Arizona suffered its first loss in the Brent Brennan era, falling 31-7 at Kansas State on Friday night. There were glimpses of strong play in every phase, but overall it was not enough to take on a very physical Kansas State team.

Check out how we graded each part of the Wildcats:

Offense: D-

The offense got out to a real strong start, marching 73 yards with Quali Conley finishing it off with a 1-yard touchdown run. It was his fourth on the season, and the drive also featured two third down conversions and a fourth down conversion.

From there the offense would struggle. They would go three and out on their next drive and after marching down the field again, Noah Fifita would throw a costly interception as the Wildcats were just outside of the red-zone.

Arizona would not find the end zone again as their drives went as follows: Punt, punt, punt, turnover on downs, turnover on downs, turnover on downs.

Fifita would finish 26 of 42 for 268 yards going along with the interception. Tetairoa McMillan finished as the leading receiver with 11 catches for 138 yards. Conley finished with 14 carries and 48 yards on the ground.

The offense also had six penalties for 45 yards.

Defense: C-

With a little bit of help from some Kansas State mistakes, the defense did keep Arizona within reach for most of the game. Some issues that still plague the defense are containment and tackling.

QB Avery Johnson ran for 110 yards on 17 carries, which made him the leading rusher for Kansas State. Missing tackles led to a lot of long plays for Kansas State, especially in the third quarter. Technique and being able to wrap up is something that is going to need to be fixed during the bye week.

Marquis Groves-Killebrew led the team in tackles with eight. Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, Taye Brown, and Owen Goss all recorded sacks tonight.

Overall, the defense allowed 391 total yards and 21 first downs.

Special teams: D+

With Arizona not having Michael Salgado-Medina and Jordan Forbes able to go tonight, kicker Tyler Loop took on the punting duties. He punted four times with a long of 53 yards.

The big mistake given up on special teams was a 71-yard punt return from Dylan Edwards. It was a low kick from Loop, which allowed Edwards to turn the corner and use his speed to run away from the punt coverage.

Coaching: D

Brennan was introduced to Big 12 play tonight, and there is a lot to learn from this game moving forward.

Overall, it seemed like the team was motivated for the matchup and showed a lot of grit in the first half. When the game could’ve gotten away from them early, they stuck it to Kansas State to show that the Wildcats from Tucson were there to compete.

As the game progressed, the team seemed to lose confidence. A lot of frustration showed on the faces on both sides of the ball. However, no one was pointing fingers and they stuck with each other which is credit to the way Brennan has instilled that mindset into his team.

For the defense, there should have been some adjustment made to the quarterback runs and being able to keep containment. Defensive coordinator Duane Akina is going to have to address the issue of wrapping up and finishing tackles.

Many of Kansas State’s plays finished with their players earning extra yards, and falling forward. Kansas State only had three possessions where they did not score, with one being a missed field goal.

Offensive coordinator Dino Babers had the first drive of the game called to near perfection and it looked like Arizona had found its offense after the NAU game. However, as the game went on, the offense would sputter and it would struggle to stay ahead of the chains.

The only thing that seemed to be consistent was the Fifita to McMillan connection. Outside of that, the offense struggled to make plays and find a way to move the ball. It was also a full game of having a healthy offensive line, and it struggled to keep the quarterback protected.

The bye week comes at a good point for the Wildcats. Arizona needs the week to get healthy, figure out the offensive struggles, and find a way to sure up the tackling.

As the game kicked off at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, the tension was palpable. The previous season’s 49-36 loss still stung for UNLV, and they came into this matchup with a chip on their shoulder.

The game took a dramatic turn in the final moments before halftime as UNLV seized momentum. Kansas was driving past midfield when Jalon Daniels, struggling with accuracy, threw his fifth interception of the season.

UNLV’s Jalen Catalon returned the pick 46 yards, setting up the Rebels for a critical scoring opportunity. Despite having timeouts, UNLV allowed the clock to wind down, leaving them with just one play before the half.

With seconds left, Jai’Den Thomas caught a lob pass from Sluka for a game-changing touchdown, giving the Rebels a 17-13 lead as time expired in the second quarter.

In the fourth quarter, with Kansas holding a narrow four-point lead, the Jayhawks’ defense had a golden opportunity.

Defensive end Jereme Robinson knocked the ball loose from UNLV quarterback Matt Sluka. Although the Jayhawk defenders had a chance to recover, the ball was pushed further back, and safety O.J. Burroughs missed two chances to secure it.

With the 23-20 loss, Kansas will next face the West Virginia Mountaineers at 11 a.m. CT on Sept. 21, looking to rebound from another heartbreaker.

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The 2024 Kansas high school football season continues this week with several big matchups across the state on Friday night (September 13), including Washburn Rural vs Blue Valley as well as St. James Academy vs Aquinas.

The highly-rated Derby Panthers look to build off their good start after a win last week against Hays 40-7 as they take on Haysville Campus on Friday night.

You can follow all of the KSHSAA football games and get updated scores by tracking the SBLive Kansas High School Football Scoreboard. We will have in-game score updates and all of the final scores from every corner of the state. You can also search for full schedules and complete scores from all of your favorite teams.

Here’s a guide to following all of the Kansas high school football action on Friday night.

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