SALT LAKE CITY — Noah Fifita threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns and Arizona’s defense stopped No. 10 Utah four times on fourth down to help the Wildcats beat the Utes 23-10 on Saturday night.
The Wildcats never let the pressure get to them, even when the Utes made it a one-score game and had the sellout crowd behind them.
“This is a special win,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “There’s so much pressure to perform … but they all started playing this game of football because it’s fun. … And, boy, did we have fun tonight.”
Arizona (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) turned in a stellar defensive performance with two interceptions, eight pass breakups and seven tackles for loss.
“We knew they were going to make some plays and there would be some adversity, but we were just out there having fun and making plays, showing out,” Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu said.
Utah (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) played without quartacback Cameron Rising again. Freshman Isaac Wilson moved the ball but couldn’t convert in the red zone and threw a pair of 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 it 23-10 with 8:13 to play.
Burnett had a career-high five receptions and 76 yards.
Tao Johnson intercepted Fifita in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter before Wilson drove the field and found Caleb Lohner for a 20-yard TD reception to cut the lead to 16-10 with 11:54 to play.
In the third quarter after Tyler Loop’s 53-yard field goal, Wilson was intercepted by Genesis Smith on the next play. Loop’s ensuing 33-yard field goal gave the Wildcats a 16-3 lead.
Fifita used quick passes to avoid Utah’s pass rush and capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard TD pass to Jeremiah Patterson to give Arizona a 10-3 lead at halftime.
“Noah Fifita is just such an awesome football player and leader,” Brennan said.
Fifita completed all seven passes on the Wildcats’ opening 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 the Arizona 10-yard-line on fourth-and-2.
“Left points out there,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “We were horrible in the red zone. Awful. Awful. Until we get that fixed, we’re going to continue to have problems.”
Utah fans and the team waited to see if Rising would be able to play after he hurt his throwing hand on Sept. 7. Again, it was a game-time decision, but Wilson was the one who ran out with the offense. Rising, a seventh-year senior, has played only four total quarters this season after sitting out all of last season.
Arizona now has a 6-31-1 road record against AP top-10 teams. The Wildcats’ defense gave up the fewest points to a top-10 team since the program shut out No. 10 Miami 29-0 in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl.