Saturday’s game between Arizona and Utah was many things for the Wildcats: Senior Day, Military Appreciation Day, and their last home game of the season. With the UA needing a win to keep its own destiny alive for a Pac-12 Championship appearance, it handled the pressure once again against a ranked team.
The Wildcats not only got halfway through en route to winning out but did it in statement fashion Saturday at Arizona Stadium in front of a sold out stadium, blowing out No. 22 Utah, 42-18, extending their winning streak to five games, as well as marking their first win over the Utes since 2015. It is also the first time the UA took down four ranked teams in a season since 1989, with it being the only team in the country this season to do so.
“Great win for the program,” Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch said following the win. “Great win for our team, great win for our seniors, great win for Tucson, appreciate Tucson coming out in full force, selling out the stadium. … I think you might as well put the season tickets on sale for next year on Monday and see if we can get six sell outs.”
Leading the Wildcats was junior safety Dalton Johnson, logging 11 tackles as well as two tackles for loss in the UA’s routing.
“Dalton is a fantastic tackler,” Fisch said. “When he’s around the ball, he gets them down.”
After failing continuously on trick plays involving receiver Tetairoa McMillan passing behind the scrimmage this season, Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch designed it again — this time to perfection — with McMillan finding a wide-open fifth-year senior Michael Wiley to score a touchdown in his last game in Tucson.
Following the trickery, another huge roar of the Wildcat faithful ensued following a blocked punt and score by Anthony Ward, the first Arizona blocked punt and score since Nov. 13, 2021.
The Wildcats’ momentum was rolling like a well-oiled machine on both ends of the ball in the first half, scoring offensive touchdowns on three of four drives, led by Michael Wiley tallying two of them, and outgaining the Utes by 98 yards on the ground, as well as forcing the Utes to two three-and-outs, three punts and a red zone interception, headlined by captain linebacker Jacob Manu, the first Arizona linebacker interception since Anthony Pandy against USC in 2021. With rain starting to pour late in the first half in a rare Arizona “rain game”, the overcast didn’t hinder the Zona Zoo from leaving the stadium, nor the Wildcats from letting up their progression, resulting in the UA taking staggering 28-7 lead at halftime.
“I don’t think the rain effected us at all,” Fisch said.
With the rain starting to clear up to start the second half, overtime it was clear that the Wildcats’ defense was holding a cloud over the Utes’ heads. Arizona got off to a slow start but picked up much of its thunderous momentum after junior safety Gunner Maldonado broke up a pass on fourth and three. Since the fourth-down stop, the UA logged an interception and another turnover on downs.
Although the defense was surging, the Wildcats not scoring since the first drive of the second quarter — their offense seemed to have lost its touch.
But then “Swag Surfin” by Fast Life Yungstaz came on, signaling the fourth quarter, the quarter in which going into the game, Arizona was outscoring opponents 90-37. The Wildcats on their first drive put a touchdown on the board a seven play, 61 yard drive, thanks to a 25-yard dash before diving into the end zone by running back Jonah Coleman. The UA then ran away from the Utes, outscoring them 14-8, only allowing a garbage time touchdown in the last minute to secure its 8th win of the season.
The last touchdown for Arizona came with backup quarterback Jayden de Laura hitting McMillan for a 51-yard touchdown.
“I wanted Jayden to go out with a touchdown pass this season,” Fisch said. “I think that he deserves that.”
When asked about whether the win against Utah, who has beat the Wildcats the last six meetings, signified anything further about the program, Fisch said that the win signified that they are having a great year.
“[It signifies] that we’re not gonna back down from anybody, and we feel really good about trying to continue to improve, get more physical, get tougher,” Fisch said.
For fifth-year senior captain Jordan Morgan, who missed his opportunity last season to play in Senior Day last season due to injury, the Tucson native noted that being able to compete and win in his final game at Arizona Stadium “means so much.”
“I finally got to finish off with a bang like this at home for the last time in my career, so really enjoyed it,” Morgan said.
Arizona (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) will take on its in-state rival Arizona State (3-7, 2-5) next Saturday for the 97th annual Territorial Cup.
“I think our team will be very excited for the game against ASU,” Fisch said. “There won’t be a question about that. We understand the importance of the game, we want to keep the Territorial Cup here in Tucson and our guys recognize that, understand that and we will put all of our focus starting tomorrow at 9 a.m.
