Arizona routs Northern Arizona 35-7
Team pages: Northern Arizona · Arizona
Arizona routed Northern Arizona 35-7. Share this game
We had Arizona favored. It won.
Next: Northern Arizona beat Incarnate Word 38-28, Sat Sep 12
Top comment in the game thread
Let’s go fellow red and blue team! Bear Down! (Am I doing this right???)
How it swung
Before kickoff, our ratings gave Arizona a 96% chance, and the closing betting line (Arizona was a 33.5-point favorite) put it above 99%.
Arizona led by 7 after the first quarter and by 21 at the half.
Northern Arizona · Q4 10:55
Arizona 35-7 Northern Arizona
Arizona wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.
Northern Arizona 7-35 Arizona
Northern Arizona lostMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
No single play moved the chance by 20 points.
What fans said, play by play
The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.
- Q1 3:30A player fumbled after being punched out by a defender.
“Now let em have it!” “Here, you can have it!” Ass fumble. wtf!
r/CFB game thread - Q1 0:12Arizona fans worry about pass defense after Northern Arizona gains yardsQuoted at the top of the page.
- Q2 10:41Fifita throws deep touchdown pass to Phelps, extending Arizona lead to 14-0
I’m gonna spread the gospel of fifita
r/CFB game thread - Q4 10:55Arizona fans criticize the decision to keep backup quarterback in after Northern Arizona scores
whelp there goes out shutout
r/CFB game thread
How to read this chart
Starts from the pregame line (Arizona -33.5), at 98% for Arizona (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Outlined diamonds mark rare plays. The gray band is r/CFB game-thread activity, its loudest stretches in gold. A gold diamond marks a play fans were reacting to.Watch the plays
The bar and the arrow show Arizona’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.
Q1, 11:32Fifita 20-yd TD pass to SpiveyArizona goes ahead 7-0Q1, 11:32 · Arizona 7, Northern Arizona 07-0score after the play7-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q1, 6:51Pennington sacked for a 2-yd lossQ1, 6:51 · Arizona 7, Northern Arizona 07-0score after the play7-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q2, 10:41Fifita 21-yd TD pass to PhelpsArizona leads 14-0Q2, 10:41 · Arizona 14, Northern Arizona 014-0score after the play14-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q2, 10:33Pennington sacked for a 15-yd lossQ2, 10:33 · Arizona 14, Northern Arizona 014-0score after the play14-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q2, 3:20Reescano 1-yd TD runArizona leads 21-0Q2, 3:20 · Arizona 21, Northern Arizona 021-0score after the play21-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q3, 5:01Roberts 14-yd TD runArizona leads 28-0Q3, 5:01 · Arizona 28, Northern Arizona 028-0score after the play28-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q3, 1:10Pennington intercepted by Olson at the NAU32Q3, 1:10 · Arizona 28, Northern Arizona 028-0score after the play28-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q4, 13:52Reescano 1-yd TD runArizona leads 35-0Q4, 13:52 · Arizona 35, Northern Arizona 035-0score after the play35-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q4, 11:33Anderson sacked for a 5-yd lossQ4, 11:33 · Arizona 35, Northern Arizona 035-0score after the play35-0score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Q4, 10:55Anderson intercepted by Young-Blackgoat at the Arizona 36 and returned for a TDcuts it to 35-7Q4, 10:55 · Arizona 35, Northern Arizona 735-7score after the play35-7score after the play▶Watch from this playESPN College Football
Every drive
Arizona scored on 5 of its 13 drives; Northern Arizona on 0 of its 11.
Arizona’s drives are teal, Northern Arizona’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.
“I am gonna miss fajitas next year 💙❤️”
How fans reacted
Steady
Fans saved their loudest stretch for the second quarter.
The jump was steady; the crowd was quiet.
Box score
Arizona 35, Northern Arizona 7
Northern Arizona covered +33.5 by 5.5. The total, 42, stayed under 59.5.
| Team totals | Northern Arizona | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 193 | 520 |
| Passing | 19 of 31, 200 yds | 27 of 37, 314 yds |
| Rushing | 21 for -7 yds | 35 for 206 yds |
| First downs | 8 | 28 |
| Third down | 4 of 14 | 7 of 12 |
| Fourth down | 0 of 3 | 2 of 2 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Penalties | 5 for 32 yds | 4 for 30 yds |
| Time of possession | 27:48 | 32:12 |
Northern Arizona leaders
- Passing Ty Pennington 15 of 26, 180 yds, 1 INT
- Rushing Quran Gossett 11 for 20 yds; Donivan Dixon 1 for 4 yds
- Receiving Joey Stout 6 for 39 yds; Darius Haskin 1 for 38 yds
Arizona leaders
- Passing Noah Fifita 22 of 29, 262 yds, 2 TD
- Rushing Kedrick Reescano 10 for 48 yds, 2 TD; Antwan Roberts 4 for 45 yds, 1 TD
- Receiving Gio Richardson 8 for 96 yds; Tre Spivey 4 for 45 yds, 1 TD
No rain through the game
92° at kickoff · no rain recorded
Warmer than 9 in 10 of the 71 other games played at Arizona Stadium since 2016 (airport temperature during the game window). The usual here around this date is 82°, with about 7 in 10 games between 79° and 88°.
September game-day temperatures at Arizona Stadium
Drag along the chart, or step through the game.
Where this weather comes from
Measured at Davis-monthan Afb airport, 5.8 miles away, and Tucson International Airport, 7.5 miles away. Rain is NOAA's radar-and-gauge estimate at the stadium and wind is an airport reading; neither is measured on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; rain radar from NOAA MRMS, through Iowa State University. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.Before kickoff
Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.
Recent games
Last three games · 2025 season
Northern Arizona · 7-5
Rated 152nd in our preseason ratings, 152nd now.
2-1 in its last three — but nothing on this résumé beats a top-40 team yet.
L 28-48 @ Weber State #215 of 667
lost by 20 as a 14-point favorite
W 35-27 vs Cal Poly #197 of 667
won by 8 as an 11.5-point favorite
W 49-10 vs Northern Colorado #228 of 667
won by 39 as a 12.5-point favorite
L 32-35 vs Idaho #149 of 667
lost by 3 as a 5.5-point favorite
W 31-18 @ Idaho State #211 of 667
won by 13 as a 3-point favorite
L 24-45 @ UC Davis #101 of 667
lost by 21 as a 7-point underdog
L 10-34 vs Montana State #74 of 667
lost by 24 as a 7.5-point underdog
W 31-17 @ Portland State #248 of 667
won by 14 as a 21-point favorite
W 31-23 vs Incarnate Word #141 of 667
won by 8 as a 5.5-point favorite
W 52-49 @ Southern Utah #158 of 667
won by 3 as a 3.5-point favorite
W 38-31 vs Utah Tech #222 of 667
won by 7 as a 21-point favorite
L 19-38 @ Arizona StateTop 25 #27 of 667
lost by 19 as a 29.5-point underdog
Last three games · 2025 season
Arizona · 9-4
Rated 27th in our preseason ratings.
L 19-24 @ SMUTop 25 #11 of 667
lost by 5 as a 2.5-point underdog
W 23-7 @ Arizona StateTop 25 #45 of 667
won by 16 as a 2.5-point favorite
W 41-17 vs Baylor #56 of 667
won by 24 as a 6.5-point favorite
W 30-24 @ CincinnatiTop 25 #47 of 667
won by 6 as a 6.5-point underdog
W 24-20 vs Kansas #60 of 667
won by 4 as a 6.5-point favorite
W 52-17 @ Colorado #77 of 667
won by 35 as a 3.5-point favorite
L 28-31 @ HoustonTop 25 #65 of 667
lost by 3 as a 2.5-point favorite
L 27-33 vs BYUTop 25 #32 of 667
lost by 6 as a 2.5-point underdog
W 41-13 vs Oklahoma State #125 of 667
won by 28 as a 23.5-point favorite
L 14-39 @ Iowa StateTop 25 #41 of 667
lost by 25 as a 4.5-point underdog
W 23-17 vs Kansas StateTop 25 #49 of 667
won by 6 as a 1.5-point underdog
W 48-3 vs Weber State #186 of 667
won by 45 as a 31.5-point favorite
W 40-6 vs Hawai'i #152 of 667
won by 34 as a 15.5-point favorite
The series
Arizona leads the series 16-2
18 meetings since 1931 · Arizona has won the last 2
- 2024Arizona 22-10
- 2023Arizona 38-3
- 2021Northern Arizona 21-19
- 2019Arizona 65-41
- 2017Arizona 62-24
Each line is Arizona’s chance to win through that meeting. Older meetings have no play by play, so no line.
Line, fans and home field
The betting line, and the fans
Our model and the betting line agree on Arizona’s chances here.
Arizona favored by 33.5 · Total 59.5
How games like this usually go
Arizona by 33.5, and it went to form
Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game
The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 411 games since 2025 with a favorite of 21.5 points or more.
The market
The spread moved 2 points toward Arizona.
The total rose 3 points.
Spread: −31.5 → −33.5 · Total: 56.5 → 59.5
The books’ cut: 3.2%, the margin built into the odds
Weather at kickoff
Hot and dry. Feels like 89° at kickoff.
Northern Arizona at Arizona · Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026 · Arizona Stadium, Tucson
- 89°feels like at kickoff
- Dryno rain at kickoff
- 81weather score, Mixed
- Middleof the day's 3 kickoff times
At kickoff, Sept. 5, 2026.
Weather score: 0 to 100, higher is better, for the first 3 hours and 20 minutes of the game. Ideal is 100, Comfortable 90 to 99, Mixed 75 to 89, Rough 50 to 74, Harsh under 50.
Later kickoff times scored higher that Saturday
Games in this time zone used 3 kickoff times that day, local time (kickoffs within 30 minutes of each other count as one). This game, ringed, was in the middle of the day's three kickoff times. At Arizona Stadium that day, a 7:30 pm kickoff would have scored 85, against 81 at 6:30 pm.
- 12:30 pm: 54, Rough
- 6:30 pm: 81, Mixed (this game)
- 7:30 pm: 85, Mixed
Weather score at each kickoff time.
Tap a dot to read that kickoff time.
At kickoff, Sept. 5, 2026. Wind is not drawn here; gusts are in each score.
Home field
Arizona is worth +3.5 points (±4.3) more at home than on the road since 2018 — middle of FBS, 38th percentile.
49% at home, 33% on the road against FBS opponents (22-23 home, 14-28 away).
Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads -0.0 at home vs. away over 94 games — inside the ±7.1 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.
Night kickoff — historically worth about half a point more to the home side against the number, and not much more than that. The visitors travel about 208 miles to get here.