Brent Brennan previews Arizona-West Virginia

Arizona heads to West Virginia for an early kickoff on Saturday, but head coach Brent Brennan does not plan on changing too much of the routine for the Wildcats. “The only difference is our Thursday routine is going to change because we’re flying out Thursday, so we will practice Thursday morning,” Brennan said. “I think if you let that be one excuse it will be. “I think if you let going on the road be an excuse, it will be. We’re not in the excuse making business. We’re attacking the challenge ahead of us, which playing a good West Virginia team at their place on Saturday.” This is the first time that West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez faces Arizona since his firing in 2018. “He’s a football guy and he’s obviously a great coach,” Brennan said. “He’s won pretty much everywhere he’s been and really creative offensively. I remember watching those teams with Pat White at West Virginia and how different it all looked and how fast they played. “He’s always been really good to me and really friendly. He loved his time in Tucson because every time I see him we talk about it. This was a great experience for him. I have a ton of respect for him.” West Virginia has one of the best running attacks in the country and will challenge Arizona on the ground. “Offensively, explosive, crazy tempo team,” Brennan said. “A lot of plus one run game with the quarterback. They want to run the football and they do a great job of that. The running back is a total stud. He’s run for a ton of yards with a lot of explosive plays. The quarterback is a stud, total bad ass. That is going to be a great challenge for our defense.” Although West Virginia has struggled defensively, Arizona is preparing for a variety of looks. “Defensively, they’re a multiple, high-pressure team,” Brennan said. “They’re tough to plan for because there’s a lot of variation there, so you’re not always sure what you’re going to get. They have been really stingy in the red zone and pretty good on third down.” With the challenge West Virginia presents, Arizona’s defensive line will play a large role in determining the outcome. “Danny G has done a great job with that group and Coach Salave’a developing them and Coach Bringuel,” Brennan said. “We play a lot of guys there, so I think that’s part of it. How can we keep them fresh and how can we handle the tempo? “Also, substituting with the tempo of West Virginia is one of those things that is going to be really important in terms of getting lined upon, getting the call, and being able to execute at a high level. The challenge is can we attack our process and take another opportunity to play good defense this week.”