Arizona Wildcats Star Emerges in Early Heisman Trophy Standings
Week 1 of the 2024 college football season provided plenty of fireworks for the Arizona Wildcats. They played one of the highest-scoring games of the week, defeating New Mexico 61-39 at Arizona Stadium.
It was extremely impressive to see the offense pick right up where they left off in 2023 despite the coaching change. Brent Brennan took over for Jedd Fisch this offseason and has to love what he saw on that side of the ball out of the gate.
Leading the way, as expected, was their star quarterback and wide receiver duo of Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan.
The two were connecting on big plays early and often as the Lobos had no answer for the Wildcats through the air.
Fifita finished the game completing 19-of-31 passes for 422 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Virtually all of that damage came courtesy of McMillan, who caught 10 passes for 304 yards and all four touchdowns.
Not a single other wide receiver had multiple receptions in the game for Arizona. Running back Quali Conley was the only other player who caught more than one pass with three.
McMillan's performance was stellar, which has led David Hale of ESPN to place the superstar wide receiver in his early Heisman Trophy rankings after Week 1.
"Arizona is going to be the most ridiculous drama in town this season thanks in large part to McMillan, who finished Week 1 with 10 catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns, and also a defense that seemed to have no real answers to (checks notes) New Mexico! Arizona has all the makings of being the football equivalent of the plotlines for '9-1-1.' We're three weeks away from McMillan saving Noah Fifita from a bee-nado and, frankly, we can't wait,” he wrote.
McMillan came in at No. 3 on Hale’s rankings. The only players ahead of him are Colorado hybrid wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
This is the second time in his career he has surpassed the 200-yard mark receiving. The four touchdowns also tied the record held by Jacob Cowing, who now plays for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.
The star pass catcher put himself in the Wildcats record books with that performance, as he broke the single-game receiving record of 283 yards previously held by Jeremy McDaniel.
The 304 yards are ninth in school history for all-purpose yards in a game.
In Big 12 history, since 1996, his 304 yards are also the fifth most in a game.
KENNETH TEAPE