Arizona Wildcats force 5 turnovers in season-opening win over Hawaii

TUCSON (AP) — Noah Fifita threw for a touchdown and ran for another score, Arizona’s defense forced five turnovers and the Wildcats rolled to a 40-6 win over Hawaii on Saturday night.

It was an impressive opener for second-year coach Brent Brennan and the Wildcats, who are trying to bounce back from a disappointing 4-8 season in 2024.

Brennan shook up the coaching staff after his disappointing debut season in Tucson, bringing in offensive coordinator Seth Doege, promoting Danny Gonzales to defensive coordinator and hiring Craig Naivar as special teams coordinator. For at least one week, it appears to be working.

Arizona’s defense had 10 tackles for a loss, including five sacks, snagged three interceptions and recovered two fumbles. Quincy Craig had 125 yards rushing and a touchdown on just seven carries.

Fifita connected on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Sam Olson early in the third quarter, pushing Arizona up 24-6 and giving them a comfortable advantage for the rest of the night. Fifita — a redshirt junior — is now the sixth-leading passer in Wildcats history with 6,126 career yards.

Hawaii freshman quarterback Micah Alejado threw for 157 yards and an interception before leaving the game in the third quarter with a right ankle injury. He battled a similar injury in last week’s win over Stanford.

Arizona (1-0) jumped ahead 7-0 on its first offensive drive, starting with excellent field position after Jeremiah Patterson returned a punt 41 yards to Hawaii’s 47. Four plays later, Kedrick Reescano ran 13 yards for a touchdown, slicing right through the middle of the Rainbow Warriors’ line.

The Wildcats exposed the middle of Hawaii’s defense again in the second quarter when Craig took a handoff and sprinted 54 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

Hawaii (1-1) was one of the few teams in the country playing its second game of the season this weekend. The Rainbow Warriors beat Stanford 23-20 last week for their first win against an ACC opponent.

The Rainbow Warriors had some competitive moments but dropped passes, turnovers and a leaky secondary were too difficult to overcome. It’s a rare setback for Alejado, who had won his last 26 straight starts dating back to his junior year in high school.

Arizona hosts Weber State on Saturday, Sept. 6.

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