WR McMillan charms: 304 yards, 4 TDs in UA thrashing

• Max Olson, ESPN Staff WriterSep 1,
• 2024, 03:19 AM ET Close Covers the Huge 12
• Joined ESPN in 2012 Graduate of the University of Nebraska

Arizona pass receiver Tetairoa McMillan kicked off his highly expected junior season with a record-setting night.The preseason All-American and predicted first-round draft choice set a brand-new school record with 304 receiving lawns and 4 touchdowns on 10 catches in the No. 21 Wildcats’ 61-39 win over visiting New Mexico.The 6-foot-5, 210-pound wideout delivered the very first 300-yard efficiency by a college receiver given that Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba installed 347 getting yards against Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl. Just 5 other FBS receivers have topped 300 lawns over the past decade.In Arizona’s very first game as a member of the Big

12, McMillan registered the second-most getting yards in a game in conference history. His previous career high was a 266-yard game versus rival Arizona State last season.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated McMillan scored on plays of 69, 17, 78 and 40 backyards and nearly had a 5th TD reception however was taken on at the 1-yard line. More than half of his getting backyards (176 )followed the catch.” T-Mac is certainly special, guy, “first-year Arizona coach Brent Brennan stated.”He’s just something else.”McMillan missed out on time

this offseason while recuperating from a lower leg injury suffered in spring practice and said it felt”

fantastic” to be back in action.”These last 4 months, I’ve been grinding and all set to return on the field, “he said. “Being able to simply have fun with my brothers

once again, it’s just a real blessing. No matter the records, I’m just pleased to be back on the field with my brothers.”New Mexico kept up with the Wildcats throughout the first half and took a 24-17 lead late in the second quarter. Three plays later, McMillan burned the Lobos for

a 78-yard catch and run down the sideline to tie it up. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan became the seventh FBS receiver in the previous years to leading 300 receiving yards in a game and also scored on plays of 69, 17, 78 and 40 yards. AP Photo/Darryl Webb”Those huge explosives were simply unbelievable,”Brennan stated.”He outran the entire secondary on the big one down the sideline. He’s amazing. He’s a remarkable competitor, and he’s likewise not satisfied. He resembled,’We can play better.’That’s what you expect.” Arizona produced 627 total backyards of offense and averaged 11 yards per play, with quarterback Noah Fifita tossing for 422 backyards and move running backs Jacory Croskey-Merritt (New Mexico)and Quali Conley (San Jose State )combining for 196 rushing yards and 4 scores.McMillan became one of college football’s most dominant playmakers in 2023 with 90 catches for 1,402 backyards (fifth most in the FBS) and 10 goals as a sophomore on a Wildcats team that won 10 games and the Alamo Bowl.After Jedd Fisch and his training personnel delegated take over at Washington in January, Fifita and McMillan decided to bypass the transfer portal and remain at Arizona. The former colleagues at Servite High School in Anaheim, California, wished to keep playing together and help Brennan construct a competitor.”Everyone in this building, the brotherhood we already had, the culture we had set in here, we simply didn’t wish to leave this building,” McMillan stated. “The legacy that we currently had actually began over here, we wished to continue this legacy. At the end of the day, we concerned Tucson to be program changers. Hopefully, Tucson, y’ all can find pride in our play. “