Arizona broad receiver Tetairoa McMillan kicked off his extremely expected young season with a record-setting evening.
The preseason All-American and projected first-round draft select poised a unused faculty checklist with 304 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 10 catches within the Disagree. 21 Wildcats’ 61-39 win over visiting New Mexico.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound wideout delivered the primary 300-yard efficiency by way of a faculty receiver since Ohio State‘s Jaxon Smith-Njigba post 347 receiving yards in opposition to Utah within the 2022 Rose Bowl. Best 5 alternative FBS receivers have crowned 300 yards over the while decade.
In Arizona’s first sport as a member of the Fat 12, McMillan registered the second-most receiving yards in a sport in convention historical past. His earlier occupation prime was once a 266-yard sport in opposition to rival Arizona State terminating season.
McMillan scored on performs of 69, 17, 78 and 40 yards and just about had a 5th TD reception however was once tackled on the 1-yard layout. Greater than part of his receiving yards (176) got here upcoming the catch.
“T-Mac is obviously special, man,” first-year Arizona schoolteacher Brent Brennan mentioned. “He’s just something else.”
McMillan neglected day this offseason week convalescing from a decrease leg shock suffered in spring apply and mentioned it felt “amazing” to be again in motion.
“These last four months, I’ve been grinding and ready to get back on the field,” he mentioned. “Being able to just play with my brothers again, it’s just a true blessing. Regardless of the records, I’m just happy to be back on the field with my brothers.”
Brandnew Mexico saved up with the Wildcats all through the primary part and took a 24-17 supremacy past due in the second one quarter. 3 performs upcoming, McMillan burned the Lobos for a 78-yard catch and run ill the sideline to tied it up.
“Those big explosives were just incredible,” Brennan mentioned. “He outran the whole secondary on the big one down the sideline. He’s awesome. He’s an awesome competitor, and he’s also not satisfied. He was like, ‘We can play better.’ That’s what you hope for.”
Arizona produced 627 general yards of offense and averaged 11 yards in keeping with play games, with quarterback Noah Fifita throwing for 422 yards and switch working backs Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Brandnew Mexico) and Quali Conley (San Jose State) combining for 196 speeding yards and 4 ratings.
McMillan emerged as considered one of school soccer’s maximum dominant playmakers in 2023 with 90 catches for 1,402 yards (5th maximum within the FBS) and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore on a Wildcats workforce that received 10 video games and the Alamo Bowl.
Nearest Jedd Fisch and his training group of workers left to break in at Washington in January, Fifita and McMillan choose to deviation the switch portal and keep at Arizona. The previous teammates at Servite Prime Faculty in Anaheim, California, sought after to accumulation taking part in in combination and backup Brennan produce a contender.
“Everybody in this building, the brotherhood we already had, the culture we had set in here, we just didn’t want to leave this building,” McMillan mentioned. “The legacy that we already had began over here, we wanted to continue this legacy. At the end of the day, we came to Tucson to be program changers. Hopefully, Tucson, y’all can find pride in our play.”
