Mission accomplished … at least for unranked Arizona in defeating Northern Arizona, 35-7, on Saturday night.
How it has all set up for next week’s showdown with No. 14 Brigham Young will be anyone’s guess, but for at least three-plus hours Arizona got in, got out and has gone 1-0 to start the year.
Beats the alternative, right? And, hey, we all know about the alternative from five years ago when NAU pulled off an upset vs. Arizona.
That was hardly the case on Saturday night when Arizona led from start to finish – as it should have in as much as it was a 31-point favorite.
Arizona had style points to be sure (as it should) and not so much on certain levels (tackling issues and some big play giveups), but most everyone left Casino Del Sol Stadium (still hard to say that) happy in what head coach Brent Brennan called an “awesome night” with a win and with all the lights, cameras and action surrounding it.
“We showed up ready to play,” Brennan said.
And they did, getting out to a nice 21-point lead in the first half behind steady Noah Fifita, Arizona’s everything. He started his- (UA’s) – campaign for the Heisman with a steady dose of consistency, going 22 for 29 through the air. He finished with 262 yards and two touchdown passes. At one point, he had 13 consecutive completions.
“Noah Fifita is such a good player, and he’s so efficient,” Brennan said. “I think you saw that, the first deep ball for the touchdown to (Tre) Spivey. It was an incredible throw. It’s as good of a throw as you can make. Spivey made a great play, but it was in the absolute perfect place for that. We have incredibly high expectations for Noah, but so does Noah, and nothing that he does surprises us. And we expect that high level of consistency from him to continue.”
He’s been nothing but that – consistent. Arizona was the same on Saturday, just going about business and doing what it had to do. Whether it was a big enough win for some – many? – doesn’t really matter, but it was a matter-of-fact win for the Wildcats.
“We got the win, and that’s all that matters to us,” junior safety Quinn Olson said.
Arizona’s offense was stout _ as it should have been against the smaller Lumberjacks – in getting 520 yards. The balance was obvious.
The defense? Well, that was attacking _ so Danny Gonzales must have been happy – not allowing any positive yards via the run. NAU had minus-7 rushing yards (that’s not a typo) making it the first time a UA opponent has suffered that fate in 20 years.
Arizona would have had its first shutout since 2013 had it not been for a fourth-quick pick-six, but, hey, pick-six, happens.
“Anytime you don’t allow any points from your opponent, and you hold them to negative rushing yards, that’s a hell of a day – plain and simple,” Brennan said. “… No points, negative rushing yards, and under 200 yards passing, that is a hell of a day for a defensive football team.”
So, yes, mission accomplished. But, truthfully, Arizona did what it had to do against whom it had to do it against. Now, comes the true tests in the next 11 games. Arizona will likely be underdogs in only three of those games.
Come Saturday against BYU, it’ll be an underdog.
“This week we need to make a big jump,” Brennan said. “We know we’ve got a big-time football game next week at BYU. You make your biggest jump from week one to week two. This time is going to be a big-time evaluation. I’m excited to attack the work of our team.”
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