LAS VEGAS – The Arizona Wildcats lost to BYU 24-16 on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. Here are some pertinent notes, quotes and statistics from the UA’s season opener:
NOTES
* The loss was Arizona’s 13th in a row, extending the school record. The Wildcats last won a game on Oct. 5, 2019, a span of 700 days. This was the second time during the streak that the margin was one score or less, the other being the 34-30 loss to USC in last year’s opener.
* Arizona lost for the third consecutive time to BYU. All three were in season openers. The margins of defeat: two, five and eight points.
* The loss also dropped Arizona’s record in head-coach debuts to 19-11-2. Jedd Fisch’s career record as a head coach fell to 1-2.
* Arizona had more yards than its opponent (426-368) for the first time since the 2019 finale against Arizona State (383-338).
* The UA defense had eight tackles for losses, its highest total since the ’20 opener against USC (also eight).
* The Wildcats failed to score as many as 20 points for the fourth straight game. They have 46 points (11.5 per game) over that span.
* Fifth-year receiver Stanley Berryhill III set career highs in receptions (12) and receiving yards (102). He became the first Wildcat to eclipse 100 receiving yards in a game since Tayvian Cunningham in the 2020 opener vs. USC.
* Berryhill 12 receptions were the most in a game by an Arizona receiver since Caleb Jones had 13 catches against Cal during the 2014 season.
* Third-year freshman Gunner Cruz made his first career start and established personal bests with 34 completions, 45 pass attempts and 336 yards. It was Arizona’s first 300-yard passing performance since Khalil Tate threw for 404 yards in that October 2019 win at Colorado.
* Lucas Havrisik’s missed field goal in the second quarter ended his career-long streak of six consecutive makes. He missed one later as well and finished 2 of 4. It was the 10th time in his career that he made two or more field goals and the third time that he missed two.
* Sophomore defensive tackle Kyon Barrs logged his first career sack. It was Arizona’s first sack of the season and its lone sack of the game. The Wildcats had two sacks in five games last season.
QUOTES
Fisch on the loss: “The result wasn't where we wanted it to be. We're going to battle. I believe that we have a good enough football team in that locker room to have a really good season.”
Fisch on Cruz’s performance: “He did a lot of things that were pretty good. But there were some things that we could improve upon. We certainly can't take four sacks. ... We had a couple guys open in the end zone, wound up having a misread here or a misread there, which we need to improve upon. But you want to talk about a kid that battled. He battled his tail off. This is not easy. ... I feel really good about the way Gunner played tonight.”
Fisch on going for it on fourth down twice from Arizona’s territory: “I was not going to go for it this afternoon, but when I looked out there and I saw that we had to go that far (holds his hands about a foot apart) and I know how hard our team practiced, I said there's no way they're going to stop us. And when it happened again and we had to go that far, I said there's no way they're going to stop us. We've got a 6-4 quarterback who weighs over 230 pounds (Cruz). If he can't get that much, that's a problem.”
Fisch on his first game as UA coach: “Disappointing. I could have done a better job. I should have called a better game earlier. That won't happen again, I hope. We need to be better in certain play-calling opportunities.”
Fisch on his discussions with Havrisik: “I just told Lucas when he lined up for the last field goal, ‘You're gonna make it like you do every day in practice.’ We practice field goals Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week. He makes them. ‘You're gonna make these, and you're probably not going to miss a field for the rest of the year. So just keep it moving. These things happen.’ ”
Cruz on his interception in the fourth quarter: “It was just a bad read. Gotta be better than that. Obviously that had a big impact on the game.”
Cruz on sneaking for first downs twice on fourth-and-1: “I knew that play was in the game plan, and I was ready for it. Quarterback sneak is really just a will play – offensive line vs. the defense line and the linebackers, who wants it more.”
Cruz on taking four sacks: “That’s a big thing I have to work on. Those were all on me. I’ve got to get the ball out. When we see a certain pressure and we know our answers to it, I’ve got to just trust it. I’ve got to be better in that aspect of my game, and I will be.”
RB Michael Wiley on what the team showed by rallying in the second half: “That we’re fighters and we're not going to give up on the process. We're bought into what they're preaching to us. I think we're (going) in a really positive direction. If we just keep doing what we're doing, we're gonna be where we want to be.”
LB Anthony Pandy on the defense’s handful of breakdowns: “It was just self-inflicted. Every touchdown they scored was self-inflicted. It was nothing to do with their scheme, nothing to do with them being better athletes. Just all on us.”
STATS
* Arizona had 27 first downs; BYU had 18.
* BYU had 161 net rushing yards; Arizona had 81.
* BYU averaged 5.8 yards per play; Arizona averaged 5.1.
* BYU had four sacks for 48 yards in losses; Arizona had one sack for 6 yards in losses.
* The teams combined for seven penalties and 49 yards.
* Both teams dropped three of five punts inside the 20-yard line.
* BYU’s Tyler Allgeier rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
* Wiley totaled 130 scrimmages yards on 21 touches.
* BYU receiver Neil Pau’u had eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
* BYU’s Keenan Pili had a game-high 17 tackles and one sack.
* BYU’s Payton Wilgar had nine tackles and two TFLs (one sack).
* Pandy, Treshaun Hayward and Trevon Mason shared the team lead with eight tackles. Mason had 1.5 TFLs, as did Rashie Hodge Jr. The two combined for a safety.
* Safety Gunner Maldonado had seven tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
