Kris Hutson eyes a touchdown catch in the second quarter on Saturday. (Arizona Athletics)
Arizona pulled away late to beat Baylor 41-17 Saturday afternoon on Senior Day in the first-ever game at Casino Del Sol Stadium.
The Wildcats stretched their lead to 28-17 in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard touchdown run by Ismail Mahdi, set up by a Taye Brown fumble recovery a play earlier. Arizona’s defense then forced a turnover on downs and Kedrick Reescano scored on a 19-yard touchdown run. On Baylor’s next possession, Jabari Mann intercepted Sawyer Robinson and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan lauded the team’s effort in all three phases of the game, nothing that Baylor had one of the best special teams units in the country.
The Wildcats held Baylor scoreless in the second half, forcing two punts, two turnovers on downs and three turnovers. Brennan said the turnaround on defense was a result of figuring out the offense and a message from the coaching staff at halftime.
“I think there’s always a little bit of feeling out process like that. But I also think, the big message in the locker room at halftime was we needed to elevate our collective physicality,” he said. “Like that it had to show up in all three phases, and I felt like it did.”
Brennan praised an interception by Treydan Stukes in the second half, which was a crucial part of Arizona’s defensive dominance down the stretch.
“Treydan Stukes is literally one of the best football players I’ve ever been on the field with,” he said. “His awareness, his toughness, just his technical excellence, his smarts.”
Stukes said the improvement on defense in the second half came down to playing with more intensity, adjustments made by defensive coordinator Danny Gonzalez, efficiency and some breaks.
“For us, it was just getting back to redline our motto. Coach G came in and have we made some good adjustments and just trusting in your teammates, everyone doing their job, being where you’re supposed to be,” Stukes said. “And you know, those 50/50 plays that we weren’t getting in the first half, they started going our way in the second half, and I think we capitalized.”
Baylor (5-6, 3-5 Big 12) took an early lead when Robinson threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Josh Cameron, capping off a six-play 51-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession of the game. Arizona (8-3, 5-3) answered with a 75-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Reescano. The Bears regained the lead at 14 -7 late in the first quarter on a 2-yard quarterback keeper from Robinson that finished a 17-play scoring drive.
Arizona tied the game at 14 on a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kris Hutson early in the second quarter. Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins later missed a 49-yard field goal with about five minutes left in the half, but Hawkins kicked one from the same distance as time expired to give Baylor a 17-14 halftime lead.
The Wildcats scored on the opening drive of the second half after a 28-yard pass from Noah Fifita to Hutson set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Reescano to give Arizona a 21-17 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Baylor went for it on 4th-and-3 from Arizona’s 12-yard line, and Stukes intercepted Robinson’s pass in the end zone. Arizona kicker Michael-Salgado Medina missed a 38-yard on Arizona’s ensuing possession.
Baylor running back Bryson Washington fumbled on the Bears’ 28-yard line and Brown recovered, setting up Mahdi’s 28-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Hutson had nine catches for a career-high 133 yards and a touchdown.
Fifita finished with 183 yards on 14 completions, with a touchdown and an interception.
Mahdi ran for 93 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and Reescano added 46 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries.
Dalton Johnson led the team in tackles with 18, and Genesis Smith had 16.
The Wildcats recognized 28 seniors on Saturday, including redshirt senior defensive backs Stukes and Johnson, who have played their entire careers at Arizona.
The University of Arizona and Casino Del Sol announced a 20-year naming rights agreement for Arizona Stadium valued at more than $60 million on Monday.
Arizona plays at Arizona State (7-3, 5-2) in the annual Territorial Cup next Friday at 7 p.m.
FOLLOW @KEVINMURFEE ON TWITTER! ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com writer Kevin Murphy was born and raised in Tucson, and has followed Arizona Wildcats athletics since childhood. Murphy is a journalist product manager with the Green Valley News the Sahuarita Sun. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU.
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