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POV: going bowling pic.twitter.com/aqa8oBDfHc
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) November 9, 2025
The Cardiac ‘Cats came through on Homecoming.
Now, they are eligible for a bowl at 6-3 overall after enduring a 4-8 season a year ago in Brent Brennan’s first season.
“This is a stepping stone. Yay, we got to six but that’s not good enough for me. That’s not good enough for these kids,” Brennan said on reaching bowl eligibility. “We want to keep playing good football. How can we continue to improve, continue to find ways to elevate Arizona football? That’s what we’re doing.”
Arizona completed the comeback Saturday against Kansas after trailing 17-7 in the second quarter, scoring on the final possession of regulation and beating the Jayhawks 24-20 on Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium.
“All week I talked about what a physical game this was going to be. We have a ton of respect for Kansas and we knew who they are,” Brennan said. “Our players just kept responding. We just kept finding ways to respond in some really tough moments. Down 10, we respond with a touchdown before half. There are so many good things we can be excited about.”
Quincy Craig ran for a 24-yard touchdown untouched with 39 seconds left to put Arizona ahead in the end.
“I saw the O-line open up a nice hole for me to get through and the rest was simple — found my way to the end zone,” Craig said about the touchdown. “That was definitely one of my favorite touchdowns that I’ve experienced because it was a comeback win.”
Craig’s run followed his 18-yard burst and capped an 80-yard drive that took eight plays and 2 minutes.
Kansas (5-5, 3-4 Big 12) attempted a Hail Mary pass at the end but Jalon Daniels’ pass from the Kansas 47 fell incomplete as time expired.
Arizona (3-3 in the Big 12) and Noah Fifita produced when they needed to the most.
Fifita engineered the game-winning drive and finished with 158 passing yards with two touchdowns, enabling him to tie Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama for the Arizona career record of 67 touchdown passes.
“He’s the leader, he’s the voice,” Brennan said about his quarterback. “On that last drive when everyone’s going crazy, we’re huddled after the missed field goal… He looks like he’s fishing at the lake. He’s just calm, he’s totally focused on what’s ahead, and because of that, the guys feel that.”
THIS IS BIG 12 FOOTBALL#Big12FB | @ArizonaFBall pic.twitter.com/fETmgWfpeh
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) November 9, 2025
The run game got going late in the game ending up with 165 yards behind Craig, Ismail Mahdi, and Kedrick Reescano combining for 139 yards.
Kansas sacked Fifita five times and limited Arizona to less than 100 yards rushing yards going into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats had 78 of their 165 yards on the ground in the fourth quarter, 42 of them on Craig’s last two runs.
“That front seven we knew was going to be a challenge for us,” Brennan said of the sacks given up. “The thing I’m excited about is how we responded late in the game. We ran the ball to win the game. That offensive line answered the call.”
The first half was a back-and-forth affair with Arizona taking the early lead before Kansas rallied to score two touchdowns and a field goal before the Wildcats answered with a touchdown of their own.
Craig scored on an 8-yard pass from Fifita with 23 seconds left in the half to cut Kansas’ lead to 17-14.
The Wildcats opened the scoring in the first quarter following an eight-play drive that was capped with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Fifita to Sam Olson near the front pylon.
The Kansas defense shook off the early struggles, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs.
REDLINE. NOW. pic.twitter.com/S7KV94RtLq
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) November 8, 2025
Kansas scored on a 1-yard sneak from Daniels and a 24-yard pass from Daniels to Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
The Jayhawks’ defense continued to be relentless, getting back-to-back sacks to force another stop and give Kansas the ball starting at its own 43.
Kansas took advantage driving 29 yards before Laith Marjan made a 36-yard field goal to take a 17-7 lead.
Kansas had an interception that was returned 77 yards for a touchdown late in the half by Leroy Harris III, but it was nullified by a defensive holding call.
The Wildcats scored two plays later on the pass from Fifita to Craig before halftime.
The second half produced more drama.
Arizona came out in invigorated, getting its first three-and-out of the day defensively.
Michael Salgado-Medina made a 41-yard field goal to tie the game at 17.
Kansas took the lead right back after a field goal from 50 yards by Marjan after a 10-play, 43-yard drive.
Marjan had an opportunity to increase Kansas’ lead but missed a 30-yard field goal.
Arizona got the ball on its own 20 with 2:39 left in the game before Fifita and Craig went to work.
The Wildcats now need a win to clinch a winning season. They get their first opportunity next week at Cincinnati.
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