In a commanding performance on Saturday night, Arizona triumphed over Hawaii with a score of 40-6, showcasing a potent running attack that amassed 183 yards and four touchdowns.
Head coach Brent Brennan praised the effort of his running backs, noting that they faced a tough challenge against a Hawaii defense that consistently sought to outnumber them in the run game.
“I thought all three backs ran hard,” Brennan remarked. “Some of that stuff they had to create because everything, or a lot of what Hawaii does, is they’re always kind of plugged in on your run game.”
He continued, “We knew that some of those runs, that our backs would be one on one with a linebacker or safety, and usually they’re gonna have to make a miss or break a tackle. I thought there was good physicality there, too. Like I said, it’s not perfect, but that’s okay. It’s game one.”
Quincy Craig emerged as a standout performer, racking up 125 yards on seven carries, including an impressive 54-yard touchdown run. Craig credited the offensive line for their role in the successful running game.
“Our O-line’s been opening up holes,” he stated. “We practiced that play all week. Once I saw that open up I was like, I have to go in there. I think the running backs performed great. We all found our way to the end zone, which is absolutely exciting. We all bring great versatility. I think it’s very good that we’re so interchangeable.”
Ismail Mahdi also contributed to the scoring, although he took a bit longer to find his rhythm. Coach Brennan expressed confidence in Mahdi’s potential within a deep running back rotation throughout the season.
“We’ve got three good backs, and I promise you, by the end of the season we’re going to need them all,” said Brennan. “We needed them all tonight. I think the world oftentimes gets fixated on like, this one back. You get this one back the ball all the time, but that’s not been my experience in football.”
Brennan emphasized the importance of depth at the running back position given the physical nature of the game, adding, “You always need more than one because they take too much of a pounding. As physical as they were running the ball tonight, you’re gonna need multiple guys. I thought when Ish got in there, he did a great job. He kind of banged his knee a couple weeks ago, and so he was coming back from that.”
Brennan acknowledged that while Mahdi had less practice time due to his injury, he still made a significant impact when called upon. “Those other guys were getting the bulk of the reps leading up to game time, but I thought when we got in there, he showed some stuff, which is not surprising. We feel good about that running back room. I think those guys will be contributing in meaningful ways this season.”
The effectiveness of the running game can often be attributed to the offensive line’s performance, which was a mixed bag according to Brennan.
“It was good at times, and I think it was inconsistent at times,” he noted. “It’s something that we obviously have some work to do there. I thought those guys showed up in a great way.”
Looking ahead, Brennan is optimistic about their running game, stating, “Coming into this season, we knew we wanted to be more effective running football, and week one we end up running football the way we did against a pretty stout front that’s always plus-one in the run game. We feel good about that and those guys are going to continue to grow, to continue to improve.”
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