Monday wasn’t just the first day of classes at Arizona, it was also the first practice of Game Week for the Wildcats as they hit the final stretch before opening the season against New Mexico.
Since being hired from San Jose State in mid-January Brennan had made dozens of trips from either his office or the practice field into the media room underneath Arizona Stadium, but this one stood out because it meant actual competition is right around the corner.
“I had that thought walking out here just now, how much has changed in seven months,” Brennan said. “It’s surreal but also really, really special, but I’m excited. Just like our players are.”
Saturday night will be the start of Brennan’s eight year as a college head coach, the first with the UA. Regardless of where, though, he feels there’s something “magical” about the game.
“I think college football is the best sport in the country,” he said. “And there’s all the things that go into it, from the tailgating to the Wildcat Walk to the band and the cheerleaders and the pom (squad) and the flag group. And the students, the Zona Zoo. And I know there’s lots of people that like watching games in the comfort of their home, but there’s nothing like the smell of walking into a stadium on game day and what that feels like, and feeling that energy and being a part of the experience. It’s one of those special things that happens across our country on all Saturdays in the fall.”
Here’s what Brennan had to say at his first weekly press conference of the season:
On his message to the team heading into the season: “My message to the team is, it’s all about us. It’s about our process and how we prepare. It’s very, very simple, it’s boring and it’s not sexy. I think that sometimes get lost … but it’s always about us and this football team.
On the upsets (or near upsets) that happened in Week Zero: “It’s definitely something we talk about. Every game is a different game, and it’s all about how you prepare, and what your mindset is going into it. I don’t know why those things happened the way they did on Saturday, but credit to those teams that either pressed those teams to the edge or, when it comes to Georgia Tech, found a way to get it done.”
On his first impression of New Mexico, which lost to Montana State on Saturday: “They look like they play hard. They’re definitely creative defensively, and offensively they’ve got some weapons. I feel like they were one catch away from it being over. They’re going to be ready to play. And they have the advantage of having already played a game.”
On being able to watch New Mexico on TV ahead of the opener: “I think it’s a good thing. They have the benefit of actually playing a really tough four-quarter game, and we have the benefit of having some tape on them.”
On how much of the playbook he plans to use in the first game: “All I want to do is win, and so whatever we need to call to find a way to play good football and give ourselves a chance to win I will.”
On what makes season openers different from other games: “I’ve played in season openers where we were favored, where we were massive underdogs, where it was even. I’ve played against teams that people thought we shouldn’t beat, I’ve played against teams we should beat. It’s always different.”
On the most important stats to him: “I think there’s a lot, especially now, with all the information you’ve got or you have access to. But I think the simplest ones will be turnover margin, third down (performance).”
On Tetairoa McMillan’s status for the opener: “T-Mac’s gonna play, come on.”
On expectations for the defensive line: “I think that’s going to be one of the nice surprises of this football team. I think there’s a lot of talent there. We’ve got a good mix of some speed and some edge presence with some physicality in the interior, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to see what that looks like when we start playing.”
On who will be the defensive player wearing in-helmet communication: “It’s still under consideration, but I think it’s going to end up being Jacob Manu. And if he’s not in then it’ll be Gunner (Maldonado). That’s not a surprise because everyone’s gonna know because they’ll have a green dot on the back of their helmet.”
On how accustomed he and his staff are getting to the new technology: “The communication has been good, we were able to practice it a bunch. I think the tablets are going to be a useful tool for everybody. I was watching bits and pieces of the SMU game, every time I saw (coach) Rhett (Lashlee) he had a tablet. I think the big thing that everybody needs to remember is that, no matter what happens in the game, you cannot show the tablet to an official. That’s a big one, I need to make sure everybody on my staff knows, under no circumstances are we doing that.”
On if he’d ever been in a dunk tank before: “Oh yeah, plenty of times. I’m always down for that. I was up there for a while. Somebody gassed … (athletic) Desiree (Reed-Francois) on the first pitch. I got to watch people miss for like 20 throws.”
