SALT LAKE CITY — Noah Fifita threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns and the Arizona defense stopped No. 10 Utah four times on fourth down to help the Wildcats to a 23-10 win over the Utes on Saturday night.

Arizona (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) had an outstanding defensive performance with two interceptions, eight pass breakups and seven tackles for loss.

Utah (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) played again without QB Cam Rising. Freshman Isaac Wilson moved the ball but couldn’t convert it in the red zone and threw two interceptions.

Fifita hit Tetairoa McMillan for a 41-yard pass on third-and-11 and then threw a 35-yard touchdown to Keyan Burnett on another third-and-11 to make the score 23-10 with 8:13 left play.

Tao Johnson intercepted Fafita in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter before Wilson drove down the field and found Caleb Lohner for a 20-yard TD reception to cut the lead to 16-10 with 11:54 to play. But the Wildcat defense held strong.

In the third quarter after Tyler Loop’s 53-yard field goal, Wilson was intercepted by Genesis Smith on the next play. Loop’s subsequent 33-yard field goal gave the Wildcats a 16-3 lead.

Using quick passes to evade Utah’s pass rush, Fifita capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard TD pass to Jeremiah Patterson to give Arizona a 10-3 halftime lead.

Fifita completed all seven passes on the Wildcats’ first drive, but it was Kedrick Reescano’s 23-yard run that set up Loop’s 47-yard field goal.

The Wildcats stopped the Utes’ first two possessions on downs – both inside Arizona’s 10-yard line on fourth-and-2.

Utah fans and the team were waiting to see if Rising would be able to play after he injured his throwing hand on September 7th. Again, it was a mid-game decision, but Wilson was the one running away with the offense. Rising, a seventh-grader, has played just four quarters total this season after missing all of last season.

Arizona now has a road record of 6-31-1 against AP Top 10 teams.

TAKE AWAY

Arizona: The Wildcats shredded Utah’s defense with surprising runs – 95 yards on their first seven carries – then took advantage of their defense and Fifita’s big plays in the second half. Arizona kept Utah from relying on its rushing attack and played the Ute receivers physically while forcing Wilson into difficult passing windows.

Utah: Sloppy tackling allowed Arizona to take the lead, and red zone inefficiency stymied the Utes’ early chances. Utah had its most explosive first half of the season with 219 yards rushing, but only scored three points. Then, when the pressure was on, Wilson threw two interceptions despite throwing for a career-high 280 yards.

IMPLICATIONS ON THE SURVEY

Utah looks set to fall from its spot in the top 10 after the home loss, while Arizona looks to claw its way up the rankings.

NEXT

Arizona hosts Texas Tech on October 5th.

Utah has a bye and then plays at Arizona State on October 11th.

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