Arizona football rallies late to beat Kansas on Homecoming, clinch a bowl bid
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Last month, in losing back-to-back games by one score, it seemed like every break went against Arizona. On Saturday, the pendulum finally swung the Wildcats’ way.
Quincy Craig’s 24-yard run with 39 seconds left gave Arizona a 24-20 win over Kansas on Saturday afternoon, clinching bowl eligibility for the second time in three years but only the third since 2017. The Wildcats have locked up their last three bowl bids on Homecoming.
Craig had only three carries in the game, the last two plays Arizona ran. Just before his game-winning score the Portland State transfer—who also caught a TD pass just before halftime—gained 18 yards on 3rd and short.
Before that drive the Wildcats (6-3, 3-3 Big 12) had punted three straight times, their seven punts three more than in any previous game. Arizona finished with 323 yards, its fewest yards in a win since 2018.
Noah Fifita threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 67 for his career to tie Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama for the school record. He also had several key runs but was also sacked five times and nearly had three passes intercepted.
Two of those picks, including one that was returned by Kansas (5-5, 3-4) for a TD, were negated either by review or a penalty. Arizona also benefitted from Jayhawks kicker Laith Marjan missing a 30-yard field goal with 2:43 left that preceded the game-winning drive.
Kansas QB Jalon Daniels threw for 199 yards, ran for 74 and had passing and rushing TDs. Arizona could not sack him but it also didn’t give up any big passing plays, with his Hail Mary throw at the end of the game getting batted out of the end zone.
Down 17-14 at the half, Arizona forced a 3-and-out and then quickly got into scoring range before stalling and settling for a 41-yard field goal to tie it. Kansas got a 50-yard field goal from Laith Marjan to go back in front with 5:51 left in the 3rd quarter.
Kansas looked like it had intercepted Fifita early in the fourth quarter after a ball went off Kris Hutson’s hands, but replay overturned the call. Arizona still ended up punting, part of a string of four consecutive drives ending in punts after the Jayhawks retook the lead.
The Jayhawks ate up a ton of clock after that, getting into the red zone, but with 2:43 left attempted a 30-yard field goal that Marjan missed. He had been 14 of 14 before that.
After the teams traded punts to start the game, with Arizona punting for only the second time on its opening drive this season, the Wildcats were first on the scoreboard. Fifita found Sam Olson for a 16-yard TD pass two plays after Fifita ran for 19 on 3rd and short.
Kansas tied it with 32 seconds left in the first quarter on a 1-yard run byDaniels. A missed tackle by Genesis Smith earlier in the drive put the Jayhawks in scoring position.
A 24-yard TD pass from Daniels to Emmanuel Henderson Jr. gave Kansas a 14-7 lead with 11:17 left in the first half. The Jayhawks took a 2-score lead on a 46-yard field goal with 4:16 to go before halftime.
It looked like a 17-point lead for the Jayhawks when linebacker Leroy Harris III picked off Fifita and returned it 77 yards for a TD. But defensive holding had been called, giving Arizona a major break, and two plays later Fifita connected withCraig who extended the ball to hit the pylon before going out of bounds for an 8-yard TD pass to tie the career passing record and get the Wildcats within three with 23 seconds left in the half.
Arizona returns to the road to face No. 25 Cincinnati on Saturday. It will be the first meeting with the Bearcats (7-2, 5-1).
