TUCSON, Ariz. — The streaking No. 19 Arizona Wildcats (7-3, 5-2) host the No. 16 Utah Utes (7-3, 4-3) this Saturday at Arizona Stadium for the first ranked matchup in Tucson in over eight years. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. MST.

Saturday's game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks and broadcast on Widlcats Radio 1290 AM.

Arizona, winners of four straight, find themselves inside the AP Top 20 after a road victory at Colorado last weekend. Utah faces their second straight road test after falling in Seattle to No. 5 Washington last weekend.

This weekend's game will serve as the program's annual Military and Veteran Appreciation game, as well as Senior Day. Be sure to arrive early and stay the entire game to catch all the festivities.

A complete preview of the Wildcats final home game of the 2023 season can be found below.

ARIZONA NOTES & NUMBERS

• No. 19 Arizona (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) hosts No. 16 Utah (7-3, 4-3 Pac-12) on Senior Day at Arizona Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. MST on Pac-12 Networks. Ted Robinson (play-by-play) and Yogi Roth (analyst) will be on the call for a battle of Top-20 teams in Tucson.
• Utah leads the all-time series 26-19-2 dating back to 1924. Utah has won six in a row which is the longest win streak for the Utes in the series, matching the longest streak for the Wildcats (6 games) from 1968 to 1983.
• Arizona's last win in the series was a 37-30 double-overtime victory over Utah in Tucson on Nov. 15, 2015. The Wildcats are 10-12-2 at home against the Utes.
• In the 2015 win, Arizona was led by QB Anu Solomon's 277 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air and WR Cayleb Jones' five receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown. Three different Wildcats caught touchdown passes and Solomon rushed for two more TDs in the seven-point win.
• Utah was ranked No. 10 in the nation in 2015 when the Wildcats pulled off a thrilling upset.
• The last time both Arizona and Utah played each other while ranked in the AP Top-25 was 2014 in Salt Lake City. The No. 15 Wildcats came away with a 42-10 lopsided victory over the No. 20 Utes.
• In the 2014-win, Freshman RB Nick Wilson rushed 20 times for a then career-high 218 yards and three touchdowns. The Wildcats tallied 520 yards of total offense including 298 yards on the ground with four rushing touchdowns. 
• This is the first time since 2014 that both Arizona Football and Men's Basketball have been ranked in the AP Top 20 at the same time.

96 — Arizona's 34-31 victory over Colorado was its first win as a ranked team since defeating Northern Arizona, 77-13, in the third week of the 2015 season. The Wildcats played 96 games between wins while ranked.

4 — With the win over Colorado, Arizona has won four straight games for the first time since 2019. 

10 — Jacob Cowing hauled in his 10th touchdown of the season, moving him into a tie for second most in a single season in program history. Cowing is one touchdown catch shy of tying the single season record of 11 (six times). 

19/22 — Arizona moved up to 19th in the Associated Press Top 25 and 22nd in the USA Today Coaches Poll. 

52 — Kicker Tyler Loop booted a career-high 52-yard field goal at Colorado, besting his previous long of 51 yards. 
 

---

ABOUT LAST GAME: Tyler Loop connected on a 24-yard field goal with no time remaining, and No. 23 Arizona rallied to beat Colorado 34-31 on Saturday at sold-out Folsom Field.Jonah Coleman rushed for 179 yards as the Wildcats (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12, No. 21 CFP) won their four straight game. Arizona trailed 24-17 at the break and didn't take its first lead until Loop's field goal. The Wildcats are 13-74 when trailing at halftime in the Pac-12 era. Shedeur Sanders ran for a score and threw for two more as the Buffaloes (4-6, 1-6) lost for the sixth time in seven games since a 3-0 start. Sanders also finished with 262 yards passing to go over the 10,000-yard mark for his career. Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata missed a 44-yard field goal to the right with 4:57 remaining. Coleman then went to work and helped the Wildcats put together an 11-play, 67-yard drive, setting up Loop's winner. Loop also connected on a career-best 52-yard field goal with 1:32 remaining before halftime. Arizona receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig caught five passes for 67 yards against his former team. Lemonious-Craig entered the transfer portal after Colorado's spring game and has been a dependable target for Noah Fifita. Tetairoa McMillan had nine catches for 107 yards for the Wildcats, highlighted by a one-handed grab in the end zone for a 2-yard score that tied the game at 24-apiece early in the third quarter. Colorado's offense found some early rhythm with Pat Shurmur, recently promoted to the role of co-offensive coordinator, calling the plays from the press box and fellow offensive boss Sean Lewis signaling them in from the sideline. The Buffaloes scored just once in the second half. Sanders' 7-yard TD pass to tight end Michael Harrison late in the third was on the heels of a roughing call on Arizona defensive end Taylor Upshaw. Upshaw briefly joined Colorado in the spring before transferring to Arizona. As Sanders was getting up following the hit, he had some words for Upshaw. Two-way standout Travis Hunter had five catches for 74 yards on offense and six tackles, along with a pass breakup, on defense. Sanders, who started his career at Jackson State, is closing in on single-season program records. He has thrown for 3,144 yards this season, just behind the single season mark of 3,200 set by Sefo Liufau in 2014.

ARIZONA HOSTS UTAH ON SENIOR DAY: No. 19 Arizona (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) hosts No. 16 Utah (7-3, 4-3 Pac-12) on Senior Day at Arizona Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. MST on Pac-12 Networks. Ted Robinson (play-by-play) and Yogi Roth (analyst) will be on the call for a battle of Top-20 teams in Tucson. Utah leads the all-time series 19-26-2 dating back to 1924. Utah has won six in a row which is the longest win streak for the Utes in the series, matching the longest streak for the Wildcats (6 games) from 1968 to 1983. Arizona's last win in the series was a 37-30 double-overtime victory over Utah in Tucson on Nov. 15, 2015. The Wildcats are 10-12-2 at home against the Utes. In the 2015 win, Arizona was led by QB Anu Solomon's 277 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air and WR Cayleb Jones' five receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown. Three different Wildcats caught touchdown passes and Solomon rushed for two more TDs in the seven-point win. Utah was ranked No. 10 in the nation in 2015 when the Wildcats pulled off a thrilling upset. The last time both Arizona and Utah played each other while ranked in the AP Top-25 was 2014 in Salt Lake City. The No. 15 Wildcats came away with a 42-10 lopsided victory over the No. 20 Utes. In the 2014-win, Freshman RB Nick Wilson rushed 20 times for a then career-high 218 yards and three touchdowns. The Wildcats tallied 520 yards of total offense including 298 yards on the ground with four rushing touchdowns. Back-to-back wins in 2014 and 2015 capped a four-game winning streak for Arizona from 2012 to 2015.

MILITARY APPRECIATION: Arizona will be wearing special Military Appreciation uniforms against Utah. The team and University will honor those who have and continue to serve our country with a special edition Military Appreciation uniform during select games in 2023. The Wildcats have unveiled brand new military uniforms, switching from the white primary color with camouflage infused on the numbers and shoulders of years past to a blue primary home jersey with camouflage numbers alongside camouflage on the shoulders. The game will feature ticket specials for veterans and active-duty military, a flyover right before kickoff. Military vehicles on site at fan fiesta, Ft. Huachuca presenting the colors for the National Anthem, and The Pride of Arizona Band will perform a Military Medley at halftime.

IN THE RANKINGS: No. 19 Arizona's 34-31 victory over Colorado was its first win as a ranked team since defeating Northern Arizona, 77-13, in the third week of the 2015 season. Arizona improves to 88-49-1 all-time when ranked in AP Top-25. Arizona has won four in a row for the first time since 2019 and continues its climb up the Top-25 polls moving to No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in The USA Today Coaches Poll. Arizona improves to 3-2 when ranked No. 23 in the AP Top-25. The Wildcats are 3-5 when ranked 19th in the poll. The Wildcats have taken down three AP Top-20 opponents over the past four weeks. It's the first time in program history that Arizona defeated three AP Top-20 ranked opponents in consecutive weeks. Arizona began its run with the largest margin of victory, 38 points, during a 44-6 road win over then No. 19 Washington State. The Wildcats returned home and remained hot taking down then No. 11 Oregon State 27-24 and defeating No. 18 UCLA 27-10 on Nov. 4 at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats are moving up the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2017 when they climbed as high as 17th. 

FOUR IN A ROW: The Wildcats have won four in a row for the first time since 2019 when they improved to 4-1 with a 35-30 win at home over Colorado. Three of the last four victories over a ranked opponent have come at home with a 44-6 win over No. 19 Washington State on the road on Oct. 14, 2023, 27-24 win over No. 10 Oregon State and a 27-10 win over No. 19 UCLA at Arizona Stadium. Arizona picked up their fourth victory over a ranked team during the head coach Jedd Fisch era. Arizona has now posted back-to-back years with road wins over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1997 and 1998. It's their first time accomplishing the feat as an unranked team since 1981 (W, 13-10 over #1 USC on road) and 1982 (W, 16-13 over #9 Notre Dame on road). It's the first time in program history that the Wildcats have defeated three consecutive ranked opponents. Over the past 10 games, Arizona is 7-3 with four consecutive wins going into a top-20 showdown with No. 16 Utah at Arizona Stadium. QB Noah Fifita has completed the second-most passes against ranked opponents in the nation this season (136), trailing Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (142). Both Sanders and Fifita have faced five ranked opponents during the 2023 season. Fifita's record against ranked opponents is 3-2 while Sanders is 1-4 against Top-25 opposition. Fifita has passed for the second-most yards against ranked opponents (1,452) and he has thrown the most touchdowns against ranked opponents (14).

BOWL ELIGIBLE: With the 27-10 victory over UCLA, Arizona is now bowl eligible for the first time since 2017. The Wildcats improve to 19-27-2 all-time against the Bruins and have won three consecutive games for the first time since 2019. Arizona has a 9-11-1 record all-time in bowl games dating back to 1921. Arizona's last bowl was the Foster Farms Bowl against Purdue (L, 38-35) on Dec. 27, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. The Foster Farms Bowl capped a 7-6 season that included four straight wins from Oct. 7-28. QB Khalil Tate threw for 302 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 58 yards. Tony Ellison caught four passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns, Shawn Poindexter finished with five receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown, and Shun Brown caught four passes for 62 yards and one touchdown.

CLASS OF '22: Sophomores are at the top of the team tallies in the following statistical categories this season: Rushing yards (1st; Jonah Coleman, 744), rushing touchdowns (2nd; Coleman, 3), trailing only DJ Williams (4) who also joined the Wildcats in 2022. Receiving yards (1st; Tetairoa McMillan, 860), receiving touchdowns (2nd; 7 – McMillan), trailing only Jacob Cowing (10) who also joined the Wildcats in 2022. Tackles (1st; Jacob Manu, 89.0), interceptions (1st; Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis, 1), tackle for loss (2nd; Manu, 6.5-33), sacks (2nd; Manu, 3.5-28), quarterback hurries (1st; Manu, 7.5), and pass breakups (1st; Tacario Davis, 12 – 1st in Pac-12). The 2022 recruiting class which was ranked 22nd in the country and 3rd in the Pac-12 has made a big impact on the field during the 2023 season.

STEADY HAND: Redshirt Freshman QB Noah Fifita continues to guide the Wildcats with a steady hand, throwing 16 touchdowns in four starts and completing 73.7 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards with just four interceptions. He leads the Wildcats in completions (165), passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passer rating (158.7). The Wildcats are 7-2 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). Five of Fifita's six starts have come against Top-20 opponents (4-2), and Fifita has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after three of those starts. He has posted the second-best completion percentage (165-224, 73.7%) in the Pac-12 during that time, trailing only Oregon QB Bo Nix (77.7%) in the conference. Fifita's 73.7 completion percentage is also fourth in the nation. 

TOP PERFORMANCES AGAINST TOP-20 TEAMS: 

• The Wildcats are the first Pac-12 program to win three consecutive ranked games since Stanford in 2015 with a 27-10 win over then No. 19 UCLA (CFP). 
• Arizona now boasts three wins against AP Top 25 teams in consecutive games, the first time the feat has been accomplished in program history. The Wildcats defeated No. 19 Washington State, 44-6, and took down No. 11 Oregon State, 27-24, to begin the streak. 
• 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 four 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.
• 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. 
• WR Tetairoa McMillan recorded his third career game with 100-plus receiving yards (138 yards on 6 receptions) against No. 9 USC (10/7).

CAREER HIGHS: 

• WR Jacob Cowing hauled in his 10th touchdown catch of the season, moving him into a tie for second most in a single season in program history (also: Keith Hartwig, 1976; Rob Gronkowski, 2008). Cowing is one touchdown catch shy of tying the single season record of 11 (six times). 
• RB Jonah Coleman enjoyed a career game in Boulder, rushing for a career-high 179 yards on 11 carries. Coleman averaged 16.3 yards per attempt. His previous high-water mark was a 143-yard performance at USC earlier this season. Coleman's 179 rush yards are the most by a Wildcat since Michael Wiley put up 214 in the 2022 Territorial Cup. 
• RB DJ Williams punched the ball into the end zone twice against Colorado (11/11), giving him the first multi-score game of his career. 
• K Tyler Loop's 52-yard field goal late in the first half at Colorado (11/11) was a career-long, besting his previous long of 51 yards set two weeks ago against Oregon State. Loop's 24-yard field goal as time expired is Arizona's first late fourth quarter game-winning field goal since Casey Skowron connected from 47 yards to defeat Washington, 27-26, in 2014. 
• The Wildcats defense limited the Buffaloes (11/11) to just 77 yards rushing, marking the fourth time this season the Arizona defense has kept their opponent under 100 yards on the ground. 
• LB Jacob Manu and CB Ephesians Prysock led the Wildcats defense with nine tackles each at Colorado (11/11). For Prysock, nine tackles marked a career high. 
• S DJ Warnell Jr. logged the first sack of his career on Saturday at Colorado (11/11), a 10-yard stop. 
• DL Isaiah Ward notched one of the best games of his career at Colorado (11/11), setting a career-high with five tackles while adding one sack and two quarterback hurries. 
• LB Jacob Manu tied his career high with 12 tackles against No. 19 UCLA on Nov. 4. 
• DE Taylor Upshaw increased his team lead with another sack against UCLA, giving him a career-high 7.5 sacks.
• 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).
• 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: DL Taylor Upshaw has posted a career high 7.5 sacks this season, leading the Wildcats and sitting fourth in the Pac-12 in sacks. He has posted seven solo sacks and one assisted sack this season. Dalton Johnson leads the Pac-12 in fumbles forced with three, marking a career best. Upshaw's sacks are the most in a single season for the Wildcats since DE Kylan Wilborn recorded 7.5 during the 2017 season. Upshaw has at least one sack in three consecutive games, all victories. Tacario Davis leads the conference with 11 pass breakups and 12 passes defended. Treydan Stukes is 8th in the conference with seven pass breakups.

DESERT FURY DEFENSE: 

• Arizona's defense has held the last four opponents to 71 total points over a four-game winning streak, marking an average of 17.75 points per game while scoring 33.0 points per contest. The Wildcats have outscored their opponents 132 to 71. 
• The Wildcats defense forced the Bruins into a three-and-out on their first drive of the game, marking their second opening drive three-and-out of the year and matching last year's total (at SDSU, at UCLA).  
• 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. 
• Arizona's defense has allowed three passing touchdowns to the following top Pac-12 quarterbacks: USC QB Caleb Williams (1 TD), Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. (0 TD), and Washington State QB Cam Ward (0 TD), Shedeur Sanders (2 TD).
• Arizona held reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams to a career-low 14 completions (min: 20 attempts). 
• The Wildcats surrendered two passing touchdowns to Oregon State DJ Uiagalelei marking just the second time this season that the defense has allowed more than one touchdown pass in a single game (1st; 3 at Miss. State, 9/9). 
• The Wildcats 38-point margin of victory over Washington State (10/14: 44-6) ties their largest margin of victory over a ranked opponent in program history (also: No. 7 UCLA, 2005). It is the largest margin of victory in a road game against a ranked opponent in program history. 
• The Arizona defense held the Washington State offense to season-low marks in points (6) and passing yards (199) (10/14). Arizona's four sacks against USC (10/7) are the most the Trojan offense line has surrendered all season and doubles their previous high. 
• The Wildcats six tackles for loss are also a season-high mark by a USC opponent. The Wildcats limited USC QB Caleb Williams to just 205 yards on 14-of-25 passing. It was his lowest passing yards total since throwing for only 180 at Oregon State in week four of the 2022 season. 
• Arizona's four sacks against USC are the most the Trojan offense line has surrendered all season and doubles their previous high. The Wildcats six tackles for loss are also a season-high mark by a USC opponent. 
• Arizona's two sacks against Washington were the most surrendered by the Huskies this season. It marked the first time since Oct. 22, 2022, that Washington allowed more than one sack in a game. 
• Arizona's defense held Washington to season-low marks in passing yards (363; next: 389 vs. Cal), total offense (474; next: 529 vs. Cal), points (31; next: 41 at Michigan State) and passing yards per attempt (9.08; next: 11.35 vs. Tulsa). Safety Dalton Johnson's team-leading 10 tackles were a career-high mark (previous: 7, twice, last, at Mississippi State 2023). 
• Saturday (9/30) marked the first time that Washington hasn't logged a passing touchdown in 12 games (last: at Arizona State, 2022). 
• Arizona's five sacks against Stanford (9/23) are the most recorded by the team since notching five against Colorado in 2018. 
• The Wildcats are 7-0 during the Pac-12 era when notching at least five sacks. DE Taylor Upshaw recorded a career-high 2.0 sacks at Stanford. He is the first Arizona player with 2.0+ sacks in a game since Kyon Barrs logged 2.5 against California in 2021. 
• The Wildcats defense logged 11 tackles for loss against the Cardinal, their most since posting 12 on the road at UCLA in 2018. Arizona limited UTEP to 1.9 yards per carry for a total of 49 rushing yards. UTEP's QB Gavin Hardison was held without a touchdown for the first time in 2023. 
• Arizona held NAU to three points marking the fewest allowed by the Wildcats defense since holding California to three points during a 10-3 victory in 2021. It was also the fewest points allowed by the Wildcats in a season opener since shutting out NAU 35-0 to kick off the 2013 season. 
• Arizona has held opponents scoreless in home openers 40 times and held opponents to three points seven times in home openers dating back to 1899. 
• The Wildcats limited UTEP to just 49 yards on the ground, marking the 24th time that an Arizona opponent has gone for 50 or fewer yards since 1996. The Wildcats defense held the Cardinal to just 20 points, the fewest Arizona has allowed on the road to a Pac-12 opponent since 2018 (W, 35-14; at OSU).

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 Wildcats to make an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent are defensive lineman Jalen Harris (Chicago Bears) and 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
 

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
Christian Young*	ILB	Green Bay Packers
J.J. Taylor*	RB	Houston Texans