Arizona played catch-up the entire game against No. 7 Washington on Saturday, and the Wildcats’ come-from-behind performance fell short in the 31-24 loss to the Huskies.
Here’s an in-depth review of the Wildcats’ latest setback, along with a look ahead to Saturday’s showdown with No. 9 USC in Los Angeles.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita scrambles out of danger and the reach of Washington defensive end Bralen Trice in the fourth quarter of their game at Arizona Stadium.
Fifita flashes in debut
For the first time since the 2021 Territorial Cup game, someone other than Jayden de Laura started at quarterback for the Arizona Wildcats.
De Laura and senior running back Michael Wiley were held out with ankle injuries. Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch said de Laura and Wiley “are pushing very hard to come back.”
“We didn’t really know for sure until when they woke up (Saturday) morning, what they could or couldn’t do, and I’d imagine they will be back in the tubs (Sunday) early and fighting to get back on the field,” Fisch said. “I think they missed this opportunity very much.”
Starting in place of de Laura was second-year quarterback Noah Fifita, who stepped in late at Stanford last week to lead the Wildcats on a go-ahead touchdown drive. Fifita became the first Arizona quarterback to make his first-ever collegiate start against a Top-10 team since Richard Kovalcheck against Cal in 2004; the Wildcats lost that game 38-0, so it’s safe to say Fifita had a much better outing.
Fifita completed 27 of 39 (69%) passes for three touchdowns and one interception, along with multiple scrambles, including an 8-yard run. Two of his touchdown passes were to longtime teammate Tetairoa McMillan — a connection that started at Servite High School in Anaheim, California.
Fisch said Fifita was “everything we expected him to be” and “the way he handled himself, no one would’ve ever known that was his first college start.”
“I thought he handled the play-calling well,” Fisch said. “I thought his decision-making was excellent, I thought he used his legs at the right time, I thought he was very accurate with most of this throws.”
Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch talks with quarterback Noah Fifita late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 31-24 loss to Washington.
Added Fisch: “As I said all week long, if Noah was going to start, there was not going to be one change in what we do. That’s because of how all those guys prepare in that quarterback room. ... I thought he did a really, really good job under those circumstances.”
With the help of Arizona’s defense (we’ll get to them in a little bit), Fifita’s poise nearly erased a two-touchdown hole the Wildcats fell into early. The Wildcats are getting out-scored 31-7 in the first quarter this season. Arizona’s first two drives resulted in punts, but Fifita found a groove and rattled off nine straight completions — 14 of 16 between the second quarter and the start of the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t settle in the way I thought we would initially,” Fisch said. “Offensively, I thought we’d be ready to go quicker. Defensively, I knew we were going to get challenges early.”
Fifita’s first — and only — costly mistake on Saturday was an interception on a shovel-pass attempt to tight end Tanner McLachlan.
“Regardless of the quarterback, we can’t be careless with the football,” Fisch said. “That was the one time there I would say we wanted back. Other than that, I thought his decision-making was excellent.”
Arizona safety Dalton Johnson (43) fights through the stiff arm to drag down Washington wide receiver Germie Bernard (4) in the first quarter of the Wildcats' Pac-12 matchup with the No. 7 Huskies at Arizona Stadium on Sept. 30.
Dolla, dolla bill, y’all
Arizona’s defense held Washington to a season-low in passing yards (363), total offense (474), points (31) and passing yards per attempt (9.08). Arizona’s two sacks against the Huskies doubled the amount Washington allowed in the previous four games.
Still, Washington’s vertical attack took a horizontal approach, and the Huskies methodically moved down the field with bubble screens, swing passes and dump-offs to running backs. Over 72% of Washington’s first-half passing production were yards after catch (YAC). For the second time in his UW career, quarterback and Heisman Trophy hopeful Michael Penix Jr. finished a game without a touchdown, albeit completing 30 of 40 passes for 363 yards — with 237 of them were YAC.
Fisch said his message to Arizona’s defense “all week long was, ‘They’re going to make plays. They’re going to make plays. Live with it.’”
“They’re a very, very good offense, and when that happens, you have to be able to handle it,” Fisch said. “Don’t flinch, don’t panic, don’t get nervous. Stick with your plan. You have a great game plan ready for these guys. So what if it happens early.’”
To combat Washington’s horizontal approach, the Wildcats “made a lot of sideline adjustments,” said free safety Dalton Johnson, and deployed their defensive back-heavy “dollar” package — a 3-1-7 scheme.
“I like that package a lot,” Johnson said. “I trust my DB brothers a lot and I know we’re going to make a play.”
Johnson caused two forced fumbles in the second half — one of them resulting in a takeaway, Arizona’s defense forced two three-and-outs, and held college football’s top offense to 10 points in the second half.
“We’re resilient, we’re tough, we’re good. I thought our defense played outstanding, but not surprising. Our defense has played great all year,” Fisch said. “Everyone wants to come up with a reason why. The reason why is they play great team defense. They respect one another, trust one another, love one another and play for each other, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan gives a salute as the sideline celebrates his touchdown late against Washington last year.
T-Mac dominates UW (again)
In two games against the Huskies, McMillan has 13 catches for 177 yards and four touchdowns. His two multi-touchdown performances as a Wildcat are against Washington. McMillan has found the end zone in 11 of 17 games played at the UA.
McMillan suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday but stayed in the game and was Fifita’s top goal-line target.
“I tried to pull him out five different times, when he was massaging his shoulder, massaging his elbow after he got tackled that one time on a shake route,” Fisch said. “But he’s tough as nails. ... He’s a fantastic football player. His attitude is just fantastic every time he gets out on the football field. Tough.”
By the numbers
1-14: Arizona’s record under Fisch when opponents score first. The Wildcats are 1-2 this season when opponents strike first.
95: Combined points Arizona has allowed in five games this season — an average of 19 per game. The Wildcats surrendered 156 in the first five contests last season.
They said it
Fisch, on weighing the loss to Washington: “We went back and forth, we battled, we fought. We’re a good football team, so we finished a little short in this one. Maybe the next one we won’t. We feel the program is turning — or turned. Whatever the right word is. We got here two years ago off of 12 losses in a row and a 63-point defeat, and it took a while to build and recruit the way we want to recruit and bring the right people in here and bring the right coaches and get the players to believe what our program is. I believe our players believe that. You’re not going to win every single game — or not yet. But we are going to keep fighting and battling, and I think our guys walk away proud of how they played, disappointed on the outcome and fired up to go play USC.”
Looking ahead
Arizona enters its upcoming challenge against defending Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams and No. 9 USC as 22-point underdogs, according to Action Network.
The Wildcats have lost 10 straight to the Big Ten-bound Trojans, which nearly frittered away a 27-point lead in a 48-41 win over Colorado in Boulder on Saturday. Former Arizona star receiver Dorian Singer, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and defensive tackle Kyon Barrs transferred to USC after last season.
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