SAN DIEGO – The sun has official set on the 122nd football team at the University of Arizona. And while the Wildcats didn’t end the season on the high note they were expecting, there’s still plenty to proud of for the both the coaches and players. See what Arizona head coach Brent Brennan, as well as quarterback Noah Fifita and linebacker Riley Wilson said postgame following the 24-19 Holiday Bowl loss to SMU.
Brent Brennan:
Brennan’s opening thoughts on the Holiday Bowl and 2025-26 season:
“First of all, I want to thank everybody for being here. Obviously, tonight didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but I do want to take a moment because I’m sitting here looking at Noah Fifita and Riley Wilson and talking about how special this team was. All year, this team bought in and lived Redline. That started last January, really at a time when no one gave us a chance. It’s worth noting that Team 122 here at the University of Arizona is one of eight teams in the history of our program to win nine games. That is incredibly impressive from a team that was picked to be dead last in the Big 12.
It’s also important that I let everybody know that three weeks ago, we had some of our players tell us that they were not going to play in this football game. Those are family decisions, and we respect that. We love those guys. Those guys have made an incredible impact on our program this season, and for all the years they’ve been here at the University of Arizona. I want to be respectful of that for them and their families. It also gave some of our younger players a chance to get high-level, meaningful reps against a very good opponent.
I want to give credit to Coach Lashlee and SMU. They played their tails off, and I respect those guys, respect that team. Then, for this program, now we have work to do. How do we build on this season? We’re going to dive into the transfer portal, we’re going to attack recruiting. We’re going to attack developing the next group, Team 123, with the great players coming back, the young players we’re in the process of developing, and the exciting players we’re going to add over the next month.
Lastly, I want to thank our fans. What a great crowd. We had a great reception. We’re leaving the hotel today. There’s a really special moment for our players, kind of a Wildcat Walk here in San Diego, if you will. I want to say thank you to everybody who supported our football team throughout the season, especially everybody who made the journey here to San Diego for the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl. I love this football team. These young men are incredibly special to me. I love our coaching staff. I’m appreciative of everybody who’s helped us build this program, from our president to our athletics director to the coaches, our support staff, and the players who play all the games. We have a really special group of people here, and I love where we’re headed. Bear Down.”
Brennan on his play-calling, including going for two twice:
“Yes, I would have done the same thing. At the time that I went for two, we were down a lot, right? I was like, ‘If we can go for two, we can reduce the possession we need to be the tie it.’ Part of that was a conversation we were having on the headset, how I felt about it at the moment, and then also some of the analytics conversation.”
Brennan on the importance of left tackle Ty Buchanan this season:
“You want to talk about an absolute warrior. Ty Buchanan, we love that guy, and what a great story, because he played his best football here. He was a one-year transfer coming over from Texas Tech, and so many times he told all of us that this is the most fun he’s ever had playing football. He got to be an important part of a special journey. I just wish he could have finished it tonight.”
Brennan on the turning point in the game for the Wildcats:
“I would say the turning point in my mind was us coming out of half. We made it a game in that second half. One of the things I told the team is that the truth is, we didn’t play well enough in the first half to win it, and that starts with me. But I love the way this team responded. I love the heart and the fight in this team, and to get back in it the way they did. The throws Noah Fifita made at the end of the game – incredible, incredible!
As for Riley Wilson, I don’t know how often a rushing outside linebacker gets two interceptions in the game, one of them on a tipped ball 25 yards downfield. Talk about fight. I’m proud of this team. I’m disappointed and pissed off about tonight, but I’m not gonna let that wreck how I feel about Team 122.”
Brennan on the play of Arizona’s young secondary that stepped up in the wake of opt-outs:
“I think there was some great moments, and I think there’s some moments they’d like to be better. And when I think you know about Dajon Hinton being out there, and Coleman Patmon, like both those guys are true freshmen. And all year they sat behind two, or three, All-Big 12 performers, right? So they didn’t get a lot lot of live reps. And I thought they played their hearts out. Now I’m proud of them for that.”
Brennan on the legacy Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, and Genesis Smith leave behind at Arizona:
“I love those guys. I mean, Dalton, Stukes, Genesis, the plays they made for this football team during their careers here. Specifically, the plays they made for this football team this season. They were incredible. They were incredible. And I understand people being frustrated, and I can’t expect people on the outside world to have a clear understanding about how all these things move in the current era of college football. But those guys are incredible Wildcats. And those guys were amazing leaders for this program in their time here. They chose to stay when the entire world tried to lure them away with money and all kinds of stuff. And they chose U of A, and they chose to finish their careers here. And I understand people being disappointed, but I love those three guys.”
Brennan on if the SMU Band playing during plays had any impact on the game:
“I didn’t either. We’re so locked into those moments, what’s happening in the field, the play call, the adjustment, working with the players. So yeah.”
Noah Fifita:
Fifita on the 2025-26 season:
“We didn’t finish how we wanted to, but I love this team. This is probably the most fun I’ve had playing football, just because of the coaches, Coach Brennan, Coach Doege, and the players. At the end of the day, when you’re down 24-0, the only thing that gets you through the game, the only thing that allows you, gives you a chance to come back, is the love you have for each other. At halftime, we knew that we had 30 minutes left to play for each other. That’s what we did. Obviously, tonight didn’t go as expected, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I love this team. I love these coaches, and best believe when we get back in two weeks, Team 123 is going to get to work.”
Fifita on the importance of Ty Buchanan:
“I love Ty, and I think I can speak for the entire offensive line group and their selflessness. I told somebody this week that the offensive linemen are the best people on the football team. We go back and talk about Ty, and how he’s continuing to choose to play for us, everything he does, fighting through injuries, barely practicing, just trying to get to games to play for us and protect me. I owe my life to my offensive line and Ty Buchanan.”
Riley Wilson:
Wilson on Arizona’s second-half defensive adjustments:
“Schematically, nothing changed. It was just more of our mentality and sticking to our fundamentals. Coach Gonzales, just really emphasized better tackling and obviously us forcing turnovers to get our offense an opportunity to put some points up.”
Wilson on finishing the game strong and playing until the final whistle:
“Redline – that’s what this program is built on, and Coach Brennan and this whole staff have done a great job of establishing that foundation. For us, that is what we rely on. Coming into halftime, this staff is just implementing that ‘Redline, Redline, Redline.’ Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted, but you got to see this part, and the foundation of this team is just amazing. For next year, carrying into that Redline is going to be the same standard, and it’s just going to increase with Coach Brennan and Arizona Football. It’s going to be absolutely scary next year, and unfortunately, I won’t be there, but I’m going to be really happy this time next year, that’s for sure.”
[…] “We’ve got unfinished business. I’m coming back,” said Fifita. […]