Arizona just pulled off an absolutely wild one Saturday night, fighting back from a deep 14-0 hole to beat old Pac-12 rival Washington State 34-24 at Martin Stadium. Talk about shaking off a bad start, right? The Wildcats are now sitting at 3-1, which is crazy, hitting that mark for the fourth straight season. That’s a first since their 2012-15 run.
Fifita’s Redemption Arc and Offensive Firepower
Quarterback Noah Fifita showed some serious grit after tossing an early pick-6. Dude bounced back hard, throwing *four* touchdown passes, including the game-winner to freshman Caleb “Jet” Smith late in the third quarter. Fifita ended up 22 of 36 for 297 yards. Tre Spivey was an absolute force in the first half, hauling in nearly all his seven catches and 129 yards for two crucial touchdowns. And you gotta shout out the ground game: Arizona ran for 150 yards, with 103 of those coming in the second half. Ismail Mahdi led the charge with 63 yards on 10 carries. They leaned on that run game when it mattered most.
Defense Clamps Down When It Counted
While the offense was finding its rhythm, the defense absolutely locked it down after those first seven minutes. Washington State only managed to score 10 points *total* after their early burst, and the Wildcats held them to a measly 22 yards over a five-possession stretch! That’s how you flip a three-point deficit into a 14-point lead! They racked up two takeaways, got three sacks, and seven tackles for loss. Plus, they stuffed the Cougar run game, holding them under 100 yards after WSU put up over 300 last week. Sixth-year senior Tre Smith was everywhere, with a blocked kick and a fumble recovery. WSU quarterback Caden Pinnick had 276 total yards and two TDs but also threw an interception and coughed up a fumble. Those turnovers were huge, weren’t they?
The “Jet” Smith Takes Flight for the Go-Ahead Score
Arizona was still down 17-14 at halftime but had chances. They forced a WSU punt, and Caleb “Jet” Smith brought the return all the way to the Cougars’ 33, but the Wildcats couldn’t convert. Then, Everett Roussaw forced a fumble, and Tre Smith recovered, but Michael Salgado-Medina’s 43-yard field goal attempt got blocked. Man, talk about frustrating! But on their third try, they went to Jet Smith three plays in a row. A 3-yard catch, then a diving 41-yard grab down the middle, and *then* Fifita hit him in stride for a massive 38-yard touchdown. That put them up 21-17 with 4:02 left in the third. Salgado-Medina finally hit from 32 yards out to make it 24-17 in the fourth, then Isaiah Mizell snagged an 11-yard TD catch to make it a two-score game with nine minutes to go. WSU tried to fight back with a 46-yard TD pass to Branden Ganashamoorthy, cutting it to 31-24, but Salgado-Medina nailed a clutch 52-yard field goal with under two minutes left to ice the game. Then the D forced a turnover on downs. What a finish!
It was a tough start for the Wildcats, going three-and-out on their first possession for the second week in a row, with Fifita taking a sack on the opening snap. WSU marched right down for a 7-0 lead. Then, after an ill-advised trick-play pass by Pinnick was picked off by Cam Chapa, Fifita threw his own interception on the very next drive. But man, they found a way to win. This team is showing some serious fight early in the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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