Arizona Wildcats force three fourth-quarter takeaways to rout Baylor

It was the first game at the newly named Casino Del Sol Stadium, but it was the last go-around for the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson for the 2025 season. 

Arizona honored 28 seniors for Senior Day Saturday morning and the 11 a.m. kickoff time is the earliest home game for the Wildcats since their first-ever nationally televised game against UCLA in 1983. 

In their last time at Casino Del Sol Stadium until the season opener against Northern Arizona in September, the Wildcats took down the Baylor Bears 41-17.  

Arizona (8-3) has now won four straight games since suffering back-to-back losses to No. 18 BYU and Houston. It's Arizona's longest winning streak since the Wildcats won nine straight between the 2023 and '24 seasons. 

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan has eight wins in a season for the first time in his head coaching career. 

Arizona ended its home schedule with a 6-1 record, the most home wins in a season since 2014. The six home wins matches a single-season program record, which had been achieved six times before this year. 

Brennan called it a "fantastic day for our program." 

"We talked all week about wanting to send our seniors off the right way and I believe we did that," Brennan said. "Just incredible performances from some of them. ... We knew it was going to be a four-quarter battle and we knew it was going to be physical and we knew we'd have to play harder for longer and I felt like the players did that."

Added Brennan: "So much fun. The takeaways by the defense, the balanced attack by our offense, it was awesome day at Casino Del Sol Stadium, and it was just a really special day for our seniors."  

Arizona's defense faced arguably its toughest test of the season, battling a Baylor offense that ranks first in the Big 12 in passing yards — and Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who is the top passer in college football. 

Baylor scored on its first two possessions of the game, a 9-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to leading receiver Josh Cameron. Robertson also had a 2-yard rushing touchdown. 

With the help from Arizona's defense forcing three takeaways and two turnover on downs, the Wildcats outscored Baylor 27-0 to end the game after trailing 17-14 at halftime. Arizona kept Baylor to 162 passing yards, which marked the ninth time this season the Wildcats held an opponent to fewer than 200 yards. 

Turning point

Arizona started the second half with an eight-play, 60-yard touchdown drive that was capped by running back Kedrick Reescano's goal-line touchdown. 

After the Wildcats grabbed a 21-17 lead, Arizona's defense forced Baylor to go three-and-out on back-to-back possessions, however, the Wildcats also had back-to-back three-and-out drives. 

Baylor threatened to take the lead on 4th-and-3 from the Arizona 12-yard line, but Robertson's pass attempt to wide receiver Kole Wilson to the left corner of the end zone was intercepted by sixth-year defensive back Treydan Stukes, who picked up his third interception of the season.

"Treydan Stukes is literally one of the best players I've ever been on the field with," Brennan said. "His awareness, his toughness, his technical excellence, his smarts. ... What a special (day) for him with the interception and he had a bunch of tackles. He's such an impactful player and such a great leader for us." 

The interception was a "storybook ending" for Stukes' final home game in Tucson, he said. 

"Any way I can help the team is good for everyone," Stukes said. "It felt good in that moment." 

Despite a missed 38-yard field goal by Arizona kicker Michael Salgado-Medina, Arizona's defense forced another takeaway on the ensuing possession. Arizona linebacker Taye Brown popped the ball out from Baylor running back Bryson Washington, which was recovered by senior cornerback Michael Dansby.

Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi scored a 28-yard touchdown to give the Wildcats a 28-17 lead. After a turnover on downs, Reescano scored a 19-yard touchdown to put the Wildcats ahead 35-17. 

Arizona linebacker Jabari Mann had a 34-yard pick-six to conclude Arizona's avalanche in the fourth quarter. 

The Wildcats had 13 points off turnovers. 

Offensive MVP

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Arizona senior wide receiver Kris Hutson, who leads the Wildcats in receiving yards this season, notched a career-high 133 receiving yards on nine catches. His final catch was a highlight grab over Baylor cornerback LeVar Thornton Jr. for a 36-yard gain.

Hutson's lone touchdown of the game was in the second quarter. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking his helmet off in the post-touchdown celebration.  

"Kris is a player we were hoping would have this kind of impact every week all year," Brennan said. "He's finally healthy and he's getting really comfortable and his chemistry is developing with Noah in game, so you're seeing the ball find him more often. I'll tell you, I don't want him to take his helmet off when he scores a touchdown. I like the touchdown, not the helmet off. He's an awesome young man. (Wide receivers coach Bobby Wade) and the the program has been a good thing for him. I'm excited to see what he's going to do with our last two games."  

Defensive MVP

Arizona safety Dalton Johnson had a career-high 18 tackles. His previous high was 15 tackles in a loss to TCU last season. 

Johnson is on pace to become the first Arizona safety since Darrell Brooks in 2004 and '05 to lead the Wildcats in tackles in back-to-back seasons.

Johnson is "an awesome Wildcat," Brennan said. 

Said Brennan: "He's one of those awesome guys who chose to stay (for five years) and here we are in Casino Del Sol Stadium on Senior Day and he has 18 tackles? Get out of here. That's how it should end. That's storybook."  

Unsung hero

Reescano scored three touchdowns, his first multi-touchdown performance as a Wildcat. Reescano is the first Arizona rusher to score three touchdowns since Quali Conley in the season-opening win over New Mexico last season. 

Injury report

Arizona was down three starters on Saturday due to injury: cornerback Jay'Vion Cole, defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea and right tackle Tristan Bounds. Savea and Bounds were both honored for Senior Day preceding kickoff. 

Cole and Bounds suffered injuries in Arizona's upset win over No. 25 Cincinnati last week. Bounds was spotted wearing a brace on his right leg and riding on a scooter. 

Redshirt freshman Matthew Lado started in place of Bounds. In the second half, right guard Alexander Doost exited with an injury and was replaced by Michael Wooten, who started the first two games of the season. 

Arizona linebacker Max Harris, who suffered a knee injury two weeks ago, left in the third quarter for what appeared to be a head injury and was replaced by Mann and walk-on Dominic Hanger. 

The Wildcats were also without running back Quincy Craig, who missed his first game of the season. Arizona cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew was held out for the fourth straight game. 

What's next

Arizona turns to its regular-season finale against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe for the 99th Territorial Cup. ASU (8-3) thumped Colorado 42-17 in Boulder on Saturday. 

It's the first time both Arizona and ASU have at least eight wins in a Territorial Cup since 2014, when the Wildcats won the Pac-12 South championship.

The last time Arizona played in Tempe, the Wildcats routed ASU 59-23, the largest margin of victory for the Wildcats in Tempe. Fifita set Arizona's single-game passing record with 527 yards to go along with five touchdowns. Former Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had 266 receiving yards on 11 catches.

The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 49-7 in Tucson last season en route to the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff.  

The Wildcats and Sun Devils kick off at Mountain America Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. on Fox. 

Photos: Arizona closes its home Big 12 season with a bang, dropping Baylor 41-17