Photo by: Mike Christy / Arizona Athletics
Cats Rewind: Defense Dominates in Season-Opening Win
09/06/2026 | Football
TUCSON, Ariz. -- As the curtain rose on the 2026 Arizona football season Saturday night at Casino Del Sol Stadium, there were several noticeable changes from a season ago.
New lights. New sound. New seats. New sideline.
But once the Wildcats took the field there were familiar signs. Noah Fifita's pinpoint passing. Tre Spivey making an insane catch. Kedrick Reescano finding the end zone. Taye Brown racking up tackles.
Fifita threw for two touchdowns, Reescano ran for two scores and Arizona's defense pitched a shutout in a 35-7 win over Northern Arizona.
The Wildcats scored on their opening drive – when Fifita dropped a dime to Spivey in the back left corner of the end zone – and never looked back, earning their fifth straight victory in a season opener.
Fifita was his usual efficient self, completing 22 of 29 passes for 262 yards, at one point completing 13 straight passes in the first half. Reescano, who rushed for nine touchdowns in 2025, carried 10 times for 48 yards and two scores, pacing a ground attack that chewed up 206 yards. Wide receiver Giovanni Richardson had a team-leading eight catches for 96 yards, one of 11 Wildcats to snag a ball.
The Wildcats were also a crisp 7 of 12 on third down, 2 of 2 on fourth down and converted all four red zone trips into touchdowns.
But it was Arizona's defense that won the night. NAU's offense failed to put points on the board – the Lumberjacks' lone touchdown came on a late pick-six – and managed just 193 total yards. That was largely due to an Arizona defensive line that dominated from start to finish, registering five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and holding NAU to minus-seven rushing yards, the first time the Wildcats have held an opponent to minus rushing yards in 20 years.
Brown led the way with 11 tackles, while Cooper Blomstrom had eight stops and fellow linebacker Chase Kennedy posted a career-high 2.5 sacks. Safety Quinn Olson capped off a memorable week with his first career interception; the former walk-on was put on scholarship earlier in the week.
The Wildcats only committed four penalties but did have three turnovers, including Sawyer Anderson's interception, which was returned for a score by NAU's Noble Young-Blackgoat.
Quotables
"I think anytime you don't allow any points from your opponent, and you hold them to negative rushing yards, that's a hell of a day."
The Wildcats next travel to Provo to face No. 14 BYU in the Big 12 opener for both teams. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m. on FOX. The Cougars routed Utah Tech 63-7 yesterday in their season opener. Arizona has dropped five straight to the Cougars with the last win coming in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl.
New lights. New sound. New seats. New sideline.
But once the Wildcats took the field there were familiar signs. Noah Fifita's pinpoint passing. Tre Spivey making an insane catch. Kedrick Reescano finding the end zone. Taye Brown racking up tackles.
Fifita threw for two touchdowns, Reescano ran for two scores and Arizona's defense pitched a shutout in a 35-7 win over Northern Arizona.
The Wildcats scored on their opening drive – when Fifita dropped a dime to Spivey in the back left corner of the end zone – and never looked back, earning their fifth straight victory in a season opener.
Fifita was his usual efficient self, completing 22 of 29 passes for 262 yards, at one point completing 13 straight passes in the first half. Reescano, who rushed for nine touchdowns in 2025, carried 10 times for 48 yards and two scores, pacing a ground attack that chewed up 206 yards. Wide receiver Giovanni Richardson had a team-leading eight catches for 96 yards, one of 11 Wildcats to snag a ball.
The Wildcats were also a crisp 7 of 12 on third down, 2 of 2 on fourth down and converted all four red zone trips into touchdowns.
But it was Arizona's defense that won the night. NAU's offense failed to put points on the board – the Lumberjacks' lone touchdown came on a late pick-six – and managed just 193 total yards. That was largely due to an Arizona defensive line that dominated from start to finish, registering five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and holding NAU to minus-seven rushing yards, the first time the Wildcats have held an opponent to minus rushing yards in 20 years.
Brown led the way with 11 tackles, while Cooper Blomstrom had eight stops and fellow linebacker Chase Kennedy posted a career-high 2.5 sacks. Safety Quinn Olson capped off a memorable week with his first career interception; the former walk-on was put on scholarship earlier in the week.
The Wildcats only committed four penalties but did have three turnovers, including Sawyer Anderson's interception, which was returned for a score by NAU's Noble Young-Blackgoat.
Quotables
"I think anytime you don't allow any points from your opponent, and you hold them to negative rushing yards, that's a hell of a day."
- Head coach Brent Brennan on Arizona's defensive performance
- Head coach Brent Brennan on the light show between the third and fourth quarters
- Safety Quinn Olson on his first career interception
- Running back Kedrick Reescano on his mindset in blitz protection
- Arizona has now won five straight season openers, its longest streak since an eight-game streak from 2008-15.
- The Wildcats are now 18-2 all-time against the Lumberjacks. The two losses came in 2021 and 1932. The latter game was played in Phoenix, the last time this matchup wasn't played in Tucson.
- Fifita moved into second place on Arizona's career passing yards list with 9,445 yards, moving past Willie Tuitama, who threw for 9,211 yards from 2005-08. Nick Foles (10,011 yards) is Arizona's all-time leader.
- Linebacker Dash Fifita also made the stat sheet. The freshman linebacker and younger brother of Noah recorded a sack in the second quarter.
- Antwan Roberts' first carry as a Wildcat was a 14-yard touchdown run that put Arizona up 28-0 in the third quarter. Roberts transferred from Marshall, where he rushed for 512 yards and four scores a season ago. He finished with 45 yards on four carries in his Arizona debut.
- Saturday's honorary captains were Dalton Johnson, Genesis Smith and Treydan Stukes, three of Arizona's 2026 NFL Draft picks. Johnson and Stukes will make their NFL debuts for the Raiders against the Dolphins on September 13. Smith and the Chargers will face the Cardinals that same afternoon.
- The 2025-26 men's basketball team was recognized during the first quarter timeout for their Final Four appearance.
The Wildcats next travel to Provo to face No. 14 BYU in the Big 12 opener for both teams. Kickoff is 12:30 p.m. on FOX. The Cougars routed Utah Tech 63-7 yesterday in their season opener. Arizona has dropped five straight to the Cougars with the last win coming in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl.
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