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09/06 00:02 CDT Noah Fifita throws for 2 TDs, Arizona opens season with 35-7
blowout of Northern Arizona
Noah Fifita throws for 2 TDs, Arizona opens season with 35-7 blowout of
Northern Arizona
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) --- Noah Fifita threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns,
Kedrick Reescano ran for two scores and Arizona opened the season with a 35-7
blowout over Northern Arizona on Saturday night.
Coming off a nine-win season, the Wildcats (1-0) kicked off their third year
under coach Brent Brennan with a dominating performance.
Fifita, the rare quarterback to play all five seasons with the same school,
finished 22 for 29 before sitting out most of the fourth quarter. Arizona's
defense held Northern Arizona to 193 total yards --- minus-seven rushing ---
and sacked Ty Pennington five times, including 2 1/2 by Chase Kennedy.
The Wildcats jumped on the Lumberjacks (1-1) early.
Fifita hit Tre Spivey on a 20-yard touchdown on Arizona's opening drive and
found Brandon Phelps on a 21-yard score in the second quarter. Fifita also had
an 11-yard run, setting up Reescano's 1-yard dive that put the Wildcats up 21-0.
Arizona's only first-half offensive slipup: Giovanni Richardson lost a fumble
at NAU's 18 after a 31-yard gain.
Pennington completed his first six passes and was 12 of 18 for 142 yards in the
first half, but was sacked three times and the Lumberjacks had minus-15 yards
rushing.
Northern Arizona also turned the ball over on downs near midfield and Francisco
Orduno Jr. missed a 34-yard field goal wide right just before halftime.
Antwan Roberts Jr. turned his first carry at Arizona into a 14-yard touchdown
in the third quarter and Reescano added another 1-yard TD run to put Arizona up
35-0.
NAU's Noble Young-Blackgoat intercepted Sawyer Anderson's first collegiate pass
in the fourth quarter and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.
The Takeaway Arizona: The Wildcats did what they were supposed to against an FCS opponent, setting up a showdown with No. 14 BYU next weekend. Northern Arizona: The Lumberjacks, No. 22 in the FCS rankings, rallied from a 21-point hole to beat Eastern Washington 34-27 last week, but had no chance of digging out of a similar hole against the bigger, faster Wildcats.
Up Next Northern Arizona hosts Incarnate Word next Saturday. Arizona plays at No. 14 BYU next Saturday. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
The Takeaway Arizona: The Wildcats did what they were supposed to against an FCS opponent, setting up a showdown with No. 14 BYU next weekend. Northern Arizona: The Lumberjacks, No. 22 in the FCS rankings, rallied from a 21-point hole to beat Eastern Washington 34-27 last week, but had no chance of digging out of a similar hole against the bigger, faster Wildcats.
Up Next Northern Arizona hosts Incarnate Word next Saturday. Arizona plays at No. 14 BYU next Saturday. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
