What a difference a bye week makes.

Arizona introduced itself to the Big 12 Conference by knocking off the preseason favorite on the road, beating 10th-ranked Utah 23-10 on Saturday night.

It was the first win for the Wildcats (3-1, 1-0) in Salt Lake City since 2014 and the first time an unranked opponent beat the Utes in Rice-Eccles Stadium since 2017. It also more than made up for the UA’s last outing, a 31-7 nonconference loss at Kansas State before getting a bye in which all facets of Arizona’s gameplan were tinkered with.

Arizona’s defense shined all night, stopping Utah (4-1, 1-1) on fourth down four times including twice in the red zone while intercepting quarterback Isaac Wilson twice and sacking him three times. Tacario Davis had five of the Wildcats’ eight pass breakups, one in the end zone on 4th and goal.

The UA offense showed much more creativity, particularly with pre-snap motion and personnel usage, despite being outgained 364-358. Noah Fifita was 19 of 31 for 197 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, making two huge throws in the fourth quarter to help put the game away, while the run game produced 161 yards (73 from Kedrick Reescano and 72 from Quali Conley) against a Utah defense that came in allowing less than 100 per game.

And senior kicker Tyler Loop provided almost half the scoring, with his three field goals including ones of 47 and 53 yards, while true freshman Michael Salgado-Medina averaged 46.8 yards on four punts.

Arizona led 10-3 at the half, the first time it had held a power-conference opponent without a TD since the losing streak-ending win over Cal in 2021. The Wildcats made it a two-score game midway through the third quarter on a 53-yard field goal by Loop, who got Arizona on the board first with a 47-yarder in the first quarter.

Genesis Smith picked off Wilson on the next offensive play, setting the UA up in great position at the 18, but it only got a 33-yard Loop field goal out of it to make it 16-3 with 6:38 left in the third. It could have been much worse, though, as Fifita’s screen pass to Conley was nearly picked off by Utah’s Van Filinger.

In fact, the officials initially ruled Filinger had intercepted it, despite the ball clearly coming out as he hit the ground. The pick was overturned on review but Arizona still had to settle for three.

Arizona’s third stop on fourth down came late in the third when Tacario Davis broke up a pass intended for former Wildcat Dorian Singer, who had nine catches for 155 yards but that came on 18 targets. The Wildcats wasted that stop, though, as Fifita tried to force it to a double-covered Tetairoa McMillan in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter and it was picked off in the end zone.

Utah did capitalize, though, putting together its best drive since the opening one that included a 37-yard catch by Singer right before Wilson hit tight end Caleb Lohner from 20 yards out to cut the UA lead to 16-10 with 11:54 left.

Arizona then found itself backed up deep after a 46-yard kickoff return by Jeremiah Patterson, who had a TD catch in the first half, was called back for a hold. The sellout crowd started to get super loud and the momentum appeared to turn in Utah’s favor, but Fifita somehow managed to make his two best throws of the season to get the lead back up to two scores.

The first was a 41-yard throw on 3^rd and 11 to Devin Hyatt just before getting hit low, resulting in him limping down the field. Then, on another 3^rd and 11, Fifita rolled right and fired to Burnett for a 35-yard TD and a 23-10 lead with 8:13 to go.

Loop hooked a 56-yarder to the left with just under three minutes left, keeping the door slightly open for Utah to make a comeback, but it was quickly shut when Gunner Maldonado picked off Wilson with 2:26 left.

Arizona’s defensive heroics began early, with Treydan Stukes stuffing Utah running back Mike Mitchell on 4^th and 2 from the 10 on the game’s opening drive. The Wildcats followed with points on their first drive via Loop’s 47-yarder.

The UA has scored on the opening drive every game this season, collecting two TDs and two field goals.

Utah got into the red zone again on its second drive, getting a 1st-and-goal, but on 4^th down from the 2 the Utes threw it and Davis broke up a potential TD pass in the end zone. A third trip inside the UA 20 early in the second quarter did produce points, though, as Utah opted for a 23-yard field goal after getting stopped inside the 10 again.

Arizona broke the tie with 3:17 left in the first half on a 2-yard TD catch by Patterson, who started the play in motion and then reversed course just before the snap to be wide open in the flat for the score.

The UA returns home for the first time in nearly a month when it hosts Texas Tech on Oct. 4. The Red Raiders (4-1, 2-0) outlasted Cincinnati 44-41 at home on Saturday night.