Arizona football kicked off the 2026 season with a commanding 35‑7 victory over Northern Arizona University, improving to 1‑0 and establishing an early lead in the schedule.
The Wildcats' offense surged to over 520 total yards, including 314 passing yards and 206 rushing yards, as quarterback Noah Fifita connected for two early touchdowns—first a 20‑yard strike to Tre Spivey—and completed 22 of 29 attempts for 262 yards.
Rushing contributions came from Kedrick Reescano, who powered through for two touchdowns on 10 carries and 48 yards, while Antwan Roberts Jr. displayed his speed with a 14‑yard touchdown in the second half and Giovanni Richardson added eight receptions for 98 yards.
Defensively, the unit limited NAU to under 200 total yards, forced a turnover when Quinn Olson intercepted Ty Pennington, and held the Lumberjacks to a negative rushing total of minus seven yards, while converting 4 of 14 third‑down opportunities and shutting down all fourth‑down attempts.
Special teams encountered a minor issue when a kickoff landed out of bounds in the first half, but overall the units performed adequately, and coaches Brent Brennan and Danny Gonzales praised the team's effort while noting room for improvement in tackling quality and defensive consistency.
Looking Ahead to BYU
The dominant opener sets a promising tone, yet the high‑stakes matchup against BYU next week will demand significant defensive upgrades and continued offensive explosiveness to maintain momentum.