Saturday, November 4
Tucson, Ariz.
7:30 PM
University of Arizona
vs
UCLA
Photo by: Marison Bilagody / Arizona Athletics
Wildcats Aim for Third Straight Ranked Win Against UCLA
10/30/2023 | Football
TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona Wildcats (5-3, 3-2), fresh off back-to-back ranked wins, host the UCLA Bruins (6-2, 3-2) for Homecoming this Saturday, Nov. 4 at Arizona Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. MST with a television broadcast on FS1 and a radio broadcast available on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM.
Arizona has toppled two consecutive ranked opponents, throttling No. 19 Washington State 44-6 on the road two weeks ago and returning from a bye week to outlast No. 11 Oregon State 27-24 last weekend at home. The Bruins represent the fifth straight ranked opponent the Wildcats will face.
A complete preview of the Wildcats Homecoming contest can be found below.
3 — The Wildcats now boast three victories over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 under head coach Jedd Fisch after going three seasons without a ranked win.
7 — Arizona's seven pass breakups against Oregon State are the most posted by a Wildcat defense since swatting seven passes against UCLA in week four of the 2019 season.
51 — K Tyler Loop's 51-yard field goal late in the first quarter marked a career long, surpassing his previous best of 48 yards at Washington in 2022.
52 — WR Jacob Cowing hauled in six receptions for 36 yards against OSU, extending his streak to 52 consecutive games with a reception, the second-longest active streak among all Division I players.
ABOUT LAST WEEK: Noah Fifita threw two touchdown passes to Michael Wiley in the fourth quarter and Arizona beat No. 11 Oregon State 27-24 Saturday night for its second-straight win over a ranked opponent. The Wildcats (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) had a week off following a 44-6 win over then-No. 19 Washington State that matched their largest margin of victory over a ranked team. Arizona maintained its momentum against Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) behind Fifita. Fifita threw for 275 yards on 25-of-32 passing and three touchdowns, hitting Wiley on passes of 40 and 3 yards in the final quarter. The Wildcats also held Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei in check most of the night while limiting the Beavers' run game. Fifita has played well since Jayden de Laura injured his ankle in Week 4, throwing for 924 yards and eight touchdowns in a little over three games. The sophomore was solid at the start, opening with a 7-yard touchdown to Tetairoa McMillan in the back of the end zone, then set up Tyler Loop's 51-yard field goal. Fifita threw an interception near midfield late in the first half, but Oregon State couldn't capitalize, leaving the game tied at 10-all at halftime. Fifita moved Arizona into position for another Loop field goal early in the third quarter, this one from 25 yards, and found Wiley on the three-yard score with 2:22 left. The Beavers made it look easy on their first drive, picking apart the Wildcats on a 75-yard drive capped by Uiagalelei's 22-yard touchdown pass to Jack Velling. The rest of the first half was a struggle against Arizona's vastly improved defense. Oregon State had to settle for a field goal after reaching Arizona's 12-yard line in the second quarter and tried an ill-advised fake field goal from the 16 on the final play before halftime. The Beavers had scored on all 27 of their trips into the red zone this season before the failed fake.
ARIZONA HOSTS NO. 20 UCLA ON HOMECOMING: Arizona (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) hosts another ranked opponent at Arizona Stadium, with No. 20 UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) traveling to Tucson for a pivotal conference clash. Arizona (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) hosts No. 20 UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) for Homecoming at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats and Bruins kickoff at 7:30 p.m., on FS1. Jeff Levering (PxP) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) are the announcers. The Wildcats trail the all-time series 18-27-2 to the Bruins. Arizona came away victorious in the most recent matchup last season (34-28 W) in the final conference visit to The Rose Bowl. The win last season snapped an eight-game road losing streak against ranked teams and was the first win over an AP Top 25 win of Head Coach Jedd Fisch's career. The 2022 victory marked the Wildcats first AP Top 25 win since beating No. 19 Oregon in 2018, their first road AP Top 10 win since beating No. 10 Utah in 2015, and their first AP Top 10 road win since defeating No. 2 Oregon in 2014. In 2022, the Wildcats jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdown drives in the first quarter. At the time, it marked the first time the Wildcats led an AP Top 25 opponent by two or more scores since going up 16-0 on No. 19 Oregon in 2018. Arizona led 21-14 at the half in 2022. It was the first time leading an AP Top 25 team at the break since going to the locker room up 23-8 on No. 19 Oregon in 2018. QB Jayden de Laura completed 22-for-28 through the air for 315 yards and two touchdowns. WR Jacob Cowing finished the 2022 win with 118 receiving yards marking his fourth 100-yard game of the 2022 season. Arizona is 13-11 all-time in Tucson against UCLA, outscoring the Bruins 632 to 590 at home. Over the last five games, UCLA leads 3-2 and over the last 10 matchups, UCLA holds a 7-3 edge. The Wildcats longest win streak against the Bruins was a five-game run from 2007-11. Each team holds a series-long winning streak of five games with UCLA's longest streak running from 2012 to 2016.
FIFITA EARNS THIRD PAC-12 FRESHMAN OTW HONOR: Arizona Football quarterback Noah Fifita has earned his third Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor following the 27-24 win over No. 11 Oregon State Saturday. Fifita completed 25-of-32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats took down the No. 11 Beavers 27-24 on Saturday at Arizona Stadium. Fifita has earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the third time this season. Fifita has earned this honor three times which ties for the second-most times in award history (since 2019), marking the most for the Wildcats since the award was created in 2019. Fifita has started a run of Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors that hasn't been rivaled at Arizona since Khalil Tate earned four Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors during the 2017 season. It marks the second time this season that Fifita has led a comeback victory after lifting Arizona past Stanford 21-20 on the road on Sept. 23. In the Pac-12 opener, the Wildcats trailed 17-14 in the third quarter before mounting the come-from-behind win. He is the first FBS quarterback to have each of his first four career starts happen against AP Top 25 teams since Stanford's Kevin Hogan in 2012.
RING OF HONOR: Arizona Wildcat great quarterback Bruce Hill will be inducted into the Arizona football Ring of Honor during a ceremony at halftime of the Homecoming matchup with No. 20 UCLA. Hill, who competed with the Wildcats from 1973-75, was the Western Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 1973, Back of the Year in 1975, and made the All-WAC First Team squad in his final season. His long list of accomplishments led to his induction into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. When his collegiate career ended in 1975, he stood as the Arizona career record holder with 5,090 passing yards, 45 touchdowns, and 6,054 yards of total offense, all records that remained intact for eight years and still rank among the top 12 in program history. The 1975 Wildcats team, captained and quarterbacked by Hill and led by head coach Jim Young, finished the year with a 9-2 record, a mark of 5-2 in WAC play, and a No. 18 ranking in the final Associated Press Poll. Over the course of Hill's career, the quarterback helped steer Arizona to 20 weeks ranked in the AP Top 20. One of Hill's most impressive performances came in a 1975 game against New Mexico, in which he threw for a then-school record 406 yards and set the program's single-game record with 451 yards of total offense. Both marks from that game remain in the Arizona Football all-time top 20. Over the course of his three-year career Hill led the Wildcats to a record of 26-7, including a 17-4 record in WAC play, and snapped a nine-game Territorial Cup losing streak for Arizona with a 10-0 victory in front of 40,782 Arizona fans in Tucson in 1974.
HEATING UP IN ARIZONA: The Wildcats have won back-to-back games for the second time this season after taking down UTEP and Stanford in consecutive weeks (9/16-9/23). It is the second time in the Jedd Fisch era that the Wildcats have won two straight games, both coming this season. Saturday marked the first time that the Arizona Diamondbacks won a postseason game (defeated Rangers, 9-1, in game two of the World Series) and Arizona Football won a game on the same day since Nov. 3, 2001. On that day, the Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees, 15-2, in game six of the World Series, while Arizona took down California, 38-24, on the road. Arizona took down their second ranked opponent in as many games on Saturday, marking the first time the Wildcats have beaten back-to-back ranked opponents while unranked since 2006 (#25 WSU, W 27-17; #8 California, W 24-20). The Wildcats now boast three victories over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 under head coach Jedd Fisch after going three seasons without one. Arizona's win over Oregon State was also the program's first home victory over an AP Top 25 team since defeating #19 Oregon, 44-15, in 2018.
TOP PERFORMANCES AGAINST TOP-20 TEAMS:
STEADY HAND: Redshirt Freshman QB Noah Fifita continues to guide the Wildcats with a steady hand, throwing for 11 touchdowns in four starts and completing 75.8 percent of his passes for 1,221 yards with just three interceptions. Fifita completed 25-of-32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns against No. 11 Oregon State to mark another impressive performance against a top-20 team. He now leads the Wildcats in completions (119), passing yards (1221), passing touchdowns (11), and passer rating (160.4). The Wildcats are 5-2 in games that Fifita appears in this season. Fifita is the first Arizona quarterback to make his first collegiate start against a team ranked in the AP top 10 since Richard Kovalcheck made his starting debut against No. 7 California in 2004 (L, 0-38). All four of Fifita's starts have come against Top-20 opponents, and Fifita has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after two of those starts. He has posted the second-best completion percentage (119-157, 75.80%) in the Pac-12 during that time, trailing only Oregon QB Bo Nix (78.33%) in the conference. Fifita's 75.8 completion percentage is fourth in the nation.
FIFITA ADDED TO 2023 POLYNESIAN CFB POTY WATCH LIST: Redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita has been added to the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Watch List as announced by the organization yesterday. Fifita has been stellar in his first four starts with the Wildcats, throwing 11 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions and posting the second-highest completion percentage (75.8) in the conference during that time. Among CFB freshman (redshirt and true freshman), Fifita is 8th in passing yards (1,221), 1st in completion percentage, 5th in touchdown passes, has thrown the second-fewest interceptions (3), and second in QBR (160.4). Fifita joins Jayden de Laura on the 2023 Polynesian CFB POW Watch List after de Laura was selected to the list back in August. This is the first selection to this list for Fifita in his collegiate career.
CAREER HIGHS:
DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Taylor Upshaw has posted a career high 6.5 sacks this season, leading the Wildcats and sitting third in the Pac-12 in sacks. He has posted six solo sacks and one assisted sack this season. Dalton Johnson leads the Pac-12 in fumbles forced with three, marking a career best.
PAC-12's LEADING TACKLERS: After recording eight tackles against No. 11 Oregon State on Saturday (10/28). Sophomore linebacker Jacob Manu is third in the Pac-12 with 67.0 total tackles (24 solo, 43 assist) for an average of 8.38 tackles per game.
HE'S BACK: Michael Wiley returned to the field for the Wildcats against the No. 11 Beavers and made five receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Wiley's two touchdown grabs ties a single-game career-high matching his two scores against Colorado on Oct. 1, 2022. He is the second Arizona running back with 100 career receptions (115) The other is Vance Johnson, who had 104 from 1981-84. Wiley's career-high in receptions was 36, which was posted in 2022. He made six receptions for 57 yards against NAU in the season opener. His 115 career-receptions are the most of any Arizona running back dating back to at least 1996 and his 1,034 receiving yards are third among active FBS running backs.
WILDCATS IN THE NFL: The Wildcats are once again well represented in the National Football League this year with eight former letterwinners across the league. One of Arizona's most prestigious alumnus, tight end Rob Gronkowski, retired following the 2021 season after winning the fourth Super Bowl of his career. Gronk was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, and was selected to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Over 11 seasons with New England and Tampa Bay, Gronkowski recorded 9,286 yards (5th all time) and 92 touchdowns (3rd all time). The most recent Wildcat to make an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent is defensive lineman Jalen Harris (Chicago Bears). Recently Christian Young signed a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers and was assigned to the practice squad. For a complete list of former Wildcats in the NFL, see the comprehensive chart below. *Practice squad
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. MST with a television broadcast on FS1 and a radio broadcast available on Wildcats Radio 1290 AM.
Arizona has toppled two consecutive ranked opponents, throttling No. 19 Washington State 44-6 on the road two weeks ago and returning from a bye week to outlast No. 11 Oregon State 27-24 last weekend at home. The Bruins represent the fifth straight ranked opponent the Wildcats will face.
A complete preview of the Wildcats Homecoming contest can be found below.
ARIZONA NOTES & NUMBERS
- Arizona hosts No. 20 UCLA for Homecoming at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats and Bruins kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on FS1. Jeff Levering (PxP) and Mark Helfrich (Analyst) are the announcers.
- The Wildcats trail the all-time series 18-27-2 to the Bruins. Arizona came away victorious in the most recent matchup last season (34-28 W) in the final conference visit to The Rose Bowl.
- The win last season snapped an eight-game road losing streak against ranked teams and was the first win over an AP Top 25 win of Head Coach Jedd Fisch's career.
- The 2022 victory marked the Wildcats first AP Top 25 win since beating No. 19 Oregon in 2018, their first road AP Top 10 win since beating No. 10 Utah in 2015, and their first AP Top 10 road win since defeating No. 2 Oregon in 2014.
- Arizona is 13-11 all-time in Tucson against UCLA, outscoring the Bruins 632 to 590 at home. Over the last five games, UCLA leads 3-2 and over the last 10 matchups, UCLA holds a 7-3 edge.
- Arizona's last home win against UCLA came on Sept. 28, 2019 with a 20-17 victory. The Wildcats have won 2 of the last 3 meetings in Tucson. Arizona and UCLA have split the last six meetings (3-3) since 2017.
- Last Saturday marked the first time that the Arizona Diamondbacks won a postseason game (defeated Rangers, 9-1, in game two of the World Series) and Arizona Football won a game on the same day since Nov. 3, 2001. On that day, the Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees, 15-2, in game six of the World Series, while Arizona took down California, 38-24, on the road.
3 — The Wildcats now boast three victories over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 under head coach Jedd Fisch after going three seasons without a ranked win.
7 — Arizona's seven pass breakups against Oregon State are the most posted by a Wildcat defense since swatting seven passes against UCLA in week four of the 2019 season.
51 — K Tyler Loop's 51-yard field goal late in the first quarter marked a career long, surpassing his previous best of 48 yards at Washington in 2022.
52 — WR Jacob Cowing hauled in six receptions for 36 yards against OSU, extending his streak to 52 consecutive games with a reception, the second-longest active streak among all Division I players.
ABOUT LAST WEEK: Noah Fifita threw two touchdown passes to Michael Wiley in the fourth quarter and Arizona beat No. 11 Oregon State 27-24 Saturday night for its second-straight win over a ranked opponent. The Wildcats (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) had a week off following a 44-6 win over then-No. 19 Washington State that matched their largest margin of victory over a ranked team. Arizona maintained its momentum against Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) behind Fifita. Fifita threw for 275 yards on 25-of-32 passing and three touchdowns, hitting Wiley on passes of 40 and 3 yards in the final quarter. The Wildcats also held Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei in check most of the night while limiting the Beavers' run game. Fifita has played well since Jayden de Laura injured his ankle in Week 4, throwing for 924 yards and eight touchdowns in a little over three games. The sophomore was solid at the start, opening with a 7-yard touchdown to Tetairoa McMillan in the back of the end zone, then set up Tyler Loop's 51-yard field goal. Fifita threw an interception near midfield late in the first half, but Oregon State couldn't capitalize, leaving the game tied at 10-all at halftime. Fifita moved Arizona into position for another Loop field goal early in the third quarter, this one from 25 yards, and found Wiley on the three-yard score with 2:22 left. The Beavers made it look easy on their first drive, picking apart the Wildcats on a 75-yard drive capped by Uiagalelei's 22-yard touchdown pass to Jack Velling. The rest of the first half was a struggle against Arizona's vastly improved defense. Oregon State had to settle for a field goal after reaching Arizona's 12-yard line in the second quarter and tried an ill-advised fake field goal from the 16 on the final play before halftime. The Beavers had scored on all 27 of their trips into the red zone this season before the failed fake.
ARIZONA HOSTS NO. 20 UCLA ON HOMECOMING: Arizona (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) hosts another ranked opponent at Arizona Stadium, with No. 20 UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) traveling to Tucson for a pivotal conference clash. Arizona (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) hosts No. 20 UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) for Homecoming at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats and Bruins kickoff at 7:30 p.m., on FS1. Jeff Levering (PxP) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) are the announcers. The Wildcats trail the all-time series 18-27-2 to the Bruins. Arizona came away victorious in the most recent matchup last season (34-28 W) in the final conference visit to The Rose Bowl. The win last season snapped an eight-game road losing streak against ranked teams and was the first win over an AP Top 25 win of Head Coach Jedd Fisch's career. The 2022 victory marked the Wildcats first AP Top 25 win since beating No. 19 Oregon in 2018, their first road AP Top 10 win since beating No. 10 Utah in 2015, and their first AP Top 10 road win since defeating No. 2 Oregon in 2014. In 2022, the Wildcats jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdown drives in the first quarter. At the time, it marked the first time the Wildcats led an AP Top 25 opponent by two or more scores since going up 16-0 on No. 19 Oregon in 2018. Arizona led 21-14 at the half in 2022. It was the first time leading an AP Top 25 team at the break since going to the locker room up 23-8 on No. 19 Oregon in 2018. QB Jayden de Laura completed 22-for-28 through the air for 315 yards and two touchdowns. WR Jacob Cowing finished the 2022 win with 118 receiving yards marking his fourth 100-yard game of the 2022 season. Arizona is 13-11 all-time in Tucson against UCLA, outscoring the Bruins 632 to 590 at home. Over the last five games, UCLA leads 3-2 and over the last 10 matchups, UCLA holds a 7-3 edge. The Wildcats longest win streak against the Bruins was a five-game run from 2007-11. Each team holds a series-long winning streak of five games with UCLA's longest streak running from 2012 to 2016.
FIFITA EARNS THIRD PAC-12 FRESHMAN OTW HONOR: Arizona Football quarterback Noah Fifita has earned his third Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor following the 27-24 win over No. 11 Oregon State Saturday. Fifita completed 25-of-32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats took down the No. 11 Beavers 27-24 on Saturday at Arizona Stadium. Fifita has earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the third time this season. Fifita has earned this honor three times which ties for the second-most times in award history (since 2019), marking the most for the Wildcats since the award was created in 2019. Fifita has started a run of Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors that hasn't been rivaled at Arizona since Khalil Tate earned four Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors during the 2017 season. It marks the second time this season that Fifita has led a comeback victory after lifting Arizona past Stanford 21-20 on the road on Sept. 23. In the Pac-12 opener, the Wildcats trailed 17-14 in the third quarter before mounting the come-from-behind win. He is the first FBS quarterback to have each of his first four career starts happen against AP Top 25 teams since Stanford's Kevin Hogan in 2012.
RING OF HONOR: Arizona Wildcat great quarterback Bruce Hill will be inducted into the Arizona football Ring of Honor during a ceremony at halftime of the Homecoming matchup with No. 20 UCLA. Hill, who competed with the Wildcats from 1973-75, was the Western Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 1973, Back of the Year in 1975, and made the All-WAC First Team squad in his final season. His long list of accomplishments led to his induction into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. When his collegiate career ended in 1975, he stood as the Arizona career record holder with 5,090 passing yards, 45 touchdowns, and 6,054 yards of total offense, all records that remained intact for eight years and still rank among the top 12 in program history. The 1975 Wildcats team, captained and quarterbacked by Hill and led by head coach Jim Young, finished the year with a 9-2 record, a mark of 5-2 in WAC play, and a No. 18 ranking in the final Associated Press Poll. Over the course of Hill's career, the quarterback helped steer Arizona to 20 weeks ranked in the AP Top 20. One of Hill's most impressive performances came in a 1975 game against New Mexico, in which he threw for a then-school record 406 yards and set the program's single-game record with 451 yards of total offense. Both marks from that game remain in the Arizona Football all-time top 20. Over the course of his three-year career Hill led the Wildcats to a record of 26-7, including a 17-4 record in WAC play, and snapped a nine-game Territorial Cup losing streak for Arizona with a 10-0 victory in front of 40,782 Arizona fans in Tucson in 1974.
HEATING UP IN ARIZONA: The Wildcats have won back-to-back games for the second time this season after taking down UTEP and Stanford in consecutive weeks (9/16-9/23). It is the second time in the Jedd Fisch era that the Wildcats have won two straight games, both coming this season. Saturday marked the first time that the Arizona Diamondbacks won a postseason game (defeated Rangers, 9-1, in game two of the World Series) and Arizona Football won a game on the same day since Nov. 3, 2001. On that day, the Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees, 15-2, in game six of the World Series, while Arizona took down California, 38-24, on the road. Arizona took down their second ranked opponent in as many games on Saturday, marking the first time the Wildcats have beaten back-to-back ranked opponents while unranked since 2006 (#25 WSU, W 27-17; #8 California, W 24-20). The Wildcats now boast three victories over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 under head coach Jedd Fisch after going three seasons without one. Arizona's win over Oregon State was also the program's first home victory over an AP Top 25 team since defeating #19 Oregon, 44-15, in 2018.
TOP PERFORMANCES AGAINST TOP-20 TEAMS:
- Arizona committed zero penalties in the first half against No. 11 Oregon State, the first time they posted a penalty free half of football since the first half against Oregon in 2022. The Wildcats four penalties are their fewest since being tagged with just three at UCLA in 2022, while their 20 penalty yards are their fewest since recording 11 against Oregon in 2022.
- Arizona's seven pass breakups against No. 11 Oregon State are the most posted by a Wildcat defense since swatting seven passes against UCLA in week four of the 2019 season.
- The Wildcats 94-yard touchdown drive against No. 11 Oregon State to take the lead in the second quarter was their longest drive of the season (previous: 92 yards, twice, last, at USC). Arizona now has four scoring drives of 90+ yards this season; they had one last season (92 yards, at California).
- The Wildcats now boast three victories over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 under head coach Jedd Fisch after going three seasons without one.
- WR Malachi Riley's 40-yard reception in the second quarter against No. 11 Oregon State was the longest of his career, more than quadrupling his previous long catch of six yards.
- QB Noah Fifita finished the game against No. 11 Oregon State 25-for-32 through the air for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Fifita is now Arizona's season leader in completions, attempts, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.
- Fifita has thrown 11 touchdown passes in the last four games: three against No. 7 Washington, five against No. 9 USC, zero at No. 19 Washington State (10/14), and three against No. 11 Oregon State (10/28).
- Fifita made his second career start at No. 9 USC. Both of his first two career starts have come against AP top 10 ranked teams. Per ESPN research, Fifita is the 10th quarterback in the past 20 seasons to make his first two career starts against AP top 10 opponents.
- Fifita's five passing touchdowns and 303 yards were both career-high marks. It was Arizona's first five-plus passing touchdown performance since Jayden de Laura threw for six against Colorado in 2022. Fifita's five touchdown passes are the most ever thrown by an Arizona quarterback against a ranked opponent.
- Fifita is the first Arizona QB on record to throw for multiple touchdowns in each of his first two starts (3 vs. No. 7 Washington and 5 at No. 9 USC). It's the third time in the Pac-12 era that an Arizona quarterback has thrown for 300-plus yards against a ranked USC team.
- RB Jonah Coleman had another career day, rushing for a career-high three touchdowns at No. 19 Washington State. Coleman also rushed for 70 yards on 11 carries and caught four passes for a career-high 98 receiving yards on the road.
- WR Jacob Cowing set a program record against No. 9 USC (10/7) with four touchdown receptions. The previous record of three was accomplished 10 times, including once by Cowing in week one of the 2022 season at San Diego State.
- Coleman finished the game with a career-high 143 rushing yards. It was the Wildcats first 100+ yard rushing performance since Michael Wiley went for 214 on the ground in the 2022 Territorial Cup.
- WR Tetairoa McMillan recorded his third career game with 100-plus receiving yards (138 yards on 6 receptions) against No. 9 USC (10/7).
STEADY HAND: Redshirt Freshman QB Noah Fifita continues to guide the Wildcats with a steady hand, throwing for 11 touchdowns in four starts and completing 75.8 percent of his passes for 1,221 yards with just three interceptions. Fifita completed 25-of-32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns against No. 11 Oregon State to mark another impressive performance against a top-20 team. He now leads the Wildcats in completions (119), passing yards (1221), passing touchdowns (11), and passer rating (160.4). The Wildcats are 5-2 in games that Fifita appears in this season. Fifita is the first Arizona quarterback to make his first collegiate start against a team ranked in the AP top 10 since Richard Kovalcheck made his starting debut against No. 7 California in 2004 (L, 0-38). All four of Fifita's starts have come against Top-20 opponents, and Fifita has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after two of those starts. He has posted the second-best completion percentage (119-157, 75.80%) in the Pac-12 during that time, trailing only Oregon QB Bo Nix (78.33%) in the conference. Fifita's 75.8 completion percentage is fourth in the nation.
FIFITA ADDED TO 2023 POLYNESIAN CFB POTY WATCH LIST: Redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita has been added to the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Watch List as announced by the organization yesterday. Fifita has been stellar in his first four starts with the Wildcats, throwing 11 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions and posting the second-highest completion percentage (75.8) in the conference during that time. Among CFB freshman (redshirt and true freshman), Fifita is 8th in passing yards (1,221), 1st in completion percentage, 5th in touchdown passes, has thrown the second-fewest interceptions (3), and second in QBR (160.4). Fifita joins Jayden de Laura on the 2023 Polynesian CFB POW Watch List after de Laura was selected to the list back in August. This is the first selection to this list for Fifita in his collegiate career.
CAREER HIGHS:
- RB Michael Wiley matched his career high with a pair of receiving touchdowns against the Beavers. Wiley now has nine career touchdowns through the air. He extended his margin at the top of the program leaderboard for career receptions by a running back; Wiley has 115 career catches, 30 more than second place Nic Grigsby (85, 2007-10).
- DE Taylor Upshaw increased his team lead with another sack on Saturday, giving him a career-high 7.5 sacks.
- DB Gunner Maldonado paced the Arizona defense with 10 tackles against No. 11 Oregon State (10/28), a career-best mark.
- K Tyler Loop's 51-yard field goal late in the first quarter marked a career long, surpassing his previous best of 48 yards at Washington in 2022. It was also Arizona's first 50+ yard field goal since Lucas Havrisik connected from 50 yards against Washington in 2021.
- Sophomore DBs Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis each made an interception at Washington State (10/14) marking the first interceptions of their career.
- RS Freshman QB Noah Fifita completed 79.1 (34-for-43) percent of his passes marking a career high (at Washington State, 10/14).
- Sophomore RB Jonah Coleman rushed for a career-high three touchdowns at No. 19 Washington State (10/14).
- Sophomore RB Rayshon Luke notched the first rushing touchdown of his career early in the second quarter, going 40 yards for the score. The attempt doubled as the longest rush of his career (previous: 28 yards, twice, last, at Utah, 2022). It was the longest rushing score by an Arizona running back this season.
- Fifita's five passing touchdowns and 303 yards against No. 9 USC were both career-high marks. It was Arizona's first five-plus passing touchdown performance since Jayden de Laura threw for six against Colorado in 2022. Fifita's five touchdown passes are the most ever thrown by an Arizona quarterback against a ranked opponent.
- Coleman rushed for a career-high 143 rushing yards at USC (10/7). It was the Wildcats first 100+ yard rushing performance since Michael Wiley went for 214 on the ground in the 2022 Territorial Cup. It marked Coleman's first game with over 100 rushing yards.
- DE Russell Davis II tallied career-high marks in tackles (5), sacks (1.5), and tackles for loss (2.5) vs. USC (10/7). His 1.5 sacks were the first of his career.
- Safety Dalton Johnson's team-leading 10 tackles against Washington were a career-high mark (previous: 7, twice, last, at Mississippi State 2023).
- LB Daniel Heimuli's 1.5 tackles for loss against Washington were a career-high (previous: 1.0, twice, last, vs. Colorado 2022).
- Senior tight end Tanner McLachlan reeled in a 36-yard touchdown grab at Stanford (9/23) marking the longest touchdown reception of his career.
- Junior QB Jayden de Laura posted his highest completion percentage (79.3%, 23-of-29) as a Wildcat against UTEP (9/16), only surpassed by his performance in 2021 (84.4%) with Washington State at Washington.
- Coleman broke off a career-high 59-yard run in the third quarter against UTEP, the longest rush by a Wildcat this season. His previous high was 43 against Oregon in 2022.
- Sophomore wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan reeled in a 55-yard reception for the longest catch of his career and recorded 161 receiving yards on eight receptions marking career highs against Mississippi State (9/9).
- Sophomore linebacker Jacob Manu set a career-high with 12 total tackles and matched a career-high with 2.5 tackles for loss against Mississippi State.
- Coleman made a career-high three receptions for a career-high 59 yards and his first-career touchdown reception in the win over NAU (9/2). Coleman now has five-career touchdowns (4 rushing, 1 receiving).
- Sophomore tight end Keyan Burnett reeled in a 17-yard reception late in the first quarter against NAU, marking the longest reception of his career (previous: 5 yards vs. Oregon, 2022). Like Coleman, he recorded more receiving yards on the play than he did during the entire 2022 season.
- QB Jayden de Laura rushed for a 53-yard touchdown against NAU marking the longest rush and rushing touchdown of his career. De Laura finished the NAU game with a passer-by rating of 207.7, the third best mark of his career (first: 211.2, at Washington, 2022).
DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Taylor Upshaw has posted a career high 6.5 sacks this season, leading the Wildcats and sitting third in the Pac-12 in sacks. He has posted six solo sacks and one assisted sack this season. Dalton Johnson leads the Pac-12 in fumbles forced with three, marking a career best.
PAC-12's LEADING TACKLERS: After recording eight tackles against No. 11 Oregon State on Saturday (10/28). Sophomore linebacker Jacob Manu is third in the Pac-12 with 67.0 total tackles (24 solo, 43 assist) for an average of 8.38 tackles per game.
HE'S BACK: Michael Wiley returned to the field for the Wildcats against the No. 11 Beavers and made five receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Wiley's two touchdown grabs ties a single-game career-high matching his two scores against Colorado on Oct. 1, 2022. He is the second Arizona running back with 100 career receptions (115) The other is Vance Johnson, who had 104 from 1981-84. Wiley's career-high in receptions was 36, which was posted in 2022. He made six receptions for 57 yards against NAU in the season opener. His 115 career-receptions are the most of any Arizona running back dating back to at least 1996 and his 1,034 receiving yards are third among active FBS running backs.
WILDCATS IN THE NFL: The Wildcats are once again well represented in the National Football League this year with eight former letterwinners across the league. One of Arizona's most prestigious alumnus, tight end Rob Gronkowski, retired following the 2021 season after winning the fourth Super Bowl of his career. Gronk was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, and was selected to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Over 11 seasons with New England and Tampa Bay, Gronkowski recorded 9,286 yards (5th all time) and 92 touchdowns (3rd all time). The most recent Wildcat to make an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent is defensive lineman Jalen Harris (Chicago Bears). Recently Christian Young signed a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers and was assigned to the practice squad. For a complete list of former Wildcats in the NFL, see the comprehensive chart below. *Practice squad
Current Wildcats on NFL Rosters (as of 10/29/2023)
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Brightwell | RB | New York Giants |
| Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles | LB | San Francisco 49ers |
| Nick Folk | PK | Tennessee Titans |
| Roy Lopez | NT | Arizona Cardinals |
| Jalen Harris* | DE | Chicago Bears |
| Lucas Havrisik | PK | Los Angeles Rams |
| Dane Cruikshank* | S | Tennessee Titans |
| Christian Young* | ILB | Green Bay Packers |
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