Two red zone possessions, two scores for the Arizona Wildcats to open the 2022 season.

A year after struggling mightily to convert red zone trips into touchdowns, a pair of offseason transfers gave the Wildcats a 10-0 lead over San Diego State and the first touchdown at SDSU’s new stadium. Cowing motioned across the formation on a second-and-8, caught an out route, slipped past a would-be Aztec tackler, and waltzed into the endzone.

Arizona scored touchdowns on only 31% of its red zone trips a year ago. That was the worst mark in all of FBS football. In the offseason, the Wildcats prioritized pass-catchers who could go out and win jump balls, who could give whoever was playing quarterback a chance to win one-on-ones in tight.

Freshmen Tetairoa McMillan and Keyan Burnett offer big targets, but Cowing offers a matchup problem with a real ability to separate. Cowing had 1,367 yards and seven scores last season while at UTEP. He averaged over 19 yards a catch and the second-best yards-per-route-run clip among receivers with at least 40 targets, per PFF. He had 17 receptions of 30 yards or more on the season, the second-best mark in the country and six more than the entire Arizona team.

The Wildcats are battling San Diego State on CBS.