By all accounts, the first year of the Brent Brennan era was a major disappointment. The jury is still out on how the second year will be evaluated, but there’s one area where Arizona has already matched last season’s output.
Noah Fifita threw five touchdown passes, two to Tre Spivey, and the Wildcats didn’t allow a TD for the third time this season in a 41-13 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium.
Arizona (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) matched its win total from 2024 by outgaining the Cowboys (1-4, 0-2) by 320 yards while forcing two turnovers and getting three sacks.
Fifita finished with 376 yards on 28-of-38 passing, matching his career high in TD passes that he’d done three times before including earlier this season against Weber State. He’s tied with Khalil Tate for third on the UA career TD list with 67 and has passed Anu Solomon for fourth in career passing.
Spivey had three catches for 80 yards, with both of his scoring coming via physical yards after the catch, while Luke Wysong had 92 yards and a TD on five catches in addition to 47 punt return yards.
Arizona did not run the ball effectively, outside of the game’s opening drive, finishing with only 45 yards on 33 carries though that number was impacted by six sacks allowed and a big loss on a recovered. It held OSU to 158 total yards, the fewest allowed since the 2021 streak-busting win over Cal.
The game was far from perfect for the UA, with turned it over three times including a pick-6 thrown by backup QB Braedyn Locke, and kicker Michael Salgado-Medina missed another long field goal but also made a 57-yarder.
Arizona led Oklahoma State 24-6 at halftime, outgaining the Cowboys 313-100. Jay’Vion Cole intercepted an OSU pass on the first play of the third quarter, the first of three turnovers between the teams in that period. The other two would be by the Wildcats, with Fifita airmailing a pass that was picked off and later losing a fumble at the 1-yard line after Spivey had caught a 45-yard pass over the middle.
The second half logjam finally ended with 2:58 left in the third when Fifita hit Nunu Whatley in stride in the end zone for a 21-yard TD and a 31-6 lead.
A few plays later it was 38-6 when, after the Cowboys went for it on 4th down on their side of the field, Fifita connected with Chris Hunter on a 29-yard TD.
OSU found the end zone via defense midway through the fourth quarter when LaDanian Fields returned an interception thrown by Locke 55 yards for a TD. Arizona still hasn’t allowed a passing touchdown this season.
A 57-yard field goal by Salgado-Medina with 4:12 left capped the scoring.
Arizona ran on its first five plays, for 41 yards, but the opening drive ended with a 13-yard TD catch by Spivey for a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game. Oklahoma State got on the board with a 47-yard field goal midway through the first quarter before Fifita and Spivey hooked up again on another score late in the first.
Spivey caught it at the OSU 14, juked out one Cowboy and then muscled through a few others for a 22-yard score.
Both teams traded missed field goals, with OSU wide right from 48 yards andSalgado-Medina off to the left from 46. It was his fifth miss in the last three games, with all five from over 40 yards.
The UA went up 21-3 with 6:20 left in the first half on a 47-yard TD reception by Wysong, with Fifita avoiding multiple sack attempts as OSU brought the house but couldn’t get home.
Dueling field goals finished out the first half, with the Cowboys hitting a 48-yarder and then Salgado-Medina connecting from 34 at the halftime buzzer.
Arizona is home again next week for Family Weekend, hosting No. 23 BYU at 5 p.m. PT. The Cougars are 5-0 after a 38-24 win over West Virginia on Friday.