So long, 2021 Wildcats. You won’t be missed. The 2022 Arizona Wildcats are a different breed. And it’s not close. This wasn’t a cupcake opener against a directional in-state school, this was a road game against a team that won 12 games last year opening play in a brand new stadium.

And Arizona walked into Snapdragon Stadium against the Aztecs and said, “All the things we struggled with last year? Yeah, we figured those things out.”

Thanks to brilliance in the passing game from quarterback Jayden de Laura and wideout Jacob Cowing, Arizona pummeled San Diego State 38-20 on Saturday. The Wildcats outgained the Aztecs 461-232 and, at one point, led 31-10.

Arizona was 5-for-5 on its red zone trips. A year after converting only 31% of its red zone possessions into touchdowns — the worst clip in football. In its opener, Arizona scored four touchdowns in its five red zone trips. Cowing caught a 17-yarder for the first touchdown of the game. Freshman Tetairoa McMillan caught a slant in traffic. Cowing added another from 4 yards out to close out the first half. DJ Williams paid off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard score on the ground.

Cowing became the first Power Five receiver since Michael Crabtree to have three touchdowns in his debut game. He finished with eight receptions for 152 yards.

Williams finished with 88 rushing yards and the score on 14 attempts.

And then there was de Laura, who completed 22 of his 35 pass attempts for 299 yards and four scores against just one interception.

Coach Jedd Fisch couldn’t have scripted a better start.

The Wildcats (1-0) are back in action next Saturday when they host Mississippi State at 8 p.m. PT.