Northern Arizona vs. Arizona Football: September 5, 2026
Arizona opened its 2026 football season with a 35–7 win over Northern Arizona. Review the verified score and essential game context.
Northern Arizona vs. Arizona Football: September 5, 2026
Arizona opened its 2026 football season with a 35–7 victory over Northern Arizona on September 5 at Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson. The Wildcats scored touchdowns in each quarter and kept the Lumberjacks off the scoreboard until the fourth. This is a University of Arizona–Northern Arizona game; Arizona State did not participate.
Northern Arizona vs. Arizona final score
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| Northern Arizona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Arizona | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
Arizona established a 21–0 halftime advantage and added another touchdown in the third quarter. Northern Arizona's late score avoided a shutout but did not change the outcome. The pattern matters: Arizona's lead grew over several periods, so the result was not determined by a single late break or one improbable play.
The offensive and defensive numbers
| Team statistic | Northern Arizona | Arizona |
| First downs | 8 | 28 |
| Net rushing yards | -7 | 206 |
| Passing yards | 200 | 314 |
| Total offense | 193 | 520 |
| Third downs | 4 of 14 | 7 of 12 |
Arizona finished with 520 yards against 193 for Northern Arizona. The most notable gap was on the ground, where the Wildcats produced 206 net rushing yards while the Lumberjacks finished at minus-seven. Negative rushing yardage does not mean a team never gained yards on a designed run; in college box scores, sacks and tackles behind the line may reduce the final net total.
Players and early-season roles
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita completed a productive opener and was credited with two passing touchdowns. The official game center's passing leader display lists 262 yards, while a separate official box-score summary credits Fifita with a different passing total; because that display-level discrepancy is unresolved in the reviewed sources, this article does not assert one precise individual passing-yard figure. Arizona's team total of 314 passing yards is consistent across the game center.
Kedrick Reescano led the Wildcats' rushing figures on the reviewed game center with 48 yards, and Giovanni Richardson was listed as Arizona's leading receiver with 96. Northern Arizona quarterback Ty Pennington led the visitor's passing production at 180 yards in the same game-center display. These are identified as selected leaders rather than a complete participation list.
Why the opener mattered
The home win gave Arizona a successful starting point before the tougher conference portion of the schedule. For a season opener, readers can reasonably look at how the offense distributed touches, whether the defense limited long drives and how consistently the team converted third downs. Arizona's 28 first downs versus Northern Arizona's eight suggest the Wildcats had far more sustained opportunities throughout the game.
The subsequent schedule should be kept separate from the opener. Arizona later defeated Cincinnati and Iowa State in October, but those scores are not part of this September 5 box score. A clear game-date-specific article prevents the same statistics from appearing under several unrelated opponents.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Northern Arizona vs. Arizona in 2026?
Arizona won 35–7 on September 5, 2026.
What was the halftime score?
Arizona led 21–0 at halftime.
Is Northern Arizona the same as Arizona State?
No. Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University are separate institutions with separate football programs.