Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona QB Adding Ground Game to his Repertoire

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Troy Hutchison | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET

One of the major storylines coming into training camp this year for Arizona was not only the change at the offensive coordinating job with the addition of Seth Doege but was quarterback Noah Fifita stating during Big 12 Media Day that he will be trying to unlock his legs this season and become more of a threat in the running game compared to years past.

“I have two years under my belt now. So using that experience, and then using coach Doege, he's super experienced. He's super smart. One of the best offensive minds I've ever been around,” Fifita said during media day. “So just learning from him, building that relationship with him. I'm trying to be the smartest, most prepared player on the field, and then try to become more of a threat with my legs as well.”

At this point in time, Fifita has rushed for (-16) yards in his collegiate career on 104 attempts. Remember though, sacks count against rushing yards in college football meaning the statistic is slightly deceiving.

Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Last season at Marshall, Doege’s starting quarterback Braylon Braxton played in 10 games passing for 1,622 yards to go with his 19 passing touchdowns. However, Braxton also rushed for 601 yards on 132 carries and scored four touchdowns on the ground.

Now, does Fifita have to be the same level of a dual-threat as Braxton?

No, and Doege isn’t expecting that out of him at all.

However, if he was to be able to keep the defense honest with a 10-yard run here and 10-yard run there throughout the entirety of a 60-minute game, then that opens things up for the rest of the offense.

Throughout camp, we have seen Fifita working on his legs in the offense and trying to add it to part of his game.

There have been times where Fifita has been able to find a hole in the middle of a passing play and run to pick up a quick 6 to 7 yards instead of holding on to the ball and taking the sack.

Last season, Fifita was sacked 28 times. Now, Arizona did have some offensive line issues with injuries but some of those sacks were on him and caused by holding on to the football too long.

When looking at this upcoming season, if Fifita can cut that number down from 28 to around 16 to 19, Arizona’s offense will be more efficient and will see the red zone more than what it did during the 2024 season.

This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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