The Arizona Wildcats defeated Colorado 35-30 Saturday afternoon in Boulder. Here are some pertinent notes, quotes and statistics:
NOTES
* Arizona has won its first two Pac-12 games for the first time since 2014, when the Wildcats won the South Division. The Wildcats have won four in a row overall for the first time since October 2017.
* The two league victories have come by a total of eight points. Arizona has 938 yards in those games, while its opponents have 941.
* Arizona has outscored its opponents 29-3 in the fourth quarter over the past three games.
* The Wildcats won despite gaining only 83 net rushing yards, their lowest total since Oct. 12, 2018, at Utah.
* Arizona won without a takeaway for the first time since Sept. 22, 2018, at Oregon State.
* Eleven UA receivers caught at least one pass.
* Khalil Tate’s 404-yard passing performance was the 18th 400-plus-yard game by an Arizona quarterback. The last to do it was Anu Solomon against Cal in 2014.
* Arizona won for only the second time when Tate attempts 30 or more passes in a game. The Wildcats had been 1-8.
* Tate move into third place on Arizona’s career lists in touchdown passes (52) and total offense (7,585 yards).
* Receiver Cedric Peterson caught a 75-yard TD pass in the second quarter, the longest of his career. His previous long, 57 yards, came against the Buffaloes last season. Peterson finished 3-99-1.
* Receiver Brian Casteel had a team-high seven catches for 74 yards and his first career touchdown.
* Receiver Stanley Berryhill III hauled in his team-leading third TD pass of the season. The 7-yarder in the first quarter was his lone grab of the game.
* Linebacker Tony Fields II had a team-high 11 tackles, his second straight game in double figures. Fields has 30 tackles in his past three games.
QUOTES
UA coach Kevin Sumlin on the keys to the win: “It was across the board. We needed to make stops on defense. We gave up some yards but made some critical plays down the stretch. Offensively, we … were having problems running it in the first half. They were loading the box, putting some big dudes in there. The 5-, 6-, 7-yard runs that we’re used to getting were getting 2 or 3. We threw it a lot more in the second half, got the ball on the perimeter … which opened some things up for our running game.”
Sumlin on calling a QB run for Tate on third-and-6 late in the fourth quarter: “We needed to get a first down. They were out of timeouts at that point. He put his head down and got some lead blockers in front of him. It’s the safest play you got, right? Just snap it to the quarterback and run for the sticks.”
Fields on another close game against Colorado: “It’s always an intense game. You never know what they’re going to throw at you. It always goes down to the wire.”
Fields on a rare win on the road: “Honestly, I want to thank you guys. We hear a lot from the media, a lot from Twitter, talking about (how) we don't know how to play on the road, we don't play as good on the road. We made that our point this week. We wanted to play great on the road. We want to win on the road.”
RB Nathan Tilford on Arizona overcoming injuries: “You see it with the running backs. They’re going down, and different people are coming up. Whoever’s in, they gotta do their job. It doesn’t matter who you are or what position it is.”
Tate on throwing a TD pass after throwing an interception that led to a CU score: “It’s all about how you bounce back. You can look at it, and you can be down on yourself. Or you can look at it and you can (try to) do better. I thought I could do better.”
Colorado coach Mel Tucker on his team’s loss: “We have a very disappointed locker room. We have to give Arizona a lot of credit. They made more plays than we made. They executed more often than we did.”
Colorado LB Nate Landman on Tate and the Wildcats: “He’s a gifted athlete, a great quarterback. He took advantage of what we were in. They just made more plays than us at the end of the day. Credit to him and that offense and their coach, (they) were scheming it up.”
STATS
* Colorado had 26 first downs; Arizona had 22.
* Colorado had 159 rushing yards; Arizona had 83.
* Colorado had 496 total yards; Arizona had 487.
* Arizona averaged 7.3 yards per play; Colorado averaged 6.1
* Arizona had one penalty for 5 yards; Colorado had eight for 85.
* Arizona possessed the ball for 24 minutes, 57 seconds; Colorado had it for 35:03.
* Arizona converted 8 of 14 third downs; Colorado converted 6 of 16.
* Arizona scored touchdowns on all three of its trips into the red zone; Colorado went 2 for 4.
* Arizona’s average starting field position was its 24-yard line; Colorado’s was its 30.
* Arizona’s Jamarye Joiner caught four passes for 68 yards.
* Arizona’s Tayvian Cunningham caught four passes for 56 yards.
* Colorado’s Alex Fontenot rushed for 94 yards on 21 carries.
* Colorado’s Steven Montez completed 28 of 42 passes for 299 yards and one touchdown.
* Colorado’s Tony Brown caught 10 passes for 141 yards and rushed for a 15-yard touchdown.
* Arizona’s Tristan Cooper had nine tackles
* Arizona’s Colin Schooler had eight tackles, including one for a loss.
