Noah Fifita threw first-half touchdown passes to four different receivers to lead the Arizona Wildcats to a 52-17 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes. The Wildcats forced five turnovers and raced to a 38-7 halftime lead. The Buffaloes struggled with penalties, which wiped out a 75-yard touchdown catch and an interception. Quarterback Kaidon Salter was benched for Ryan Staub, who also struggled, leading to freshman Ju-Ju Lewis stepping in. Lewis threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Miller. The ‘Cats improve to 5-3. The Buffs fell to 3-6.
BOULER, Colo. (AP) — Noah Fifita threw four first-half touchdown passes and the Arizona Wildcats forced five turnovers in rebounding from a couple of close losses with a 52-17 win over the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday night.
The Wildcats (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) raced to a 38-7 halftime lead by scoring on six of their first seven drives, and the Buffaloes (3-6, 1-5) trudged into the locker room with more penalties (nine) than points.
Buffaloes QB Kaidon Salter was benched late in the first half for Ryan Staub, who was also benched after both of his passes were intercepted in the third quarter. Freshman Ju-Ju Lewis came on and threw a 59-yard touchdown strike — the first of his career — to Omarion Miller. The pass also was 10 yards longer than the 49 yards passing that Salter managed while completing 11 of 15.
Colorado's two most damaging first-half flags wiped out a 75-yard touchdown catch and an interception.
Miller was whistled as an ineligible receiver downfield on Sincere Brown's long TD catch from Salter, and defensive end Arden Walker's roughing-the-passer penalty wiped away Ivan Yates' interception,
Fifita got the rout started just three snaps into the game when he threw a short pass to Tre Spivey, who eluded six tacklers and outraced two others to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown — his seventh TD in just a dozen touches this season.
After a field goal made it 10-0, linebacker Chase Kennedy strip-sacked Salter and defensive tackle Leroy Palu recovered at the Colorado 12. On the next snap, Fifita found Kris Hutson for the score and a 17-0 lead.
The Buffaloes finally got on the board with Salter's 8-yard strike to Miller that capped a 17-play, 75-yard drive which took nearly eight minutes and prompted returning alum Shedeur Sanders, now a backup QB for the Cleveland Browns, to pull up a folding chair at midfield along the Buffs' sideline.
Arizona: Fifita directed the 'Cats on eight scoring drives in 10 possessions before giving way to backup Braedyn Locke. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 213 yards. The Wildcats got touchdowns from seven different players. Their 18 takeaways are two more than they had all of last season.
Colorado: The Buffaloes were still hung over from their 53-7 bashing at Utah a week earlier. Over their last two games, the Buffs have been outscored by halftime 81-7.
Arizona: Hosts the University of Kansas on Saturday.
Colorado: Visits West Virginia on Saturday.
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