By the Numbers: Breaking down the Arizona Football win over NAU
With Arizona Football (1-0) beginning the 2023 season with a dominant, 38-3 win over Northern Arizona, we break down the numbers in the Wildcats’ win!
Beginning the 2023 season with a big win over in-state rival, Northern Arizona, Arizona Football starts the year off right, avenging their 2021 loss to the Lumberjacks.
Playing in front of a packed Arizona Stadium, the Wildcats outgained the Lumberjacks 478 yards to 264 yards, but even more impressive was the Wildcat defense that held NAU to just 78 yards rushing on 41 attempts (1.9 yard average).
As a result, Arizona paced themselves to the dominant, 38-3 win to start its season on a high note!
Knocking off the Lumberjacks, Arizona Football begins its season 1-0 with a big test looming against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
78 – Coming in, Arizona had a lot to prove, particularly on defense as the Wildcats were statistically one of the worst defenses in college football last season.
On Saturday, they were up to the challenge to show that they are a different group as they held the Lumberjacks to just 78 yards rushing!
3 – Opposite of their game against NAU in 2021, Arizona held the Lumberjacks to just three points this time around.
With an improved defensive effort, the three points are their lowest point total an opponent has scored against the Wildcats since 2013.
8 – It’s no secret that Arizona has had their fair share of struggles on defense for quite some time; however, one important and impressive statistic for the Wildcats was their ability to tackle NAU for a loss.
On Saturday evening, Arizona totaled eight tackles for a loss.
11 – A less than stellar statistic for Arizona on Saturday was their self-inflicted errors. Against the Lumberjacks, the Wildcats were a bit sloppy, committing 11 penalties for 91 yards.
1 – Chalk it up to first-game jitters, but even with Arizona winning 38-3, the Wildcats did not perform their best, particularly on third down where they converted just 1-5 attempts.
Trending. Arizona Football dominates NAU in their Season Opener. light
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