Season Ending Sack-Arizona Wildcats Fiesta Bowl Recap-ZonaZealots

21-0 Boise State. That was the score just 9:48 into the Fiesta Bowl. It looked like Boise State was about to “TCU” all over the Arizona Wildcats, but a defense that battled back and a few 1-yard touchdown runs made this Fiesta Bowl very entertaining. In the end, the comeback didn’t come to fruition, as redshirt freshman QB Anu Solomon took four sacks on the final drive, including one to end the game to game, and the Wildcats fell 38-30 to a very deserving Boise State team.

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As stated above, the game did not get off to a great start for the Wildcats. The opening drive was finished with a 56-yard touchdown by, the future NFL RB, Jay Ajayi, who rushed for 107 carries and 3 (!!!) touchdowns in the first half alone. After a 57-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Anderson, from QB Grant Hedrick, and the second of Ajayi’s three touchdowns, the Wildcats found themselves down 21-0, before people finished their first beer. The Wildcats got on the board late in the first quarter, on a 1-yard touchdown run by Anu Solomon, to end the quarter down 21-7. Not a great first quarter and Boise even whipped out the classic “Statue of Liberty” play in the during the onslaught.

Arizona had the ball to open the second quarter, but on the first play of the drive, Solomon threw an interception to Cleshawn Page, which set up Ajayi’s third touchdown of the half. 28-7 Boise State just 18 minutes into the game. Ten straight points from the Wildcats, including a 1-yard Nick Wilson touchdown run and a 42-yard field goal by Casey Skowron, set up by a Cam Denson interception, made it 28-17 Boise State with just 30 seconds left in the half. Boise State traveled 57 yards in 27 seconds and Dan Goodale connected on a 36-yard field goal to make it 31-17, Boise State, at the half.

Arizona dominated the third quarter, out gaining the Broncos 137-2, but could only manage to cut three points into the deficit and were down 38-27 after three. In the third quarter Anu Solomon threw a crucial pick-six to Donte Deayon, but followed that up with a big 51-yard touchdown pass to Samajie Grant to end the quarter.

The fourth quarter was as exciting as a three point quarter could get. Jay Ajayi fumbled and allowed the Wildcats to get the ball in good field position, which eventually led to a Skowron field goal, to cut the deficit to one possession, 38-30. That is how it would end. After two more punts from Boise State, Arizona got the ball back one last time, down eight, with 2:53 remaining and no timeouts.

Apparently, the offense, especially Anu, had no idea that the game was on the line and put out one of the most lackadaisical two-minute-drives-to-tie-a-game-drives ever. Solomon was sacked four times, including the last play of the game when he should have thrown the ball away, and the team just seem gasped. A 43-yard prayer to Cayleb Jones was answered and gave Wildcat fans hope, but a receiver that slipped in the end zone, and a sack that I will never understand, ended the comeback effort.

A big key in this game was the losses of running back Nick Wilson and safety Jared Tevis early in the game. Tevis left in the first quarter with an elbow injury, according to his brother, and Wilson left a with a head injury after getting hit right before halftime.

Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright III (33) warms up before the 2014 Fiesta Bowl against the Boise State Broncos at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Overall, it was one heck of a year for the Wildcats. If you would have asked any fan in the offseason what they expected this season, no one would have said a 10 win season, a Pac-12 South Championship, a shot to play in the College Football Playoff, and a Fiesta Bowl appearance. We are a year ahead of schedule and things are looking up in Tucson, so enjoy the season, let’s get ready for a championship in basketball (hopefully) and, as always, BEARDOWN.

Interesting Notes from the Fiesta Bowl

Boise State out gained Arizona 397-196 in the first half then had two yards the entire third quarter
QB Grant Hedricks completed his first 14 passes and was 17-18 in the first half
Jay Ajayi rushed for 107 yards in the first half, but only 27 in the second half
Thomas Sperbeck had 12 receptions for 199 yards, just seven yards shy of a Fiesta Bowl record
Tanner Vallejo finished with 14 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1.5 tackles for loss
Kamalei Correa had 10 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 tackles for loss
Boise State had 8 sacks in the game
Arizona out gained Boise 492-471
Nick Wilson rushed for 86 yards in the first half 492-471
Tra’Mayne Bondurant finished with 11 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 tackles for loss
Scooby Wright had 10 tackles and 2 tackles for loss

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