'Great win for the program': No. 17 Arizona ends skid vs. No 22 Utah in resounding fashion

The question entering Saturday’s home finale for Arizona was this: Could the UA out-Utah ... Utah?

UA coach Jedd Fisch emboldened his team in the lead-up to the game. In a post-practice speech aired on ESPN’s “College GameDay” Saturday morning, Fisch told his players:

“They’re a tough, physical team. They know how to win.”

He then added: “We’re a tough, physical team. We know how to win.”

The Wildcats proved it yet again on a drizzly afternoon at Arizona Stadium.

No. 17 Arizona defeated No. 22 Utah 42-18, ending a six-game losing streak against the two-time defending Pac-12 champions. The UA also won the game before the Territorial Cup for the first time since that 37-30, double-overtime triumph over Utah in 2015.

Arizona’s fifth straight victory — including four against ranked opponents — upped its record to 8-3, 6-2 in the Pac-12. It also kept alive the Wildcats’ hopes of advancing to the Pac-12 Championship Game for the first time since 2014.

Utah, which was missing several key players because of injuries, lost its second in a row to drop to 7-4, 4-4.

"Great win for the program," said UA coach Jedd Fisch, who has led his team to a seven-win improvement from Year 1 to Year 3. "Great win for our team. Great win for our seniors. Great win for Tucson."

Senior tailback Michael Wiley, in his final home game, had a pair of touchdowns and 92 yards from scrimmage. Quarterback Noah Fifita completed 22 of 30 passes for 253 yards and two TDs. Receiver Tetairoa McMillan had eight catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a TD pass.

The UA defense had three sacks and two interceptions, the latter matching its season total entering Saturday.

Despite the recent series history, the Wildcats believed they could pull this off. They left no doubt.

"We’ve talked about that with our team," Fisch said. "You get to a point where you actually look in the mirror and know you're good. When you’re on a good team, you do expect to win.

"You shouldn't be scared to win. You shouldn't play scared. You shouldn't have fear crossing your mind when you're out there," Fisch said. "And I don't think our guys do. I think our guys came out right off the get-go and just attacked — attacked this game from the very start."

The first half couldn’t have gone much better for the Wildcats, who raced to a 28-7 lead at the break. The Utes wouldn’t give in, however, and forced Arizona to make a pair of stops from its side of the field with the outcome still in the balance.

The first came late in the third quarter, with the score 28-10 in the Wildcats’ favor. Utah advanced to the UA 40-yard line. But Gunner Maldonado broke up a pass on fourth-and-3.

With the score still 28-10 early in the fourth, the Utes made it to the UA 46. On third-and-12, Treydan Stukes intercepted Bryson Barnes, who was under pressure from freshman Dominic Lolesio.

Arizona then put together the put-away touchdown drive. Jonah Coleman capped it with a 1-yard run, boosting the Wildcats’ lead to 35-10 with 7:57 to play.

"It means so much," said fifth-year tackle Jordan Morgan, who, like Wiley, has been with the program since 2019. "Finally got to finish off on a bang like this, at home for the last time in my career. I really enjoyed it."

Arizona got off to a red-hot start in front of the “Red Out” crowd, blitzing Utah for 21 first-quarter points. It was the Wildcats’ highest-scoring opening period in a Pac-12 game since they scored 24 points against Washington State on Oct. 25, 2014.

The barrage began with a well-executed trick play — a throwback pass to McMillan, who found a wide-open Wiley in the right corner of the end zone.

It continued with a blocked punt by Anthony Ward, who also scooped the ball up and ran it into the end zone. It was Arizona’s first blocked-punt TD since Nov. 13, 2021, vs. Utah.

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The Wildcats scored their third touchdown on their second possession. Fifita threw a bubble screen to Montana Lemonious-Craig, who utilized a Jacob Cowing block to go 32 yards, untouched, down the right sideline.

Arizona didn’t waste any time adding to the lead once the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second, Wiley caught a quick screen and sprinted 31 yards into the end zone behind a wall of blockers to make it 28-0.

Utah advanced into the red zone midway through the second quarter, but Jacob Manu ended the threat with an interception of Barnes.

"I love those guys," UA safety Dalton Johnson said of the interceptors, Manu and Stukes. "We needed turnovers. That was the main goal going into this game, to create takeaways, and that’s what we did."

Barnes connected with Devaughn Vele for a 20-yard touchdown with 52 seconds left in the half to make it 28-7.

Arizona advanced into field goal range, but Utah blocked Tyler Loop’s 37-yard attempt at the buzzer. It was the first miss inside 40 yards in Loop’s career. He had been a perfect 36 for 36.

Loop, the reigning Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week, missed a 50-yarder in the third quarter, clanging it off the right upright.

Jayden de Laura, who began the season as Arizona's starting quarterback, entered in the fourth quarter and threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to McMillan.

"I wanted Jayden to go out with a touchdown pass this season," Fisch said. "I think that he deserves that, and I thought it was awesome on what could be a Senior Day for him. Doesn't have to be, but could be."

While de Laura's future at Arizona is uncertain, there's no question that Fisch has taken the program to a good place in a short time. That seven-win improvement in a two-year span is tied for the best in UA history.

"I thought we were really good," Fisch said. "I thought it all of training camp. I told (UA athletic director) Dave (Heeke) that when he would come out to practice. I told the president (Robert C. Robbins) that when he would come out during training camp.

"When you think you're a good team and feel like you're a good team, you can see it. Our guys, they play confidently. They believe in one another. They believe in what the mission is."

Extra points

• Utah was without three of its best defensive players: defensive end Jonah Ellis, linebacker Karene Reid and safety Cole Bishop. Ellis entered this week as the Pac-12 leader in sacks. Reid and Bishop are the Utes’ second- and third-leading tacklers.

• Kevin Green Jr. started at slot receiver for Arizona in place of Cowing, who got hurt last week at Colorado. Cowing entered the game in the first half. Green did not play vs. the Buffaloes.

• Defensive end Russell Davis II did not dress for Arizona. Senior defender Martell Irby, who hurt his left leg at Colorado, was limited to special teams.

• UA defensive tackle Bill Norton banged up his right arm in the first half. He returned with a brace on the arm. Fellow DT Tyler Manoa got hurt in the second half.

• Representatives of the Alamo, Holiday and Sun bowls were among the listed attendees in the press box. Some of them mingled with Fisch and other members of the athletic department after the postgame news conference.

Photos: Surging Arizona football roughs up Utah 42-18 in Wildcats' Pac-12 home finale