The 2024 season is officially in the books for Arizona, and it was a bad one. At 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the inaugural year in the Big 12, the Wildcats saw their win total plummet by six games from the 10-3 mark of 2023, matching the largest season-over-season decrease in school history.

Looking at the UA’s Pro Football Focus grades, it’s easy to see why, as Arizona dipped in almost every category.

The Wildcats’ season grade of 75.6 ranked 104^th out of 134 FBS schools, down from the 90.8 in 2023 that was tied for 16th-best. A year after having the 8th-best offense in the country, Arizona ranked 83^rd, and on defense it went from 54^th to 123^rd.

Only the UA’s special teams grade improved, thanks mostly to kicker Tyler Loop and his NFL leg. The Wildcats ranked 48^th after being 62^nd last season.

The UA’s best-graded game this fall was the first one, the 61-39 victory over New Mexico in Brent Brennan’s debut, which earned an 88.7. The worst: 50.6 for the 56-12 loss at UCF, the program’s lowest-graded game since 2021.

While there were many factors that contributed to the rough 2024 season, one that played a big role was injuries and other circumstances that kept players out of action. Only 12 offensive and defensive starters from the opener logged at least half the snaps for the season, with the starting 11 on defense playing only 49.4 percent of snaps.

Defensive captains Jacob Manu, Gunner Maldonado and Treydan Stukes, each of whom suffered season-ending injuries, combined for only 743 snaps in 2024 compared to 2,129 last year.

Below is a breakdown of how Arizona’s players graded individually.

Offense

Most snaps: LT Jonah Savaiinaea (738 of 744), QB Noah Fifita (729), LG Wendell Moe Jr. (702), C Josh Baker (677), WR Tetairoa McMillan (669)

Highest overall grades (at least 100 snaps): McMillan (84.7 on 669 snaps), Fifita (75.9 on 729), Savaiinaea (74.2 on 738), RB Quali Conley (74.0 on 505), TE Keyan Burnett (73.9 on 287)

Best passing grades: McMillan (85.4 on 455 passing snaps), Fifita (73.4 on 479), Burnett (71.4 on 186), WR Chris Hunter (67,4 on 244), Conley (63.1 on 223)

Best pass-blocking grades: OL Leif Magnuson (90.1 on 51 pass-blocking snaps), Moe (86.0 on 453), Baker (84.2 on 449), Savaiinaea (83.4 on 478), OL Alexander Doost (76.0 on 370)

Best running grades: Conley (77.0 on 145 run snaps), RB Kedrick Reescano (74.1 on 68)

Best run-blocking grades: FB Kayden Luke (77.0 on 28 run-blocking snaps), Burnett (74.3 on 86), TE Tyler Powell (67.2 on 43), TE Roberto Miranda (65.2 on 102), Hunter (63.9 on 105)

Defense

Most snaps: DB Genesis Smith (749 of 804), LB Taye Brown (704), CB Tacario Davis (684), S Dalton Johnson (681), DB Owen Goss (583)

Highest overall grades (at least 100 snaps): G Smith (71.9 on 749 snaps), CB Treydan Stukes (70.7 on 195), DE Tre Smith (70.2 on 566), Goss (66.8 on 583), S Gunner Maldonado (64.1 on 190)

Best tackling grades: CB Demetrius Freeney (81.0 on 69 snaps), Davis (77.0 on 684), DT Chubba Ma’ae (76.5 on 139), DE Lance Keneley (74.0 on 217), D Johnson (70.4 on 681)

Best run defense grades: Stukes (73.5 on 77 run defense snaps), G Smith (72.1 on 349), DE Sterling Lane II (69.9 on 89), DT Kevon Darton (69.7 on 80), Maldonado (68.7 on 76)

Best pass rushing grades: Brown (71.8 on 68 pass rushing snaps), T Smith (70.9 on 306), DL Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (67.4 on 292), DE Chase Kennedy (66.2 on 168), Keneley (63.6 on 94)

Best coverage grades: Kennedy (76.3 on 33 coverage snaps), G Smith (71.7 on 394), Stukes (69.7 on 117), LB Kamuela Ka’aihue (69.3 on 50), Goss (65.8 on 276)

Special teams

Most snaps: Ka’aihue (177), Jack Luttrell (154), Gavin Hunter (141), Brown (140), Tyler Mustain (137)

Best overall grades: G Smith (76.2 on 133 snaps), Mustain (75.8 on 137), Goss (75.1 on 94), Rex Haynes (74.1 on 71), K Luke (71.5 on 72)

A child has died after being struck by part of a statue at the Arizona Biltmore resort in Phoenix on Nov. 27.

Phoenix firefighters responded around 9 a.m. that day after receiving reports of an injured child at the hotel located near 24th Street and Camelback Road.

The 8-year-old was rushed to the hospital where he later died.

Capt. Todd Keller with the Phoenix Fire Department said part of the concrete statue fell on the boy, resulting in a head injury.

It is unknown what caused the statue to fall and whether the child was with a parent or guardian. Officials said foul play was not involved.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the hotel earlier this morning,” a spokesperson from the hotel said in a statement sent to the Arizona Republic on Nov. 27. “Our top priority is the safety and security of our guests, and our thoughts are with the family impacted by today’s events.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A month into the 2024-25 college basketball season, Arizona has gone from a top 10 team to outside the top 25 entirely.

Unsurprisingly, the Wildcats are unranked in the latest Associated Press poll after going 1-2 in the Battle4Atlantis and falling below .500 for the first time since 2010. Arizona didn’t receive any votes.

The last time Arizona found itself unranked in the AP Top 25 was the first weeks of Tommy Lloyd inaugural season as UA’s head coach in 2021-22. Arizona opened that season unranked before jumping to No. 17 in Week 3 after winning the Roman Main Event in Las Vegas.

That Arizona team finished the season with as many losses (33-4) as this team has after seven games (3-4).

The last time an Arizona team fell out of the Top 25 in-season was February 2020.

Over the last three-plus seasons, Arizona has been a mainstay in the Top 25. Arizona was ranked the last 61 Associated Press Top 25 weekly polls, which was the fourth-longest active streak in the country.

Five Big 12 teams are ranked in this week’s poll No. 1 Kansas, No. 6 Iowa State, No. 14 Cincinnati, No. 15 Baylor and No. 17 Houston.

ASU (7-1) had the fifth-most receiving votes.

Arizona returns to action Saturday when it hosts Southern Utah at 12 p.m. MST on ESPN+.