No. 2 Utah walks into Saturday’s matchup with Arizona carrying plenty of weight in the Big 12 race, but the Utes also know exactly who is standing across from them. Noah Fifita has been a problem before, and Utah has the tape to prove it.
This will be the 50th meeting between the programs, with Utah holding a 26-21-2 edge, and it’s the third time the old Pac-12 schools will meet with Fifita running Arizona’s offense. The Wildcats’ quarterback has become one of the most familiar names on Utah’s schedule, and he’s done it while staying put in Tucson when plenty of others would have moved on.
Now in his fifth season at Arizona, the nephew of former Ute defensive tackle Steve Fifita has kept the Wildcats alive in the conference race and enters this one with 2,794 passing yards, which ranks No. 5 nationally, along with 21 touchdowns, good for No. 9. He’s also completing 73% of his passes, making him the third-most accurate quarterback in the country.
Utah coach Morgan Scalley has already spent plenty of time trying to solve him. In 2023, Arizona rolled to a 42-18 win in Tucson, a game that featured a 28-0 Wildcats burst and a 253-yard, two-touchdown day from Fifita. The next year, he was at it again, throwing for 197 yards and two scores, plus one interception, highlighted by a 35-yard touchdown strike on the run on third-and-11.
“Noah Fifita has had our number for the last two times that we’ve played him,” Scalley said.
The Utes are treating him like the best quarterback they’ve seen all season.
“He’s very competitive and he’s super smart,” Scalley said. “He’s a lot like our Devon Dampier and so everyone knows how difficult it is to face Devon.
He’s no different. Very competitive.
“I love the fact that he has stayed at Arizona and been loyal to that program, that university and the things he’s done. I have only respect for that dude.
Really competitive, dual threat, can beat you throwing, can beat you running. And man, what more can you ask for in a player?”
Utah’s defense will be tested by an Arizona passing game built on chunk plays. According to Hudl IQ, Fifita has one of the nation’s highest explosive pass play rates, with 7.8% of his pass attempts producing gains of 30 yards or more.
That’s a dangerous matchup for a Utah defense that has given up explosive passes in nearly every Big 12 game this season, including completions of 75 and 35 yards against BYU last week. The Utes are allowing 233.8 passing yards per game, which ranks No. 103 nationally, though the damage hasn’t shown up on the scoreboard in the same way. Utah has forced 17 turnovers, owns one of the nation’s top red-zone defenses and has routinely held opposing quarterbacks below their usual completion marks.
The result: just 16.3 points allowed per game.
The key for Utah is pressure. When Fifita is kept clean, he’s been nearly impossible to pin down, completing almost 80% of his throws.
But Arizona’s line has allowed pressure on 30.5% of his dropbacks, and when defenses get to him, his completion rate falls to 56%. The Wildcats have also given up 23 sacks, one of the higher totals in the country.
That matters even more because Arizona’s ground game has been among the least productive in the nation. If Fifita has time, he can pick apart a defense, especially against Utah’s man coverage and a receiver group that includes Isaiah Mizell, Giovanni Richardson and Tre Spivey.
Utah may also be dealing with a hit up front, with starting defensive tackle Karson Kaufusi injured against BYU. If he can’t go, Pupu Sepulona and Lucas Samsula will be asked to carry more of the load.
On the other side, Devon Dampier returns to his home state with plenty at stake and plenty of family in the stands. The Phoenix native is trying to keep building his Heisman case after accounting for four touchdowns against BYU, and Arizona knows exactly what kind of challenge he brings.
“That’s kryptonite in all of football. Who are the best quarterbacks in the NFL?
All the guys that can move,” said Arizona coach Brent Brennan. “So guys that they’re able to utilize plus-one run game or escape these incredibly athletic, twitchy defensive linemen.
So I think that’s a challenge for all of college football and obviously Dampier is exceptional at it.”
Arizona’s defense comes in allowing 328.6 yards per game, including 125.2 on the ground and 203.3 through the air. The Wildcats have also been disruptive, ranking No. 10 nationally with 28 sacks and No. 14 with 62 tackles for loss.
That means Utah’s offensive line has another major test on its hands. Scalley said the Wildcats bring pressure from all over the place.
“They do a lot of stunts, a lot of pressure - similar to us - and they’re not afraid to go zero coverage and create havoc,” Scalley said. “So really got to be good on the offensive line and in our protection. This is going to be an awesome battle.”
The injury report could still shape the night. As of Thursday, starting safety Cam Chapa was doubtful, while starting cornerback Jay’Vion Cole and starting safety Malcolm Hartzog Jr. were both questionable. If those absences hold, Arizona could be short-handed in the secondary.
The setting should match the stakes. Casino Del Sol Stadium, which seats 50,782, is on pace for its first sellout since 2024, and Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” will be on site in Tucson with former Ute coach Urban Meyer among those featured.
For Scalley, that’s part of what makes this one matter.
“This is going to be a primetime game. We’re excited.
I know that they’re getting the stadium packed and we hope it’s that way. That’s how college football should be,” Scalley said.
In Other News...
Noah Fifita Has Deep Utah Ties And A Chance To Ruin Everything
Noah Fifitas connection to Utah football runs deeper than the usual opponent storyline. The Arizona quarterback grew up around the program through his uncles, Steve Fifita and Kelly Talavou, and he was a Utah fan long before he was lining up against the Utes. Even with those family ties and that background, Utah never offered him a scholarship out of high school, leaving a relationship that could have gone a very different direction.
Instead, Fifita stayed committed to Arizona and has become one of the more familiar names on Utahs schedule. He has faced the Utes multiple times and won the games he started, which only adds another layer to a matchup that already carries some personal history. He never entered the transfer portal, never drifted away from Arizona, and now remains a quarterback Utah knows well enough to respect and probably remember. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Still Has One Rival That Could Wreck Its Playoff Path
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Among the teams still jockeying for a top-four position, Alabamas remaining schedule carries the kind of opponent that can wreck even a strong case with one bad night. The article points to the way recent performance, individual production and the timing of a loss all factor into committee judgment, which means every contender is being judged not just on whether it wins, but on how it survives the toughest tests. For Utah, Georgia and UCLA, the message is clear enough: one slip against the wrong rival can change everything. [Read more 🡒]
Devon Dampier Keeps Giving Utah Fans More Reason To Believe
Devon Dampier has already given Utah plenty to like since arriving from New Mexico, and the Vegas Bowl only strengthened the case that the Utes found a quarterback who can change the shape of a game. In the 44-22 win over Nebraska, he accounted for 458 yards of offense and five touchdowns, showing the kind of versatility that can make an offense harder to defend in the Big 12.
What has stood out around the program is not just the production, but the way teammates and coaches have responded to him. They have praised his leadership and competitive edge, even as the next step for Utah is helping him sharpen the parts of his game that still draw questions, especially his accuracy and how he handles pressure when the pocket tightens. [Read more 🡒]