Wildcats will be ready to go just as much as the Lobos are. A packed Arizona stadium will help an already energized team. Arizona should be able to establish a run game, especially with Jacory Croskey-Merritt playing against his former team. At the end of the day, the Noah Fifita to Tetairoa McMillan connection will be there and should propel Arizona to a season opening win.
Devin Homer — Arizona wins 38-17
Arizona has the fire power to put up 40-plus points on New Mexico but as this is the season opener, there will be some kinks to work out and more guys will get opportunities on both sides of the ball. UA on paper should have no problem setting the tone for the season with a home-opener and keep an eye on Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who is playing against his former team.
Brian J. Pedersen — Arizona wins 38-17
On paper, and based on how New Mexico looked last week, Arizona should easily win this game and there’s plenty of blowout potential. But this isn’t a normal season opener, not with an almost entirely new coaching staff that inherited both a talented roster but also very high expectations. This game and next week against NAU are about settling into a rhythm, as the bigger contests begin after that. Also look for a lot of guys getting opportunities if/when the outcome is no longer in doubt as the Wildcats continue to tinker with their rotations.
