Someone will get their second Big 12 win of the season Saturday (5 p.m., FS1) when Colorado hosts Arizona at Folsom Field.

It’s their first meeting as Big 12 foes in Boulder, although Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes won last year Tucson, 34-7.

The last time they met at Folsom Field was in the final year of the old Pac-12 as the Wildcats were one of several teams to get the best of Coach Prime during his first season as Arizona won 34-31 on a last-second field goal in November 2023.

Both teams will look very different from that game as only a handful of players remain.

Here’s what to expect from coach Brent Brennan and the Wildcats, who are coming off a bye week:

Last time out

After a 3-0 start, Arizona has dropped three of four games. Its only win during that span came against the worst team in the Big 12, Oklahoma State.

But the Wildcats are also a handful of plays away from being 6-1 overall and a threat in the conference title race. After losing in double overtime at home against BYU in Week 8, the Wildcats nearly completed an impressive fourth-quarter comeback at Houston in Week 9 before losing on a walk-off field goal.

Arizona actually jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the first quarter after scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions. Quarterback Noah Fifita found wide receiver Tre Spivey for a 70-yard touchdown on the game’s third play, and then Fifita capped an 11-play, 73-yard touchdown drive with a 13-yard pass to Luke Wysong on their next possession.

But an Arizona defense that has been strong for much of the season allowed 21 unanswered points and after a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown by Houston that took over 9 minutes off the clock to begin the third quarter had the Wildcats down by 14 heading into the final 15 minutes.

Arizona scored touchdowns on its next two drives but couldn’t get off the field when it needed to most as the Cougars held the ball for nearly the final five minutes of the game before Ethan Sanchez’s 41-yard kick as time expired won the game.

On offense

If there’s one name on the Arizona roster that is going to look familiar to Buffs fans, it’s Fifita. 

The veteran quarterback is still in Tucson for his third year as the program’s starter, despite struggles last season. But he has found the form he had in 2023 as he’s currently third in the Big 12 in passing yards per game at 261.3 to go with 17 touchdowns and just four interceptions through seven games.

Fifita has been the center of the offense due to a run game that ranks in the bottom third of the conference in rushing yards per game. He doesn’t have one dominant receiving target as Javin Whatley (32 catches, 370 yards and 3 touchdowns), Kris Hutson (24 catches, 318 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Wysong (18 catches, 249 yards and 2 touchdowns) have all had games where they’ve been the top option out wide.

Spivey is also a big play waiting to happen and leads the team in receiving touchdowns with five, but he’s had multiple catches in a single game just twice this season.

On defense

The defensive stars from the last few years are all gone, but that hasn’t stopped the Wildcats from putting together a unit that ranks fourth in the Big 12 in total defense and seventh in scoring defense.

They’ve done it by forcing opposing quarterbacks to make mistakes with nine interceptions as a team through seven games, good for second-best in the conference. Seven different players have accounted for those nine interceptions, too, as a deep secondary is also combining to allow just over 150 passing yards per game.

The safety duo of Dalton Johnson (team-high 52 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception) and Genesis Smith (42 tackles, 7 passes defended and 1 interception) is one of the best in the Big 12, while senior Montana transfer Riley Wilson leads the team in sacks with three. 

The Arizona Wildcats file

Record: 4-3 (1-3 Big 12)

Head coach: Brent Brennan (2nd season, 8-11 record)

Offensive coordinator: Seth Doege (1st season)

Defensive coordinator: Danny Gonzales (2nd at Arizona, 1st as DC)

Names to know: QB Noah Fifita, RB Ismail Mahdi, WR Javin Whatley, WR Kris Hutson, OL Ka’ena Decambra, LB Riley Wilson, LB Taye Brown, S Dalton Johnson, S Genesis Smith

Kickoff: 5 p.m. (FS1)

Betting line: Colorado +4.5