• Justin Spears Arizona Daily Star

The Star's Justin Spears and Michael Lev preview notable storylines and stats heading into the Arizona Wildcats' Big 12 opener against the 10th-ranked Utah Utes. Can Arizona win or are the Wildcats bound for their second straight loss? Plus, a look at the Big 12 football slate with Big 12 Bonanza!

The Arizona Wildcats are set to battle the No. 10 Utah Utes in Salt Lake City for the UA's official Big 12 opener.Β Here's a look atΒ starting lineups, key matchups and a prediction from Star reporter Justin Spears.Β 

Arizona (2-1) at No. 10 Utah (4-0)

When:Β Saturday, 7:15 p.m.

Where:Β Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City

Watch:Β ESPN

Radio:Β 1290-AM, 107.5-FM

Arizona Wildcats

Record:Β 2-1 (0-0 Big 12)

WHEN ARIZONA IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

XWR | 4 | Tetairoa McMillan | 6-5 | 212 | Jr.

FWR | 2 | Jeremiah Patterson | 5-10 | 175 | Jr.

LT | 59 | Rhino Tapa'atoutai | 6-5 | 311 | R-Fr.

LG | 72 | Wendell Moe | 6-2 | 339 | R-So.

C | 75 | Josh Baker | 6-3 | 300 | Sr.

RG | 65 | Leif Magnuson | 6-5 | 300 | R-Jr.

RT |Β 71 | Jonah Savaiinaea | 6-5 | 336 | Jr.

TE | 88 | Keyan Burnett | 6-6 | 248 | Jr.

ZWR | 5 | Montana Lemonious-Craig | 6-2 | 194 | Sr.

QB | 11 | Noah Fifita | 5-10 | 188 | R-So.Β 

RB | 7 | Quali Conley | 5-10 | 209 | Sr.

WHEN ARIZONA IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

DE | 11 | Chase Kennedy | 6-3 | 220 | R-So.

DT |Β 46 | Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei | 6-4 | 280 | Jr.

NT | 92 | Chubba Ma'ae | 6-2 | 349 | Sr.

DE | 3 | Tre Smith | 6-5 | 270 | R-Jr.

MLB | 5 | Jacob Manu | 5-11 | 228 | Jr.

WLB | 6 | Taye Brown | 6-2 | 225 | So.

STAR | 2 | Treydan Stukes | 6-2 | 198 | Sr.

CB | 20 | Marquis Groves-Killebrew | 6-0 | 185 | R-So.

CB | 1 | Tacario Davis | 6-4 | 190 | Jr.

BS | 43 | Dalton Johnson | 5-11 | 202 | R-Jr.

FS | 9 |Β Gunner Maldonado | 6-0 | 194 | Sr.

UA 2024 SCHEDULE

August

31 |Β NEW MEXICOΒ | W, 61-39

September

7 |Β NORTHERN ARIZONAΒ | W, 22-10

13 | at No. 14 Kansas State* | L, 31-7

28 | at No. 12 Utah

October

5 |Β TEXAS TECH

12 | at BYU

19 |Β COLORADOΒ (Homecoming)

26 |Β W. VIRGINIAΒ (Family Weekend)

November

2 | at UCFΒ 

15 |Β HOUSTON*

23 | at TCU

30 |Β ASUΒ (Senior Day)

Home games inΒ BOLD;Β *=Friday game

Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu (5) high steps after a tackle for loss against Northern Arizona in the first quarter of the Wildcats’ win over the Lumberjacks on Sept. 7 at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.

UA 2024 STATS

PASSING

[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]

Fifita | 63-99-3 | 863 | 5 | 78

RUSHING

[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]

Conley | 41 | 250 | 4 | 6.1 | 83.3

Croskey-Merritt | 13 | 106 | 1 | 8.2 | 106.0

Reescano | 9 | 74 | 1 | 8.2 | 24.7

Riley | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15.0 | 7.5

Luke | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.3

RECEIVING

[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]

McMillan | 23 | 453 | 4 | 19.7 | 151

Lemonious-Craig | 8 | 94 | 0 | 11.8 | 31.3

Conley | 9 | 69 | 0 | 7.7 | 23

Burnett | 3 | 49 | 0 | 16.3 | 16.3

Luke | 4 | 47 | 0 | 11.8 | 15.7

DEFENSE

[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]

Manu | 26 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0

Brown | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0

Stukes | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0

Smith, T. | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1

Johnson | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Groves-Killebrew | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Lane | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Utah entered the season looking like the class of the Big 12. That still may be the case, if quarterback Cameron Rising (7) can get (and stay) healthy.

Utah Utes

Record:Β 4-0 (1-0 Big 12)

WHEN UTAH IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):Β 

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

WR | 3 | Dorian Singer | 6-0 | 177 | Sr.

TE | 80 | Brant Kuithe | 6-2 | 236 | Sr.

LT | 71 | Caleb Lomu | 6-5 | 295 | R-Fr.

LG | 73 | Tanoa Togiai | 6-6 | 320 | Jr.

C | 68 | Jaren Kump | 6-5 | 314 | Jr.

RG | 52 | Michael Mokofisi | 6-4 | 325 | Jr.

RT | 55 | Spencer Fano | 6-5 | 304 | So.

WR | 10 | Money Parks | 5-10 | 175 | Sr.

WR | 5 | Mycah Pittman | 6-0 | 205 | Sr.

QB | 7 | Cameron Rising | 6-2 | 220 | Sr.

RB | 2 | Micah Bernard | 6-0 | 206 | Sr.

WHEN UTAH IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

DE | 81 | Connor O'Toole | 6-4 | 250 | Sr.

DT | 58 | Junior Tafuna | 6-3 | 308 | Sr.

DT | 57 | Keanu Tanuvasa | 6-4 | 301 | So.

DE | 7 | Van Fillinger | 6-4 | 265 | Sr.

SLB | 8 | Lander Barton | 6-4 | 236 | Jr.

MLB | 12 | Sione Fotu | 6-0 | 226 | So.

RLB | 21 | Karene Reid | 6-0 | 226 | Sr.

CB | 5 | Zemaiah Vaughn | 6-2 | 187 | Sr.

SS | 11 | Alaka'i Gilman | 5-10 | 194 | Sr.

FS | 15 | Tao Johnson | 6-1 | 196 | So.

CB | 9 | Elijah Davis | 6-1 | 182 | So.

UTAH 2024 SCHEDULE

August

29 |Β SOUTHERN UTAHΒ | W, 49-0

September

7 |Β BAYLORΒ | W, 23-12

14 | at Utah State | W, 38-21

21 | at No. 14 Oklahoma State | W, 22-19

28 |Β ARIZONAΒ 

October

11 | at Arizona State*

19 |Β TCU

26 | at Houston

November

9 | BYU

16 |Β at Colorado

23 |Β IOWA STATE

29 | at Central Florida*

Home games inΒ BOLD;Β *=Friday game

UTAH 2024 STATS

PASSING

[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]

Wilson | 48-82-5 | 550 | 5 | 45

Rising | 18-29-0 | 346 | 7 | 79

RUSHING

[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]

Bernard | 66 | 456 | 1 | 6.9 | 114

Mitchell | 34 | 125 | 1 | 3.7 | 31.3

Stanley | 16 | 62 | 0 | 3.9 | 15.5

Wilson | 17 | 61 | 0 | 3.6 | 15.3

Rising | 6 | 46 | 0 | 7.7 | 23

RECEIVING

[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]

Kuithe | 12 | 216 | 4 | 18 | 54

Singer | 17 | 204 | 0 | 12 | 51

Parks | 11 | 168 | 2 | 15.3 | 42

Stanley | 5 | 155 | 2 | 31 | 38.8

Zipperer | 3 | 38 | 0 | 12.7 | 12.7

DEFENSE

[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]

Fillinger | 20 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 0

Johnson | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Barton | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Snowden | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0

Fotu | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Tafuna | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

O'Toole | 12 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 1

Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu (5) chases down an NAU fumble in the fourth quarter of their game at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., September 7, 2024.

Β 

Head to Head

5 Jacob Manu vs. 80 Brant KuitheΒ 

Although Manu leads the Wildcats in tackles (26), he only has two quarterback hurries and no sacks, a year after he thrived in pressuring the quarterback. If Utah freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson starts for the injured Cameron Rising (hand) once again, pressuring the developing quarterback, forcing quick throws and potentially causing takeaways could help counter the Utes' plan to dominate time of possession.Β 

Kuithe, a seventh-year tight end for the Utes, leads Utah with 216 receiving yards and four touchdowns. In Utah's win over Oklahoma State last week, the Texas-bred tight end also lined up at "Wildcat" quarterback and scored a rushing touchdown. Due to injuries, Kuithe hasn't played in Utah's matchups against Arizona since 2021, when he had four catches for 56 yards a touchdown. He also had two rushing touchdowns against the Wildcats during his second season in 2019.Β 

Arizona running back Michael Wiley skips into the end zone after bouncing off Utah defensive end Van Fillinger.Β 

59 Rhino Tapa'toutai vs. 7 Van Fillinger

Tapa'atoutai, the UA's starting left tackle and a Salt Lake City-area native, played his first full collegiate game against Kansas State and allowed five pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. After playing four quarters of football and using the bye week to rehab a leg injury he suffered in the season opener against New Mexico, Tapa'atoutai faces potentially the biggest test of his career, a Utah team that is tied for the most sacks in the Big 12.

Fillinger leads not just the Utes, but all of the Big 12 in sacks with 5.5. Between Fillinger and Utah defensive end Connor O'Toole, the Utes' edge-rushing tandem has more sacks (8) than Arizona (6) as a team. Fillinger had eight tackles and a stop for loss in the contest last season in Tucson.

The matchup

When Arizona has the ball … 

If Arizona can replicate its opening drive from the Kansas State game, a balanced attack without mistakes, the Wildcats have a chance to win their first game in Salt Lake City since 2014. Penalties hindered the UA offense on the road against Kansas State, which led to KSU's momentum swing. Additionally, look for Arizona to use tight ends, running backs and other wide receivers as it continues to find an identity on offense.Β Β 

When Utah has the ball …  

The Utes suffocate teams. They have the Big 12 leading rusher in running back Micah Bernard and they dominate time of possession. Utah's time-of-possession average is 36:20 per game; the Utes' opponents are averaging 23:39. It doesn't matter who is playing quarterback between Isaac Wilson or Cameron Rising, the Utes play a smash-mouth, power brand of football that's been their identity for two decades.Β 

Prediction: No. 10 Utah 34, Arizona 20Β 

Arizona, which enters Saturday as two-score underdogs, is 0-3 against the spread this season and hasn't played a complete game this season. The Wildcats were in dire need of a break to get healthy, so the bye last week was timely, but the Utes have proven their preseason nod to win the Big 12 wasn't a fluke. If Arizona can avoid penalties, match Utah's physicality, create takeaways and play error-free football, they can pull off its first win in Salt Lake City in a decade. Utah has three home losses since 2018. Under the lights at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Arizona keeps it competitive, but the Utes pull away late.Β 

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Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports