Arizona football drops 3rd straight, spoiling Homecoming with listless effort against Colorado

Arizona announced a sellout for its Homecoming game several weeks ago, but in reality the crowd was far from it. Those who opted not to show up didn’t miss much. The Wildcats suffered their third straight loss, falling 34-7 at home to Colorado on Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium.

The UA offense reached a new low, scoring its fewest points at home since the 2020 Territorial Cup while managing only 245 yards and turning it over three more times. was sacked seven times (one more than in the first six games combined) and committed his 11 and 12th turnovers of the season, throwing for a career-low 138 yards with a touchdown and an interception, as the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) had their fewest yards since gaining 275 against against Washington in 2021. Colorado (5-2, 3-1) only gained 398 yards but ran for a season-high 148 as Arizona geared its defense toward the pass, while projected 1st-round pick threw for 250 yards and two TDs (with two interceptions) and ran for a score.



That was against a UA defense that was already missing safeties and and proceeded to lose linebacker to an injury late in the first half while cornerback sat out the second half. Yet without that trio the Wildcats forced three turnovers, with Tennessee transfer picking off two passes in his first career start. Arizona got zero points off those takeaways, though, punting it twice and turning it over once.

Down 28-7 at halftime, Arizona gained 32 yards on its first drive of the third quarter but also went backward 25 due to two holding penalties and a false start, leading to a punt from near midfield. The Wildcats have not scored on their first possession of the second half all season. Colorado added a 28-yard field goal with 5:58 left in the third to make it 31-7, and it stayed that way until the Buffaloes kicked a 34-yard field goal with 4:42 left after Fifita was picked off for the 10 time this season and in a ninth straight game.

And on the play appeared to get hurt trying to chase down the intercepter. Colorado scored on its first three possessions, building a 21-7 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter. The third of those scores, a 16-yard TD catch by , came one play after the Buffaloes went for it on 4 and 10 from the Arizona 30.

Arizona’s first drive was a 3-and-out with no positive yardage but the second possession was far more productive, with scoring his first career TD on a 1-yard shovel pass from Fifita. That score was set up by Fifita’s 24-yard scramble in which he juked out in the open field. Down by 14 and with Colorado scrambling, Arizona got a gift when a bad snap led to recovering a fumble.

But the Wildcats gave it right back two plays later when Fifita was stripped. Sanders was intercepted by Luttrell three plays later, but Arizona went 3-and-out and after Colorado returned the punt inside the UA 35 it made it 28-7 with 1:09 left before halftime on a 6-yard Sanders run. Arizona continues its homestand next Saturday against West Virginia.

It will be the first meeting in football with the Mountaineers..