MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Wildcats won. It just wasn’t the ones visiting from Tucson.
No. 20 Arizona fell to 14th-ranked Kansas State 31-7 Friday night at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Arizona snapped its nine-game winning streak dating back to last season.
The setback is Arizona’s first loss under head coach Brent Brennan. Although Friday night was a matchup between two Big 12 teams, it was a previously scheduled nonconference game, so the loss won’t count towards the UA’s record in the Big 12 standings.
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan watches during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas State Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Charlie Riedel
After not playing at full strength last week against Northern Arizona and allowing pressure on quarterback Noah Fifita, the UA offensive line used its starting lineup from the season opener. Left tackle Rhino Tapa’toutai, who suffered a leg injury in the season opener against New Mexico, returned alongside left guard Wendell Moe, center Josh Baker, right guard Ryan Stewart and right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea; Baker missed last week after starting the previous 28 games.
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Protection for Fifita on Friday was cleaner and run-blocking for the UA was effective. Arizona set the tone with a well-balanced 14-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that chewed up 7:34 of the clock, which had seven passes and seven run plays. Running back Quali Conley punched in the score with his fourth touchdown this season.
Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan had more yards on the UA’s opening drive than last week (11). McMillan finished Friday night with 11 catches for 138 yards. McMillan moved past Theopolis “T” Bell for fifth all-time in UA receiving yards.
A week after Arizona went 0-for-10 on third-down conversions, it went 5-for-14 on Friday, but was 1-for-4 on fourth-down plays.
Kansas State, which entered Friday as a Top 20 rushing team in college football, ran for 235 yards and was led by its triple-threat rushing attack of DJ Giddens, dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson, who Brennan called “ridiculously explosive,” and Dylan Edwards, who returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown, the first punt return the UA allowed for a touchdown since the Colorado game in 2021. Johnson ended the night with a career-high 110 rushing yards.
KSU out-rushed Arizona 235-56 and had 40 attempts to the UA’s 19. Senior running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was held out for the second straight game for eligibility concerns. Conley had 14 of Arizona’s 19 rush attempts for 48 yards.
Arizona entered Friday as the seventh-most penalized team in FBS. Brennan said last week that Arizona has “to play football the right way or it’s going to cost us an opportunity or cost us a game.”
Arizona didn’t commit a penalty in first quarter. Then Arizona had a penalty avalanche with seven penalties for 59 yards in the second quarter. Arizona had nine penalties for 74 yards on Friday. Arizona has 28 penalties for 169 yards through three games this season.
With a chance to tie the game, Fifita threw his third interception of the season. Fifita attempted a deep pass over the middle to sophomore receiver Malachi Riley on a seam route, but a trailing Kansas State cornerback Keenan Garber leapt in the end zone to pick off the Arizona quarterback.
Despite the plethora of second-quarter penalties and a turnover, Arizona caught a break with a missed 48-yard field goal by Chris Tennant and poor clock management by KSU. Kansas State had a chance to go up by two possessions at halftime — three at the start of the second half — but Johnson scrambled on the final play of the first half and ran out the final 11 seconds for an empty drive.
Trailing 14-7, Arizona forced a three-and-out to start the second half, but the offense stalled. Here’s how Arizona’s drives ended after the opening touchdown:
PuntInterceptionPuntPuntPuntTurnover on downsTurnover on downsTurnover on downs
Kansas State after its first-half debacle scored on nearly second-half possession with two touchdowns and a 35-yard field goal. KSU scored 31 unanswered points en route to handing Arizona its first loss of the season.
Arizona (2-1) enters a bye week before facing No. 12 Utah in Salt Lake City for the Big 12 opener.
Extra points:
Arizona starting strong safety Dalton Johnson was held out on Friday. Free safety Gunner Maldonado, who was held out last week, started in place of Johnson with sophomore Genesis Smith starting at free safety. Arizona donned candy-red helmets with the “Cats” script logo. Friday marked the first time in four seasons wore red helmets. Arizona is 18-18 since 2013 when it wears red helmets.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s Arizona football beat reporter, at [email protected]. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
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Publish date : 2024-09-13 16:00:00
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