No. 24 Arizona started slow and fell behind early, but the Wildcats rallied and came out with their first victory of the season, 34-19 over No. 14 San Diego State Saturday at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz.

Arizona used a shutout in the second half to get back into the game after trailing 19-7 at halftime. Mark Watson, Kyle Thompson and Justin Tailfaerro got things going for the Wildcats in the second half as they each had scores.

The Aztecs struck first when Thomas Hebert scored a try just minutes into the game, giving San Diego State an early 7-0 edge. That lead was extended four minutes later as the Aztecs jumped ahead by fourteen.

The Wildcats struck back almost immediately when Ryan Matyas scored on the opposite end to give Arizona its first points of the game. The contest remained close for the next few minutes, but Steven Thomasin dove towards the try line and scored near the end of the first half.

Things changed for Arizona in the second half. Cutting down on ball handling mistakes and penalties allowed the Wildcats to claw back into the game and take the offensive. Early in the half, Watson got free and scored, cutting the deficit to just five.

Arizona kept pressing and was threatening to take the lead the next time down the pitch, but opted for a penalty goal, cutting SDSU’s lead to two. The Wildcats jumped ahead 24-19 when Talifaerro scored a try.

A Kyle Thompson try and another penalty late in the game flattered the score line in Arizona's favor.

“It was a match of two distinct halves,” said Arizona Head Coach Dave Sitton. The Aztecs played very well with the wind in the first half. "And we had our turn in the second frame. They have a very good side which has played two hard matches in a matter of days.”  San Diego State hosted BYU on Thursday evening.

Next on Arizona's calendar is a trip to the Las Vegas Invitational, where the key match for the Wildcats is a clash with Utah on Saturday Feb. 9. Arizona will also play Dixie State and Southern Utah in Sin City.