The good, bad and ugly from Arizona's loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock

Arizona fans in Tucson saw the Wildcats’ five-game winning streak come to an abrupt end Saturday, as No. 22 Arizona lost 34-26 to No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock. The defeat was Arizona’s second of the season and leaves the team with little time to regroup. The Wildcats return home for a Friday night game against TCU at Casino Del Sol Stadium, giving players and coaches a short week to correct the problems that surfaced against one of the Big 12’s strongest teams.

Despite the loss, quarterback Noah Fifita delivered one of the best statistical performances of his Arizona career. He completed 33 of 45 passes for 417 yards and one touchdown, his first 400-yard game under offensive coordinator Seth Doege. His only touchdown pass came on a 94-yard strike to receiver Isaiah Mizell, Arizona’s longest offensive play since the 2015 Territorial Cup. The play began with the Wildcats backed up at their own 6-yard line on third and 12. Fifita escaped pressure, rolled right and found Mizell along the sideline for a score that helped Arizona take momentum into the second half.

Mizell continued a remarkable stretch of production. The rising sophomore from Orlando has now recorded three consecutive 100-yard receiving games, becoming the first Arizona receiver to do so since Tetairoa McMillan. Over those three games, Mizell has 21 catches for 499 yards and four touchdowns. Against Texas Tech, he provided the Wildcats with an explosive threat that was otherwise difficult to find. Giovanni Richardson and Chris Hunter also returned from leg injuries after missing the previous two games, combining for 10 receptions and 152 yards. Richardson had six catches for 90 yards.

Fifita also made several plays to keep Arizona competitive, completing at least 70% of his passes for the sixth time this season. He has a 19 to 4 touchdown-to-interception ratio on the year. Arizona coach Brent Brennan praised the quarterback’s toughness and ability to spark the offense, while Fifita accepted responsibility for missed chances. After the game, Fifita pointed to the slow start, stalled drives and a crucial fourth-down failure, saying the defense had given the offense opportunities that it did not convert.

The Wildcats led 23-17 with slightly more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter after running back Kedrick Reescano scored on a goal-line run. But the extra point was blocked, with Brennan attributing the miss to penetration in the A gap and the trajectory of the kick. Texas Tech then scored 17 unanswered points. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos connected with Kenny Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown, and running back J’Koby Williams broke free for a 64-yard scoring run as the Red Raiders turned Arizona’s lead into a 27-23 advantage.

Arizona had another chance after safety Cam Chapa forced a fumble and cornerback Dwight Bootle recovered it. The Wildcats faced fourth and 1 at the Texas Tech 18-yard line and chose to go for the first down instead of attempting a field goal that would have cut the deficit to one point. Fifita’s pass to leaping tight end Tyler Powell in the left flat sailed incomplete, ending the possession. It was similar to a fourth-down decision in Arizona’s earlier loss to BYU. Brennan said the blocked extra point was not the decisive issue, pointing instead to the multiple opportunities Arizona failed to finish.

The largest concern for Tucson fans will be what happened at the line of scrimmage. Texas Tech out-rushed Arizona 328 yards to 12, while the Wildcats averaged only 0.4 yards per carry. Arizona’s 12 rushing yards were its fewest since the 2024 loss to UCF, which also came during Brennan’s first season. The Wildcats received a season-low run-blocking grade of 39.7 from Pro Football Focus, committed four offensive line penalties, and allowed five sacks, eight tackles for loss and 17 quarterback pressures. Arizona had allowed only 21 pressures combined over its previous three games.

Those struggles also put the offense in difficult down-and-distance situations. Arizona converted just one of 10 third downs requiring at least nine yards, though it was successful on six of seven third-and-short opportunities. The Wildcats converted nine of 22 third and fourth downs overall, and their average third-down distance was 8.7 yards. Fifita said Arizona was not productive enough on first down, leaving the offense to face too many difficult third downs against a Texas Tech defense Brennan had described as physical, disciplined and filled with playmakers.

The Wildcats remain in the Associated Press Top 25, though they dropped two places to No. 24, while Texas Tech stayed at No. 13. Brennan said he believes in his players and emphasized that improvement must begin with everyone, including himself. Arizona now has a quick turnaround before TCU arrives Friday night. The home game gives the Wildcats a chance to respond in front of their Tucson-area supporters, but the immediate work is clear: establish a running game, protect Fifita, avoid penalties, improve early-down execution and turn defensive takeaways into points.