Northern Arizona LumberjacksvsArizona Wildcats
NAU 7/ARIZ 35
Things to say
Arizona beat Northern Arizona 35-7 to open the season 1-0.
01
opener
Yeah, this one was over early. Arizona put up three touchdowns in the first quarter and NAU never got off the mat. Textbook tune-up game.
02
key player
Fifita was surgical. 22-of-29 for 262 and two scores, barely broke a sweat. That's a quarterback playing on cruise control.
03
hot take
Honestly the only points NAU scored came off a pick-six. Their offense couldn't move the ball all night. That's not a real 7 on the board.
04
deep cut
Chase Kennedy had two and a half sacks on his own. The Arizona front lived in the backfield.
05
exit
Cupcake opener though, we'll learn a lot more once they hit a real conference schedule. Let's see it against somebody with a pulse.
The recap
Arizona jumped on their FCS neighbors early and never let go, hanging 35 straight before NAU finally got on the board with a garbage-time pick-six. Noah Fifita was surgical, going 22-of-29 for 262 and two scores while Kedrick Reescano punched in a pair from a yard out.
The real turning point was the first quarter itself, where two quick Fifita touchdown passes made this a wrap before the Lumberjacks could settle in. Arizona's defense did its part too, with Chase Kennedy living in the backfield for 2.5 sacks and a lonely NAU touchdown coming off return, not offense.