August 31, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) celebrates a first quarter touchdown at Arizona Stadium. at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-USA TODAY Sports Tetairoa McMillan had 10 catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns to help No. 21 Arizona beat New Mexico 61-39 on Saturday night in Tucson, Arizona.
McMillan, an Associated Press preseason first-team All-American, caught a 69-yard score on Arizona's third possession of the game and never stopped. He had catches of 17, 78 and 40 yards, plus he gained 31 yards on first down.
New Mexico (0-2) kept the score close in the first half thanks to athletic quarterback Devon Dampier, who threw for five touchdowns. The Lobos led 24-17 as Arizona (1-0) scored the final 10 points of the first half and added three more touchdowns in the third quarter.
Dampier completed 24 of 42 passes for 260 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 130 yards and two scores for the Lobos, who lost 35-31 at home to Montana State last week.
Arizona's Noah Fifita completed 19 of 31 passes for 422 yards, helping head coach Brent Brennan earn his first win with the Wildcats as Big First game for 12 league members.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, in his first season after transferring from New Mexico to Arizona, rushed for 106 yards on 13 carries with 2:24 remaining. The ball scored 36 yards. Arizona's Quali Conley followed San Jose State's Brennan with 90 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 10 carries.
McMillon broke the school record for receiving yards with 283, set by Jeremy McDaniel in a quadruple overtime game on Nov. 2, 1996, against Cal. He was 10 yards short of the Big 12 single-game record of 314 yards set by St. Petersburg on September 29, 2012 against West Virginia.
McMillan had 208 yards and three touchdowns at halftime, but the Wildcats had to scramble for the final 10 points of the half to take the game 27-24. Tyler Loop gave Arizona the lead with a 46-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the half. Lupp also scored 54 points in the first half.
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