Turnover margin critical in Colorado at Arizona

Arizona has to be better at limiting turnovers when they host Colorado on Saturday. After five turnovers in the first three 2024 games, Arizona has committed seven in the last two. Arizona is 60th nationally with eight forced turnovers in 2024. Colorado is 31st with 10 forced turnovers in 2024

Arizona is 112th nationally with 12 turnovers in 2024. Colorado is 29th nationally with only six turnovers in six games in 2024. Arizona is 112th with a minus-four turnover margin. Colorado is 25th nationally with a plus-four turnover margin. Arizona has four turnovers in their wins and eight in losses.

Arizona has forced five turnovers in wins and only three in losses. Quarterback Noah Fifita has committed 10 of the 12 Arizona turnovers with nine interceptions thrown and one fumble. Fifita had three turnovers in each of the last two Arizona games. Fifita is second nationally with the nine interceptions thrown in 2024.

Colorado is plus six in their four wins this season and minus two in its two losses. Colorado has lost two fumbles and thrown four interceptions. Defensively Colorado has five fumble recoveries and five interceptions. Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders has thrown 17 touchdown passes versus the four interceptions.

In the 34-31 Arizona win over Colorado in 2024 neither team had a turnover. Arizona finished 31st in 2023 with a plus five turnover margin. Despite finishing 4-8 overall and 1-8 in the final season of the Pac-12 as we knew it, Colorado was 12th nationally during the 2023 season with a plus-nine turnover margin.

The turnover margin will be critical on Saturday. Arizona cannot give away points to the opposition deep in their own territory like Fifita did last week or turn it over in the red zone as the Wildcats have done far too often this season. Arizona needs a clean game versus Colorado on Saturday.