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Oklahoma’s final game of the 2023 season will see them return to San Antonio for the second time in three years. The last time the Sooners were there, they were coached by legendary Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Brent Venables will wrap up his second campaign as the head man at Oklahoma, returning to San Antonio to take on the Arizona Wildcats, led by head coach Jedd Fisch.
This season has been a much better experience than his inaugural one, and Venables will look for his first bowl win as a head coach. To get that, the Sooners will have to take down a tough Arizona team that finished 9-3 and third in an ultra-competitive Pac-12. Fisch has a hungry team that certainly is talented, with 13 players receiving all-conference honors.
Oklahoma would be wise to check their egos at the door and remain humble. Arizona won’t roll over, and if the Sooners approach this game taking the Wildcats lightly, they may get run off the field.
Arizona has a surplus of impact upperclassmen coupled with Pac-12 Freshman of the Year quarterback Noah Fifita.
Let’s look at Arizona and break down some key Wildcats ahead of Thursday’s Alamo Bowl.
Jacob Manu was one of the best defenders in the Pac-12 this season, as he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. Manu is a classic case of an overlooked player in the recruiting process. He was a former three-star with less than 10 FBS offers.
For Arizona, he is everything. He finished with 108 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and an interception. He’s undersized, as he isn’t even 6-foot, but he masks that with terrific sideline-to-sideline speed, quick and decisive eyes, and a solid ability to diagnose on all three downs.
With Oklahoma down some of their veteran starters along the offensive line and starting a young quarterback in Jackson Arnold, having a keen eye on Manu will go a long…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/5-arizona-wildcats-know-ahead-000043426.html
Author : Sooners Wire
Publish date : 2023-12-27 00:00:43
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