Just like a year ago, Arizona won its first game. But not all victories are created the same.
The Wildcats had no trouble handling Hawaii, winning 40-6 on Saturday night to open the 2025 season. They did so behind a swarming defense that forced five turnovers (that led to 23 points) and registered five sacks, while on the offensive side Noah Fifita threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score.
Arizona won its season opener for the fourth year in a row, the longest streak since doing so eight consecutive
seasons from 2008-15.
Fifita was 13 of 23 for 161 yards but looked like his timing was off much of the night. The run game was crisp throughout, though, producing 183 yards including TD runs by Kedrick Reescano, Quincy Craig and Ismail Mahdi. Craig ran for 125 yards on seven carries.
Eleven players made their first career start for Arizona, nine of them transfers. A handful of true freshmen made their collegiate debuts with receivers Isaiah Mizell and Gio Richardson each hauling in a pair of catches.
The five takeaways were the most since getting six against Oklahoma in the 2023 Alamo Bowl, and the five sacks were the most since the 2023 win at Stanford. The last time the Wildcats had at least five of each in the same game was 2016 against Grambling State.
The UA led 17-6 at halftime, a much better result than a year ago when it trailed late in the first half to New Mexico and took a 27-24 lead into the locker room. A 5-yard TD catch by Sam Olson made it 24-6 less than three minutes into the third quarter, 45th career TD pass for Fifita to tie him for 6th in school history.
Less than six minutes later, following an interception by Taye Brown deep in Hawaii territory, Fifita kept it for a 10-yard score and a 31-6 lead.
A fumble recovery by Julian Savaiinaea set up a 52-yard field goal by Michael Salgado-Medina early in the fourth quarter, and a pick in the end zone by Gavin Hunter led to Mahdi scoring from five yards out with 4:29 to go.
Arizona needed only four plays to score its first touchdown of the season, a 13-yard run byReescano that included a block from the back judge. The Wildcats scored on three of four possessions in the first half, the only one they didn’t a 3-and-out that included an illegal shift penalty.
Craig broke off a 54-yard run—which came after a strip sack fumble recovery by Chase Kennedy—to put the UA up 14-3 with 12:26 left in the second quarter, and he nearly had another on the ensuing drive on a 4th-and-1 play. That possession got down to the Hawaii 8-yard line before another penalty halted momentum and Arizona settled for a 35-yard field goal by Salgado-Medina, the first of his career.
Hawaii managed two field goals before halftime, the second a 41-yarder by Kansei Matsuzawa as time expired in the second quarter. The Warriors outgained the UA 179-159 in the first half but punted twice and lost a fumble.
Arizona continues its season-opening 3-game homestand next Saturday against Weber State, an FCS school that lost 45-10 at James Madison.
