Arizona
GM: Arizona Cardinals O-line helping keep things multiple
As the smarter, less-yelly national sports talk shows explained why Mel Kiper Jr.’s complaints about the trendy use of cover-2 defenses was off the mark, some pointed directly at the Arizona Cardinals for evidence about how to force a defense’s hands.
Run. The. Ball.
If you do, opponents will be forced to move their safeties into the box, closer to the line of scrimmage. And if they do that, then offenses can start taking deep shots — the ones Kiper claims he misses in the pro game so much.
Arizona’s run game and offensive line continuing to hammer opponents will likely force defenses out of constant deep safety coverages. That theory will again be tested Sunday against a physical Detroit Lions defensive front at State Farm Stadium.
But so far, the Cardinals have liked what they’ve seen through a 1-1 start. They’re either baiting teams out of cover-2 or taking advantage of opponents who refuse to load the box.
“I think the offensive line is doing a good job to open up holes in the run game and the backs are doing a good job of gaining positive yards and staying out of long down and distances,” Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday.
“Kyler (Murray) has made plays from the pocket and made off-schedule plays. … That always helps when you can have those explosives and those chunk plays and not forced to have those long, drawn-out drives because those are tough to do, to finish off.”
To that point: The Cardinals are averaging 6.83 yards to go on third downs this season — a positive sign with the ranges by team usually spanning 6.0 to 8.0 yards for a full season.
Arizona’s early down efficiency has led to the team pacing the NFL in third-down conversion rate (58.3% or 14 of 24).
The Cardinals also lead the NFL in average drive length (42.1 yards).
Perhaps that efficiency comes down to earth with more games played, but the strong start is undeniable. Arizona ranks fourth in rushing yards per game (177.5) and is fifth in yards per rush (5.5).
The Cardinals’ run game has gotten props this week from ESPN’s Mina Kimes to Yahoo! Sports’ Nate Tice.
It’s especially impressive after Arizona lost starting right tackle Jonah Williams in Week 1 and was already switching last year’s right tackle, Paris Johnson Jr., to left tackle. Johnson is playing alongside newcomer left guard Evan Brown.
“Paris has done a great job with that transition,” Ossenfort said. “He worked on that in the offseason and really went into overdrive on it here in the spring and then training camp and early on in the season here. Paris had experience playing on the left side there at Ohio State, so it wasn’t anything new to him. There are certainly plays he feels that he can get better on and I know that he will. The one thing about Paris that I know, is he is going to constantly work on his craft.
“I think he’s going to have a good measuring stick this week in Aidan Hutchinson lining up with him on the other side. If Paris wants a measuring stick, he’s got a good one coming in this week.”
And the Arizona Cardinals have run with that strong offensive line play …
The running game led by back James Conner and Murray has set up everything else, including the chunk plays.
Murray hit on all five deep balls last week in a win against the Los Angeles Rams.
Ossenfort has liked how it’s been doses of different contributors at different positions, too.
“Whenever offensively you can be multiple it really presents problems for the defense,” the general manager said. “When Kyler is doing the things Kyler can do … it really brings a dilemma to the defense.
“I think the more we can continue to do that and put our offensive skill players in positions to make the plays and our offensive line continues to get moving in the run game, I think that’s where we want to be.”
PHOENIX (AP/AZFamily) — The moon will look slightly bigger and brighter Wednesday during the closest supermoon of the year, which can be seen from Arizona!
The moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle, so it gets nearer and farther as it swings around. A so-called supermoon happens when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. That makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA.
November’s supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year and also the closest: The moon will come within just under 222,000 miles of Earth.
Tides may be slightly higher during a supermoon because the moon is closer to Earth, said astronomer Lawrence Wasserman with Lowell Observatory. But the difference isn’t very noticeable.
No special equipment is needed to view the supermoon if clear skies permit. But the change in the moon’s size can be tough to discern with the naked eye.
“The difference is most obvious as a comparison between other images or observations,” said Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, in an email.
Supermoons happen a few times a year. One in October made the moon look somewhat larger, and another in December will be the last of the year.
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No. 13 Arizona got the season started on the right foot. The Wildcats traveled to Las Vegas and took down the defending champions, No. 3 Florida, behind an aggressive effort inside the arc, winning 93-87.
GREAT DAY TO BE A WILDCAT!! #BearDown🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/hNKlIYIMCj
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) November 4, 2025
Tommy Lloyd’s new-look Wildcats opened the Hall of Fame Series with three freshmen in the starting lineup. Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, and Brayden Burries all found themselves in the starting five, while fellow freshman Dwayne Aristode found minutes off the bench in the eight-man rotation.
The Wildcats also got a strong showing from arguably its most important piece: veteran guard Jaden Bradley. Guard play is so important in early games to offset some of the rust that teams are bound to have. Arizona had the more experienced option, and it paid off.
Bradley scored 27 points on 9-of-14 from the field. He added five assists and picked a pair of pockets in the win. His leadership allowed the rest of the Wildcats to settle in to more defined roles, letting the offense hit its stride.
While Burries had an off night and Aristode only spent six minutes on the floor, the other two freshmen who saw action were instrumental to the team’s success.
Peat led the way with a 30-piece as his hello to collegiate basketball. The highly-touted freshman isn’t totally new to Lloyd’s system. He played under Lloyd on the Team USA U19 National Team over the summer, where he said he got a head start on learning his role.
His role on Monday? Barrel his way down low and finish at the rim, with a splash of playmaking in between. He added seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block to his line. He shot 11-of-18 from the field, all within the arc, and sunk 8-of-12 from the line.
Peat became the first player to score post at least 30 points, five assists, five rebounds and three steals in their collegiate debut since 2002, and he did so against Florida’s championship-level front court. Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh had no answer for the Arizona freshman.
With just under seven minutes left in the game, tied at 70-70, Peat got the crowd buzzing. Peat set a pick and rolled to the basket, leaped and reached sky-high for a lob from Anthony Dell’Orso, and slammed it home with his right hand.
With the crowd on it’s feet, Peat served up an encore for the Las Vegas audience. After grabbing a board on the next possession, Peat jogged right down the middle lane and jammed it down with two hands, this time with a feed from Bradley.
KOA. PEAT. 😤😤😤 @kpeat10 pic.twitter.com/q4NMmIP4Qi
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) November 4, 2025
It was a nearly flawless debut for Peat, and it instantly raised the alrady high expectations he has in Tucson.
“It was a coming out party for him, so to speak,” Lloyd said postgame. “Everyone’s known about him, but no one’s really studied him and watched him. He’s a special player. The way he came out in that atmosphere, and he went against a first team All-American, and that kid’s a heck of a player. Koa obviously more than held his own.”
The freshman from Germany and Bayern Munich alum earned a spot in the starting lineup over the veteran sharpshooter Dell’Orso, and made Lloyd look like a genius in doing so.
In 35 minutes of action, Kharchenkov had 12 points and 10 rebounds, recording a double-double in his Wildcats debut. He also nailed both of his shots from long range, which happened to be the only triples Arizona hit in the game on five tries.
Kharchenkov departed for the locker room during the first half, but later returned and finished the game strong. He’s a guy that’s been on Lloyd’s radar for awhile, and now it’s all coming to fruition.
BANGGGGGG🔥 Cats lead 47-42 with 2:23 left in the first half pic.twitter.com/lWgRglsSqW
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) November 4, 2025
“He just turned 19, but he’s played high level basketball,” Lloyd said. “He was coached by a guy named Pablo Laso. You guys might not know that name, but he was also the guy that coached Luka Doncic at Real Madrid. I’ve gotten to know Coach Laso over the years. A couple years ago Coach Laso was the head coach of Bayern Munich, where Ivan was playing, and so I obviously called to do my homework, and he’s just like, ‘Tommy, you’re going to be blown away how ready he is from day one.’
“He’s also had some ups and downs and practices, but for him to come out today like he did on this stage, was impressive,” Lloyd continued. “Because what I’ve been on is you know what about rebounding, and he led us in rebounding tonight. So that shows me he’s a good learner, so it probably gives me the liberty to keep getting on him.”
If Kharchenkov can be another reliable piece for three this season, assuming the Wildcats shoot more than they did on Monday, Arizona can truly be a complete offense and a threat from every spot on the floor. It was definitely a positive sign to see him step in so seamlessly to the college game.
What are your thoughts on Peat and Kharchenkov in Arizona’s win over the Gators? Tell us by commenting on our X account. Just click the link and be sure give us a follow.
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