Arizona came back from San Diego with suitcases full of confidence. Mississippi State brought some reality with it on its long trip to Tucson.
The Wildcats lost 39-17 to MSU on Saturday night in their home opener, done in by a combination of their own mistakes and the inability to cash in on the chances the Bulldogs gave them.
Arizona (1-1) turned it over three times, all on interceptions thrown by quarterback Jayden de Laura, who fell back to Earth after a strong 299-yard, 4-touchdown debut last week at San Diego State. He was 23 of 45 for 220 yards and a TD but was sacked three times and forced to scramble on countless other plays, opting not to take off despite numerous opportunities.