TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Ismail Mahdi ran for 189 yards, Noah Fifita had two touchdown runs and Arizona overcame a shaky start to the second half for a 23-17 win over Kansas State on Friday night.
Arizona (3-0) faced its first big test of the year after beating two smaller-conference teams by a combined score of 88-9. The Wildcats led by 14 at halftime, but let Kansas State back in it with a series of mistakes. They sealed the win with a turnover on downs, opening 3-0 for the first time since 2015.
Coming off a home loss to Army, Kansas State (1-3) struggled offensively for much of the nonconference matchup between future Big 12 foes — a game scheduled before Arizona joined the league. Kansas State had 193 total yards and quarterback Avery Johnson was limited to 88 yards and no touchdowns on