Arizona beat Hawaii 40-6 despite missing several key players with injuries. Head coach Brent Brennan spoke about the cautious approach Arizona took with keeping players out for the season opener. With Arizona hosting Weber State on Saturday, expect a continued cautious approach with the injured player.
Arizona leaned on the run versus Hawaii. Portland State transfer Quincy Craig had 125 yards on seven carries with one touchdown. Kedrick Reescano had 10 carries for 51 yards and a score and Ismail Mahdi was the closer for Arizona and finished with six carries for 23 yards and a TD.
Four different Arizona ball carriers scored TDs, with Noah Fifita adding one on the ground and a TD pass to tight end Sam Olson. Fifita utilized multiple receivers with starter Kris Hutson held out and Luke Wyong limited. Chattanooga transfer Javin Whatley led Arizona with three receptions and had 38 yards.
Brandon Phelps provided Fifita a big target at 6'3. Phelps led Arizona with 50 yards on two receptions. Freshmen Isaiah Mizzell and Gio Richardson showed a glimpse of the future with two receptions each. Arizona appears to have more offensive depth than they had during the 2024 season.
Arizona was aggressive defensively with 10 tackles for loss and five tackles for loss against Hawaii. Eleven Arizona players had a TFL and seven had sacks. Linebacker Jabari Mann was the only Arizona player with multiple TFLs, finishing with 1.5, four tackles and a sack.
Arizona forced five turnovers without committing any. Linebacker Taye Brown and defensive backs Gavin Hunter and Jack Lutrell each had interceptions and LB Chase Kennedy and defensive lineman Julian Savaiinaea each had fumble recoveries for Arizona.
Arizona had an exceptional amount of playmakers versus Hawaii. After Weber State, Arizona will have its first big test versus Kansas State on September 12. The Wildcats need to continue to build depth and have multiple players be playmakers throughout the season to have a successful season.