Isaiah Mizell’s career day helps Arizona Wildcats blow by West Virginia

Arizona receiver Isaiah Mizell stepped up in a huge way to help a banged-up Wildcats team beat West Virginia, 52-31 in Morgantown on Saturday.

Mizell finished with two touchdowns and a career-high 183 yards and six receptions, as the Wildcats won their fourth straight contest and are off to their best start since 2014.

Arizona (5-1, 2-1) was down its usual starting tight end (Cole Rusk) and three starting receivers in Tre Spivey, Chris Hunter and Giovanni Richardson, forcing the Wildcats to start an inexperienced Brandon Phelps, Rodney Gallagher III and Mizell as receivers.

Entering Saturday, Mizell had 13 receptions for 176 yards and two scores through five games.

His touchdown on the Wildcats’ opening drive was his third receiving touchdown of the season and he later helped give the Wildcats a two-touchdown lead coming out of the half when he caught a 48-yard pass to set up a Kedrick Reescano touchdown run on the next play.

Chunk play by Mizell sets up Ked for the TD! 🤝

📺 TNT https://t.co/YUUJFi4YNl

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 10, 2026

The Mountaineers left Mizell in man coverage all afternoon and the speedy sophomore routinely burned the Mountaineers’ secondary to create separation, something the other Wildcats’ receivers have struggled to do this season.

Mizell’s second touchdown of the day came in the third quarter as the result of a blitz from West Virginia, where Fifita found the sophomore pass catcher on a slant and made the Mountaineers pay.

HAVE! A! DAY! 72 yards to the house for Mizell 😮‍💨

📺 TNT https://t.co/qMDC1fCdiP

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 10, 2026

Fifita found eight different receivers and finished 16 of 23 with 341 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Saturday’s game marked Rich Rodriguez’s first game against the Wildcats since he was fired following the 2017 season and the run-heavy Mountaineers repeatedly ran the rock effectively to remain in the game before the Wildcats pulled away in the fourth quarter.

The Mountaineers, who entered averaging the third-most rushing yards in the nation, had 303 yards on the ground and found paydirt four times.

West Virgina running back Cam Cook led the Mountaineers with 141 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Predictable play calling, penalties and third-down defense plagued the Wildcats in the game’s early stages, as the team surrendered six penalties for 58 yards in the first half and Rhino Tapa’atoutai was again often the culprit for Arizona’s offensive line, which struggled with run blocking schemes.

The line had three early offensive penalties on the opening drive and four in the first quarter, one of which negated a touchdown.

West Virgina converted six of its first eight third downs. On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats routinely blitzed on third and long and on the offensive end, it was again the slow-developing handoffs and counters that caused self-inflicted problems for Arizona.

The Wildcats ran the ball with Reescano a team-high 11 times for 44 yards and a touchdown. Antwan Roberts Jr. added seven carries for 63 yards and a score.

Quincy Craig collected just two carries, but one of which he turned into a 40-yard touchdown run.

It was the longest rushing touchdown of the season for the Wildcats and Craig’s longest run since a victory over Hawaii Aug. 30, 2025.

HOUSE CALL FOR Q 🏡

📺 TNT https://t.co/n0OdwTt5rw

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 10, 2026

Arizona forced two turnovers in the first half, including a scoop and score from Lee Molette and later a pivotal momentum-shifting play seconds before the half.

SCOOP AND SCORE 🏃‍♂️💨

📺 TNT https://t.co/cckePtnCNE

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 10, 2026

Arizona cornerback Jay’Vion Cole stripped Cook with 51 seconds left in the second quarter and the Wildcats recovered at their 3-yard line.

Cole later limped off the field in the second half with an injury and went to the medical tent.

Up next for Arizona Wildcats

Arizona now heads into a bye week before facing Iowa State (3-3, 1-2) at home on Oct. 24. The Cyclones lost to BYU on Friday.

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