PHOTO GALLERY BY GILBERT ALCARAZ
Two weeks in a row, things ended in chaos at Casino del Sol Stadium, this time not in No. 23 Arizona’s favor, falling to No.2 Utah, 40-39 Saturday.
“Naturally, you just kind of think about the plays that I didn’t make,” fifth-year quarterback Noah Fifita said, reflecting on the loss. “At the end of the day, we got to live with it and move on to the next.”
Casino del Sol Stadium was a madhouse at the start of the fourth quarter, forcing Utah (10-0, 7-0 Big 12) to call a timeout and leading to a false start in the opening minute.
“They (the fans) did a phenomenal job; we appreciate the city, the students showing up,” Fifita said about the game’s atmosphere. “They definitely gave us an advantage tonight with that noise and with the energy. I’m just sorry that we weren’t able to reward it.”
Sophomore placekicker Dillon Curtis shrank the Arizona (7-3, 4-3) lead to 28-27 with 14:10 remaining with a 39-yard field goal.
After forcing a three-and-out on defense, Utah was set up at the 37-yard line of Arizona off a controversial catcher’s interference call.
Sophomore running back Daniel Bray ran it in from 8 yards to retake the lead for Utah. The two-point attempt was unsuccessful and Utah led 33-28 with 11:46 remaining.
After another three-and-out for Arizona, a muffed punt was recovered by senior long snapper Drew Nicholson, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Utah 17.
Arizona came away with a 47-yard field goal by junior placekicker Michael Salgado-Medina to cut the deficit to 33-31 with 8:09 left.
Fifita found wide-open sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Mizell for a 59-yard gain. A few plays later, Fifita would go to Mizell again for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Fifita ran in on the two-point conversion to give the Wildcats a 39-33 lead with 3:13 remaining.
Mizell finished with 115 yards on 7 receptions.
“Both of those guys are studs,” coach Brent Brennan said about Mizell and Richardson’s performances on the night. “When you have game changers, you’re in every game, and that showed up tonight.”
Richardson ended with 94 yards on 7 receptions and a touchdown.
The celebration wasn’t for long after Mizell’s score; Utah senior quarterback Devon Dampier hit wide-open senior wide receiver, Creed Whittmore, for a 70-yard touchdown to put the Utes ahead 40-39 with 2:35 left.
Arizona failed to convert on fourth down, putting the game in the hands of its defense to get a stop with under two minutes.
Dampier was able to convert on a 12-yard run on third-and-1 to seal the 40-39 win for Utah.
“This was a heavyweight fight,” Brennan said, reflecting on the game. “This night, the way it went from start to finish, I think really speaks to our belief, our resilience, and our response.”
Former Wildcat Rob Gronkowski (2007-09) returned as part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff Show and to serve as honorary captain for the game.
The first drive couldn’t have been more perfect for Arizona. The Wildcats drove down the field with ease; Fifita got all of his weapons involved and even took part in the rushing game. Fifth-year Quincy Craig capped the drive off with a touchdown from a yard out to put Arizona on the board.
Both teams traded punts on their next two offensive possessions.
A bad punt put the Utes at midfield. A 3-yard sack by fifth-year linebacker Chase Kennedy in the final seconds of the first forced the Utes to settle for three.
The Wildcats shut out the Utes in the first quarter. Utah has outscored opponents 103-9 in the first quarter before Saturday.
Curtis got Utah on the board with a 53-yard field goal.
Arizona responded to the field goal by going 75 yards down the field and adding to its lead with a 5-yard touchdown run by senior running back Kedrick Reescano.
The Utes answered back thanks to a 31-yard run by Dampier, a Scottsdale Saguaro graduate, to get into Arizona territory. A few plays later, Dampier used his legs again from 14 yards for a touchdown.
After forcing the two-minute timeout, Dampier found sophomore wide receiver Ricky Johnson on a 30-yard pass to get inside the red zone. A play later, Dampier’s legs continued to be a headache for the Arizona offense, breaking tackles and rushing in from 18 yards to give the Utes their first lead of the game.
The half almost ended in disaster for Arizona. On fourth down with five seconds left, Fifita threw a “Hail Mary” pass. The pass was intercepted by senior linebacker Johnathan Hall.
Hall returned it all the way to midfield, keeping the Utes’ lead at 17-14 going into halftime.
The Wildcat defense came up with a huge play to start the second half. Dampier bobbled the pitch to Bray, and sophomore defensive lineman Mays Pese pounced on the ball, giving it to his offense deep in Utah territory.
Arizona made the most of the turnover with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Fifita to Mizell, putting the Wildcats back on top, 21-17.
A 53-yard run by Brady put Utah at the Arizona four-yard line. A play later, instead of using his legs, Dampier used his arm to find sophomore wide receiver Byrd Ficklin for a touchdown to retake the lead at 24-21.
It looked like Utah was going to extend its lead, but fifth-year cornerback Jay’Vion Cole pulled the ball away from the intended receiver for an interception.
“It was amazing just being out there,” Cole said about his return to the lineup.
Cole, who had four total tackles, half a sack, and an interception, missed the last two games with a leg injury.
“Wasn’t supposed to be open; it was blown coverage, quarterback threw up a lob in there, and I just went to go finish it,” Cole said about his interception.
Fifita hit fifth-year wide receiver Chris Hunter III on a 67-yard pass to get into Utah territory. Later in the drive, Fifita found Richardson on a 19-yard touchdown pass, seesawing the lead back into Arizona’s favor. Setting up another chaotic ending at The Sol.
What’s Next?
Arizona goes to Manhattan, Kan., Saturday looking for a bounce-back win over a struggling Kansas State team. Kickoff time and network are still to be determined.
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