Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita threw for two touchdowns as the Wildcats defeated No. 10 Utah 23-10 on Saturday night.
Fifita put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter with his second touchdown pass of the night. As he rolled to his right to avoid pressure, he found Keyan Burnett in the back of the end zone for a 35-yard score with 8:13 left.
It was the second fantastic throw of the drive from Fifita, who had hit Devin Hyatt for a 41-yard gain on third-and-long when a defender lunged at Fifita’s legs just two plays earlier.
Utah played its third straight game without QB Cameron Rising. The seventh-year senior was again considered a game-time decision after suffering a right hand injury in Week 2 against Baylor. And once again, freshman Isaac Wilson started in his place.
Utah showed in a Week 4 win over Oklahoma State that it can win with Wilson at quarterback. However, the offense is much more limited with Wilson under center than it was with Rising. That was clear in the red zone early in the game.
The Utes opened the game with a 13-play drive that stalled at the Arizona 10-yard line when Mike Mitchell was blocked on fourth down. After Arizona kicked a field goal, Utah embarked on a 10-play, 73-yard drive that ended on fourth down at the Arizona 2-yard line when Wilson threw an incomplete pass.
The offense’s inability to generate much was evident in the second half when coach Kyle Whittingham made the decision to punt with less than seven minutes remaining rather than attempt it on fourth-and-9 from the Utah 26-yard line.
Whittingham used Utah’s timeouts to quickly get the ball back, but Utah fumbled it without getting a first down.
A very open Big 12
The Utes can still be considered the favorites in the Big 12…assuming Rising returns sooner rather than later. You can understand why Utah is being cautious with Rising, but the team is only playoff caliber if he is healthy.
Also helping the Utes’ case is the fact that Kansas State lost in Week 4 to BYU and Oklahoma State is now 0-2 in the league after losing to the Wildcats on Saturday. Arizona is firmly in contention for the conference title and its loss to Kansas State in Week 3 did not count as a conference game.
Will Rising return in time for Utah’s next game? The Utes will be off in Week 6 before playing Arizona State in Week 7.