Arizona came into its matchup against Houston on Friday night at Arizona Stadium on a five-game losing skid, needing to win each of its last three games to become bowl-eligible and salvage a season that hasn’t gone as well as most expected under first-year head coach Brent Brennan.
The Wildcats weren’t only competing against a Cougars team that had won three of its last four games, including a win over then No. 20 Kansas State on Nov. 20, they were up against the Arizona-Wisconsin basketball game, high school football playoffs, a late 8:15 p.m. start and a significant portion of the fan base that has checked out on the season.
Despite all that, Arizona played arguably its best defensive game of the season and the offense scored its most points since its season opener, beating Houston 27-3, to keep some hope alive with two games left on the schedule.
The defense had three takeaways and forced Houston into four turnovers on downs.
“I thought our defense was lights out,” Brennan said. “You hold a team to three points, you force multiple turnovers, you force multiple four-and-outs and turnovers on downs. That was just outstanding,” he said. “Then, I thought our offense — it was good to see us find some rhythm and move the football consistently. I thought that was encouraging.”
Arizona’s 27 points were the most it’s scored since putting up 61 against New Mexico on Aug. 31.
The performance on defense for Arizona was quite the turnaround since its last game on Nov. 2 when the defense gave up 56 points in a 56-12 loss at Central Florida on Nov. 2.
Genesis Smith had an interception, a fumble recovery and seven tackles Friday.
Smith said the performance by the defense against UCF motivated him and the defense in the bye week.
“I feel like we had the motivation already just realizing how we didn’t respond in the UCF game,” he said. “We know we needed to pick it up throughout practice that week, so we just attacked practice day by day, just giving our best, competing with the offense,” he said. “They definitely made us better throughout the week, and it showed on game day.”
Tyler Loop hit a 62-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to extend Arizona’s lead to 10-3.
It was a school record.
“This week, we drilled a lot just with our operation and had some good team reps,” he said. “Funny enough, the last field goal that I hit before game day was a 62-yarder in practice. So going out, I was like, ‘Heck, yeah, I just did this two days ago,’ which was a bunch of fun. So that was really special.”
A 13-yard touchdown pass from Noah Fifita to Quali Conley extended Arizona’s lead to 17-3 on its first drive of the third quarter. Arizona (4-6, 2-5) further extended its lead to 20-3 over Houston (4-6, 3-4) after Tyler Loop kicked a 51-yard field goal on its next drive. A 50-yard rushing touchdown by Conley later in the quarter gave Arizona a 27-3 lead.
Conley, who had 11 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown, said the emphasis on finishing drives in practice this week helped the offense catch a rhythm in the second half.
“All week in practice we talked about finishing,” he said. “The defense would be having the momentum in practice and the offense would take it back, and then the defense would take it.”
Houston had a drive into the red zone with just over four minutes remaining, but Dominic Lolesio forced a fumble and Owen Goss recovered it on Arizona’s 4-yard line.
Goss led the team in tackles with nine.
Fifita completed 20 of 35 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Tetairoa McMillan had six receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown.
On Houston’s opening drive, Stanley Ta’ufo’ou stripped Houston running back J’Marion Burnette and Smith recovered the ball on Arizona’s 40-yard line. Fifita threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to McMillan on the next possession to give Arizona a 7-0 lead.
Arizona’s defense came up big again early in the second quarter when it forced a turnover on downs on fourth-and-goal the 1-yard-line. Smith intercepted Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss and returned it to Arizona’s 44-yard line midway through the second quarter.
Arizona had the opportunity to extend the lead around the three-minute mark in the second quarter, but Michael Salgado-Medina mishandled a 29-yard field goal attempt and Houston recovered the ball on its 20-yard line.
A 49-yard field goal from Houston’s Jack Martin with under a minute left in the quarter cut Arizona’s lead to 7-3.
Arizona next plays at TCU (6-4) on Saturday, Nov. 23. The Horned Frogs have a bye tomorrow.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com writer Kevin Murphy was born and raised in Tucson, and has followed Arizona Wildcats athletics since childhood. Murphy is a journalist product manager with the Green Valley News & the Sahuarita Sun. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU.
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