The former Border Conference rivals are back on the field and facing each other as the Arizona Wildcats host the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday at 8 p.m. mountain time in Tucson.
Things have gotten interesting for the two teams the past couple of weeks.
Arizona (3-1, 1-0 in Big 12) is coming off a huge win over Utah to open conference action. The win was the Wildcats’ first road victory of the season. It was also Arizona’s first win in Salt Lake City in a decade.
Texas Tech (4-1, 2-0) has won its last three games and that includes a pair of Big 12 victories, the most recent over Cincinnati. The Red Raiders have been scoring a lot of points — but they’ve been giving up a lot of points, too.
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Here are three offensive players to watch for each team.
TE Keyan Burnett
The Wildcats need more weapons in the passing game, which is why the emergence of Burnett last week is so important. His touchdown reception, on a perfect pass in the back of the end zone, was his first scoring catch of the season.
He enters Saturday’s game with eight catches for 125 yards. But there’s a chasm between Tetairoa McMillan (29 receptions) and the rest of the pass-catchers, so any receptions Burnett can provide will be valuable.
QB Noah Fifita
Fifita isn’t known for getting things done with his legs. He only had two rushes for 10 yards against Utah. But his ability to slide around in the pocket or roll out to make a clean pass — such as his scoring strike to Burnett — was paramount in that victory.
Through four games he’s thrown for 1,060 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s also completing 63.1% of his passes. That’s a split to watch. Last year he completed more than 70% of his passes.
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OT Rhino Tapa’atoutai
The redshirt freshman is doing a terrific job protecting the blind side of his quarterback. But, it was his work in the run game, along with the work his fellow linemen did, that mattered just as much against the Utes.
The Wildcats rushed for 169 yards against the Utes, with two players rushing for more than 70 yards. The run game will matter against the Red Raiders on Saturday, as the offense has scored more than 35 points in four of their five games.
QB Behren Morton
The Red Raiders have had a revolving door at quarterback the past few years, but Morton has put it to a stop. His performance this season has led to 1,426 passing yards, with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also completing 63.5% of his passes. He’s also receiving exceptional protection, as he’s only been sacked five times. Arizona’s pass rush will have to be aggressive to put Morton on the defensive.
RB Tahj Brooks
Brooks was an All-Big 12 running back a year ago and he opted not to head to the NFL and come back for one more season with the Red Raiders. So far, he’s producing like an All-Big 12 back once again. He’s rushed for 551 yards and four touchdowns with an average of 5.3 yards per carry. He has speed and he’s difficult to bring down, which makes him a key piece of the Red Raiders’ offense.
WR Josh Kelly
He’s a sixth-year collegiate and no receiver has benefited more from Morton’s immense numbers than Kelly. He has 39 receptions, with 487 yards and three touchdowns. The next closest Red Raiders receiver has 19 catches. When Morton needs a reception, Kelly is the player he’ll look for. For context, Kelly is nearly two-thirds from his output of a season ago, when he caught 61 passes for 983 yards and eight touchdowns.
Sedona, Arizona is home to some of the most striking red rock formations in the American Southwest, but Snoopy Rock might be our favorite. Sitting on a bluff above the city, the formation seems to depict Snoopy from the Peanuts comics lying on his doghouse with Woodstock sitting on his nose.
The formation is best viewed from Uptown Sedona, where the shops, restaurants, and galleries along the main strip all offer solid sightlines. The parking lot behind the Sedona Arts Center and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center on State Route 89A are two of the best spots to take it all in.
For those who want to get closer, the hike via Margs Draw Trail can be worth the effort. The trailhead is located on Sombart Lane, accessed by heading south on Highway 179 from the junction of Routes 89A and 179, then turning left. The out-and-back route covers 2.1 miles and is considered challenging, with an unmarked social trail leading to the base of the formation.
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A Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required if you’re planning to start at the Schnebly Hill Trailhead, and the best hiking window runs from September through May. Dogs are permitted on leash, though the scramble section near the top is not suitable for most animals.
For non-hikers, Jeep and helicopter tours of Sedona regularly point out the formation along with others in the area.
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Nolan Deck is a writer for Unofficial Networks, covering skiing and outdoor adventure. After growing up and skiing in Maine, he moved to the Denver area for college where he continues to live and work…
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Former Michigan sophomore defenseman Hunter Hady has transferred to Arizona State, according to an announcement on the team Instagram. The 6’4’’ defenseman will join the Sun Devils for his junior year.
Hady played just two games on Michigan’s blue line this season against Harvard in November and against Bentley in the NCAA regional semifinal. He recorded a secondary assist on junior forward Garrett Schifsky’s goal in the Bentley game for his only point of the year.
Hady’s contributions were more substantive in his freshman season — though his point total remained the same. He played 32 games for Michigan as the team struggled to find defensive pairings that worked throughout the year. Hady was a reliable blue line presence who could be counted on to provide solid defense and not make significant errors.
Prior to playing for the Wolverines, Hady spent three seasons with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he played with current Michigan teammates senior defenseman Luca Fantilli, sophomore forward Michael Hage and junior forward Jayden Perron, among others. He joins an Arizona State team that lost ground in the NCHC this season and is looking to reach a Frozen Four for the second time in its program history.
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Jessica Cox, the world’s first licensed armless airplane pilot and a leading advocate for disability-led innovation, will be inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame on Friday, May 15, 2026. The induction ceremony, hosted by Rightfooted Foundation International in collaboration with the Pima Air & Space Museum, will take place at the museum from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cox’s recognition honors both her historic achievement in flight and her ongoing work expanding access and opportunity for people without arms. Through her leadership at Rightfooted Foundation International (RFI), Cox has championed mentorship, education and practical innovations that help aspiring pilots and families reimagine what’s possible in aviation and beyond.
“Saying I’m proud of her can’t fully encompass what I feel,” said Patrick Chamberlain, Cox’s husband and RFI’s Inclusive Engineering Director. “Jessica’s induction into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame recognizes both what she has accomplished and what she continues to do. She has helped shed light on the many pilots with disabilities in aviation and shown the world that disability does not mean inability.”
The 2026 induction class also honors two military aviators: Frank Schiel Jr., a Phoenix-born Flying Tigers veteran credited with seven enemy aircraft destroyed in World War II, and James K. Johnson, a Phoenix-born U.S. Air Force colonel and Korean War double ace credited with ten aerial victories.
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The Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame, established in 1985 and housed in the Dorothy Finley Aerospace Gallery at Pima Air & Space Museum, pays tribute to Arizonans who have made significant contributions to aviation and aerospace history.
