University of Arizona
1-0 , 0-0
New Mexico
0-2 , 0-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 14 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 39 |
| Arizona | 14 | 13 | 21 | 13 | 61 |
Tetairoa McMillan's Record Performance Lifts No. 21 Arizona to 61-39 Win Over New Mexico
08/31/2024 | Football
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Tetairoa McMillan had a school-record 304 yards receiving and matched another with four touchdown catches - all from Noah Fifita - and No. 21 Arizona opened coach Brent Brennan's first season with a 61-39 win over New Mexico on Saturday night.
The Wildcats (1-0) put on an offensive show in their first game as a Big 12 member, with McMillan and Fifita headlining.
Arizona's stars connected on a 69-yard touchdown on the Wildcats' opening drive and kept gouging New Mexico's defense for big chunks.
McMillan averaged 30.4 yards on 10 catches and broke the Arizona single-game record of 283 yards receiving set by Jeremy McDaniel in 1996. McMillan matched Jacob Cowing's touchdown catches record set against Southern California last season and fell 10 yards short of the Big 12 record set by Baylor's Terrance Williams in 2012.
Fifita finished with 422 yards and four touchdowns on 19-of-31 passing with an interception. Quali Conley ran for 90 yards and three touchdowns to round out an Arizona offense that racked up 627 total yards.
The Lobos (0-2) opened coach Bronco Mendenhall's first season by blowing a 17-point lead in a 35-31 loss to Montana last week.
New Mexico's issue for the second straight week came on defense, particularly McMillan.
Arizona's first preseason AP All-American also had touchdown catches of 17 and 78 yards in the first half, then added a 40-yarder in the third quarter to help Arizona pull away after leading 27-24 at halftime.
The chemistry between Fifita and McMillan played a huge role in the high expectations for Arizona in Brennan's first season.
UP NEXT
Arizona hosts Northern Arizona next Saturday, September 7. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. MST on ESPN+. To purchase tickets, visit azcats.co/FBtix.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
UNM 0, ARI 7
ARI - McMillan,Tetairoa 69 yd pass from Fifita,Noah (Loop,Tyler kick) 3 plays, 98 yards, TOP 01:14
UNM 7, ARI 7
UNM - Wysong,Luke 16 yd pass from Dampier,Devon (Drzewiecki,Luke kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:22
UNM 7, ARI 14
ARI - McMillan,Tetairoa 17 yd pass from Fifita,Noah (Loop,Tyler kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:17
UNM 14, ARI 14
UNM - Rogers,NaQuari 6 yd pass from Dampier,Devon (Drzewiecki,Luke kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:08
UNM 14, ARI 17
ARI - Loop,Tyler 54 yd field goal 4 plays, 2 yards, TOP 01:00
UNM 17, ARI 17
UNM - Drzewiecki,Luke 20 yd field goal 9 plays, 72 yards, TOP 02:59
UNM 24, ARI 17
UNM - Dampier,Devon 13 yd run (Drzewiecki,Luke kick), 7 plays, 51 yards, TOP 02:34
UNM 24, ARI 24
ARI - McMillan,Tetairoa 78 yd pass from Fifita,Noah (Loop,Tyler kick) 3 plays, 78 yards, TOP 00:24
UNM 24, ARI 27
ARI - Loop,Tyler 46 yd field goal 8 plays, 17 yards, TOP 02:52
UNM 24, ARI 34
ARI - Conley,Quali 51 yd run (Loop,Tyler kick), 3 plays, 60 yards, TOP 01:11
UNM 24, ARI 41
ARI - McMillan,Tetairoa 40 yd pass from Fifita,Noah (Loop,Tyler kick) 1 plays, 40 yards, TOP 00:09
UNM 31, ARI 41
UNM - Dampier,Devon 7 yd run (Drzewiecki,Luke kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:24
UNM 31, ARI 48
ARI - Conley,Quali 1 yd run (Loop,Tyler kick), 8 plays, 77 yards, TOP 04:43
UNM 31, ARI 55
ARI - Conley,Quali 23 yd run (Loop,Tyler kick), 11 plays, 86 yards, TOP 04:49
UNM 39, ARI 55
UNM - Medford,Caleb 9 yd pass from Dampier,Devon (Sanders,Eli pass) 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:34
UNM 39, ARI 61
ARI - Croskey-Merritt,Jacory 36 yd run (), 4 plays, 48 yards, TOP 02:19
