Published Oct 31, 2023
Helmet stickers: Arizona vs. No. 11 Oregon State
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Troy Hutchison  •  GOAZCATS
Staff Writer
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@THutch1995

Arizona hosted No. 11 Oregon State on Saturday marking the fourth-straight game against an AP Poll top 25 opponent for the Wildcats. After falling behind 7-0 early in the game, UA outscored the Beavers 27-17 the rest of the way securing the 27-24 victory.

The win marked the first time Arizona as an unranked team had beaten back-to-back Top 25 teams since the 2006 season when the Wildcats knocked off No. 25 Washington State 27-12 (on the road) and No. 8 Cal 24-20 with quarterback Willie Tuitama at the helm.

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It was a complete game from the Wildcats with the defense coming up with much-needed stops, the offense scoring in critical situations and special teams hitting 50-yard field goals to get points on the board.

Here's the helmet sticker performances of the game from our Troy Hutchison as he picks the players that made the biggest impact in the Wildcats' win:

WR Tetairoa McMillan

After Arizona found itself trailing in the game 7-3 by the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats needed a spark and on the team's second drive, receiver Tetairoa McMillan provided just that with a 7-yard touchdown reception giving UA the 10-7 lead.

Every time the Wildcats needed a big play through the air, it was McMillan that was there making the plays. He finished the game with eight catches, 80 yards and a touchdown.

For McMillan this is his third helmet sticker of the season for his performance against the Beavers.

QB Noah Fifita

At this point, anytime Noah Fifita is the starting quarterback for Arizona, he has a chance at winning a helmet sticker. Against then-No. 11 Oregon State, he had an amazing game throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns while completing 78% of his passes.

The game was not perfect for Fifita, who took four sacks and threw an interceptions that nearly led to OSU points right before the half. But, he was able to stick with it and made play after play when the Wildcats needed it the most.

In the fourth quarter, Fifita hit on two touchdown passes one of 40 yards and the other a short 3-yard touchdown to seal the win.

The game earned Fifita his third Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award making him the first player to achieve that feat since Khalil Tate.

After earning another helmet sticker, Fifita has collected four on the season with four games left to go.

RB Michael Wiley

After missing the last several weeks due to an ankle injury sustained during the Stanford game, running back Michael Wiley made his return to the field but saw minimal action.

However, Wiley made the most of his snaps and made an impact in the passing game hauling in five catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

For his performance against Oregon State, Wiley has earned a helmet sticker.

Honorbale mention

The one player that just missed the cut of earning a helmet sticker was safety Gunner Maldonado, who recorded a team-high 10 tackles in the game.

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