Photo by: Marison Bilagody / Arizona Athletics
Cats Rewind: Arizona Storms Past West Virginia
10/10/2026 | Football
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- The Arizona Wildcats knew their first trip to West Virginia wouldn't be a leisurely drive down a country road.
Indeed, Saturday's encounter at Milan Puskar Stadium was a battle of high-octane offenses, with momentum shifts that were dizzying and oftentimes video game worthy. But it was the Wildcats who flexed their muscles late, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 52-31 victory.
Arizona improved to 5-1 overall – their first 5-1 start in 12 years – and 2-1 in Big 12 play. The Mountaineers fell to 3-3 overall and 0-3 conference play.
The Wildcats racked up 482 total yards and averaged 9.5 yards per play behind another monster effort from quarterback Noah Fifita and a breakout performance from wide receiver Isaiah Mizell. Fifita completed 16 of 23 passes for 341 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Mizell caught six passes for 182 yards and two scores – averaging 30.5 yards per reception and stepping up in a huge way for an Arizona receiving corps recently beset by injuries.
Arizona's defense was on the field for an astounding 104 snaps but forced two turnovers, racked up 10 tackles for loss and scored on a 32-yard fumble return by safety Lee Molette.
After trailing 3-0 early, the Wildcats led the entire way, but the Mountaineers twice crept within a touchdown in the second half. However, Arizona owned the fourth quarter, twice scoring on two-play touchdown drives and ending three consecutive West Virginia drives on downs.
Running backs Antwan Roberts, Quincy Craig and Kedrick Reescano combined for 131 yards and each scored a touchdown. Wide receiver Brandon Phelps caught four passes for 88 yards and a score.
Safety Cam Chapa paced the defense with a career-high 15 tackles, while linebacker Taye Brown registered nine tackles and a crucial fumble recovery near the end of the first half.
Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins completed just 11 of 28 passes for 219 yards but ran for 98 yards and a score. Running back Cam Cook carried 34 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. West Virginia converted just 9 of 19 on third down and 2 of 7 on fourth down.
The Mountaineers marched down the field on their opening drive, but the Wildcats held on 3rd and goal from the seven-yard line and the home team settled for a 25-yard field by Jack Cassidy.
The Wildcats countered with a scoring march of their own. Fifita hit Phelps for 24 yards to move the ball across midfield and then rolled to his right to find Mizell for 17 yards to the WVU 23. Five plays later, Mizell appeared to have his third touchdown catch of the season, but it was negated by a holding penalty. No problem – Fifita connected with Mizell on the next snap for a 14-yard scoring grab. Arizona had a 7-3 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Cook fumbled and Molette scooped up the loose ball and scampered 32 yards to the end zone. It was Arizona's first defensive score of the season and put the Wildcats up 11 points.
WVU responded, converting three third downs to reach Arizona's five-yard line. But Cook was stuffed on 3rd and 4 and safety Quinn Olson stopped running back Amari Latimer short of the sticks. The Wildcats took over but defensive tackle Nate Gabriel hit Fifita in the pocket and the ball ricocheted into the arms of linebacker David Afogho. The Mountaineers took over at the three-yard line and Hawkins ran into the end zone on the next play.
Michael Salgado-Medina nailed a 44-yard field goal to push Arizona's lead back to a touchdown. But WVU tied it shortly thereafter. Safety Malcolm Hartzog committed pass interference on 3rd and 9 from the Arizona 49 and two plays later Cook scored on a 30-yard run to knot the game at 17 with 7:40 remaining in the half.
The first two punts of the game followed, and the Wildcats took over at their 42. Fifita again connected with Mizell for 23 yards before Craig burst up the middle and juked his way into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown run. Arizona led 24-17.
Hawkins completed a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Prince Strachan before finding Cook wide open for 18 yards down to the Wildcats 6. But Arizona's defense again came up with a big takeaway as cornerback Jay'Vion Cole forced Cook to fumble and Brown recovered at the three-yard line. The Wildcats headed to halftime with a seven-point lead.
On the second play of the second half, Fifita launched a 48-yard pass to Mizell, which gave Arizona first and goal at the WVU 8. Reescano bullied his way into the end zone on the next snap, and the Wildcats had a two-touchdown lead before many Mountaineer fans had settled back into their seats.
Later in the third quarter, Hawkins led the Mountaineers on a 16-play drive, converting two fourth downs along the way. Latimer capped the drive with a two-yard scoring run and the deficit was back to a single score.
Not for long. On 3rd and 7 from the Wildcats 28, Fifita hit Mizell in stride and he turned a short completion into a 72-yard touchdown. The Mountaineers countered quickly, marching 75 yards in just 2:40 as Cook dove over the goal line for his second score. Arizona led 38-31.
Fifita connected with tight end Shane King for 33 yards to move the ball across midfield. On the next play, Fifita converted a flea flicker into a 42-yard scoring strike to Phelps. The two-play touchdown drive again made it a two-touchdown lead.
Arizona's defense forced a three-and-out and the Wildcats put it away with two long runs by Roberts, the second a 30-yard touchdown run that made it 52-31. The defense then ended three consecutive WVU drives on fourth down as the fans made their way to the exits.
Quotables
"We got on a plane and came out here and won a game in a stadium that's really hard to win. Now we get to go home and enjoy this for 24 hours and then we get to focus on what's next – and what's next is getting healthy and getting right during this bye week."
The Wildcats are off next Saturday but return to action on Saturday, October 24, when they host Iowa State for Homecoming at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The Cyclones are 3-3 after losing 24-10 at No. 8 BYU last night.
Territorial Cup
This season marks the 100th edition of the Territorial Cup so each week we will look back at one of Arizona's greatest moments in the rivalry's storied history.
The 1986 Territorial Cup in Tucson featured arguably the most iconic play in series history. Chuck Cecil returned an interception 106 yards for a touchdown to seal a 34-17 win over the undefeated and fourth-ranked Sun Devils at Arizona Stadium. Cecil earlier forced a fumble that led to the Wildcats' first touchdown. Arizona State racked up 390 total yards, but Arizona forced five turnovers. David Adams rushed for 91 yards and one score for the Wildcats.
Indeed, Saturday's encounter at Milan Puskar Stadium was a battle of high-octane offenses, with momentum shifts that were dizzying and oftentimes video game worthy. But it was the Wildcats who flexed their muscles late, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 52-31 victory.
Arizona improved to 5-1 overall – their first 5-1 start in 12 years – and 2-1 in Big 12 play. The Mountaineers fell to 3-3 overall and 0-3 conference play.
The Wildcats racked up 482 total yards and averaged 9.5 yards per play behind another monster effort from quarterback Noah Fifita and a breakout performance from wide receiver Isaiah Mizell. Fifita completed 16 of 23 passes for 341 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Mizell caught six passes for 182 yards and two scores – averaging 30.5 yards per reception and stepping up in a huge way for an Arizona receiving corps recently beset by injuries.
Arizona's defense was on the field for an astounding 104 snaps but forced two turnovers, racked up 10 tackles for loss and scored on a 32-yard fumble return by safety Lee Molette.
After trailing 3-0 early, the Wildcats led the entire way, but the Mountaineers twice crept within a touchdown in the second half. However, Arizona owned the fourth quarter, twice scoring on two-play touchdown drives and ending three consecutive West Virginia drives on downs.
Running backs Antwan Roberts, Quincy Craig and Kedrick Reescano combined for 131 yards and each scored a touchdown. Wide receiver Brandon Phelps caught four passes for 88 yards and a score.
Safety Cam Chapa paced the defense with a career-high 15 tackles, while linebacker Taye Brown registered nine tackles and a crucial fumble recovery near the end of the first half.
Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins completed just 11 of 28 passes for 219 yards but ran for 98 yards and a score. Running back Cam Cook carried 34 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. West Virginia converted just 9 of 19 on third down and 2 of 7 on fourth down.
The Mountaineers marched down the field on their opening drive, but the Wildcats held on 3rd and goal from the seven-yard line and the home team settled for a 25-yard field by Jack Cassidy.
The Wildcats countered with a scoring march of their own. Fifita hit Phelps for 24 yards to move the ball across midfield and then rolled to his right to find Mizell for 17 yards to the WVU 23. Five plays later, Mizell appeared to have his third touchdown catch of the season, but it was negated by a holding penalty. No problem – Fifita connected with Mizell on the next snap for a 14-yard scoring grab. Arizona had a 7-3 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Cook fumbled and Molette scooped up the loose ball and scampered 32 yards to the end zone. It was Arizona's first defensive score of the season and put the Wildcats up 11 points.
WVU responded, converting three third downs to reach Arizona's five-yard line. But Cook was stuffed on 3rd and 4 and safety Quinn Olson stopped running back Amari Latimer short of the sticks. The Wildcats took over but defensive tackle Nate Gabriel hit Fifita in the pocket and the ball ricocheted into the arms of linebacker David Afogho. The Mountaineers took over at the three-yard line and Hawkins ran into the end zone on the next play.
Michael Salgado-Medina nailed a 44-yard field goal to push Arizona's lead back to a touchdown. But WVU tied it shortly thereafter. Safety Malcolm Hartzog committed pass interference on 3rd and 9 from the Arizona 49 and two plays later Cook scored on a 30-yard run to knot the game at 17 with 7:40 remaining in the half.
The first two punts of the game followed, and the Wildcats took over at their 42. Fifita again connected with Mizell for 23 yards before Craig burst up the middle and juked his way into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown run. Arizona led 24-17.
Hawkins completed a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Prince Strachan before finding Cook wide open for 18 yards down to the Wildcats 6. But Arizona's defense again came up with a big takeaway as cornerback Jay'Vion Cole forced Cook to fumble and Brown recovered at the three-yard line. The Wildcats headed to halftime with a seven-point lead.
On the second play of the second half, Fifita launched a 48-yard pass to Mizell, which gave Arizona first and goal at the WVU 8. Reescano bullied his way into the end zone on the next snap, and the Wildcats had a two-touchdown lead before many Mountaineer fans had settled back into their seats.
Later in the third quarter, Hawkins led the Mountaineers on a 16-play drive, converting two fourth downs along the way. Latimer capped the drive with a two-yard scoring run and the deficit was back to a single score.
Not for long. On 3rd and 7 from the Wildcats 28, Fifita hit Mizell in stride and he turned a short completion into a 72-yard touchdown. The Mountaineers countered quickly, marching 75 yards in just 2:40 as Cook dove over the goal line for his second score. Arizona led 38-31.
Fifita connected with tight end Shane King for 33 yards to move the ball across midfield. On the next play, Fifita converted a flea flicker into a 42-yard scoring strike to Phelps. The two-play touchdown drive again made it a two-touchdown lead.
Arizona's defense forced a three-and-out and the Wildcats put it away with two long runs by Roberts, the second a 30-yard touchdown run that made it 52-31. The defense then ended three consecutive WVU drives on fourth down as the fans made their way to the exits.
Quotables
"We got on a plane and came out here and won a game in a stadium that's really hard to win. Now we get to go home and enjoy this for 24 hours and then we get to focus on what's next – and what's next is getting healthy and getting right during this bye week."
- Head coach Brent Brennan on the win
- Head coach Brent Brennan on wide receiver Isaish Mizell
- Wide receiver Isaiah Mizell on his performance
- Safety Cam Chapa on the defense's takeaway near the goal line at the end of the first half
- Arizona's victory tied the all-time series at 1-1. The Mountaineers won 31-26 in Tucson in 2024.
- The Wildcats are 10-2 in their last 12 games dating back to a 52-17 victory at Colorado in 2025.
- The Wildcats scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions of the second half.
- The teams combined for 10 drives of 70-plus yards.
- West Virginia's 101 offensive snaps were more than double Arizona's (51) and the Mountaineers had possession for nearly 36 minutes.
- Mizell is one of just nine FBS players this season to have five-plus catches, 180-plus yards, and 2-plus touchdowns in a game. Since 1996 only five Wildcats have done it, the last being Tetairoa McMillan (10-304-4) vs. New Mexico in 2024).
- Molette's fumble recovery touchdown was Arizona's first fumble returned for a TD since Sterling Lane II (70 yards) at TCU in 2024.
The Wildcats are off next Saturday but return to action on Saturday, October 24, when they host Iowa State for Homecoming at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The Cyclones are 3-3 after losing 24-10 at No. 8 BYU last night.
Territorial Cup
This season marks the 100th edition of the Territorial Cup so each week we will look back at one of Arizona's greatest moments in the rivalry's storied history.
The 1986 Territorial Cup in Tucson featured arguably the most iconic play in series history. Chuck Cecil returned an interception 106 yards for a touchdown to seal a 34-17 win over the undefeated and fourth-ranked Sun Devils at Arizona Stadium. Cecil earlier forced a fumble that led to the Wildcats' first touchdown. Arizona State racked up 390 total yards, but Arizona forced five turnovers. David Adams rushed for 91 yards and one score for the Wildcats.
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