Arizona Loses Multiple Opportunities To Ice Game in 2OT Loss To BYU

Arizona had multiple opportunities throughout the game that would have led to a win, but BYU earned a 33-27 double overtime victory over the Wildcats on Saturday night. Arizona had a 24-14 lead with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Arizona controlled the next 45 minutes before BYU rallied. BYU had a 15-play, 69-yard drive in 7:06 to cut the deficit to 24-17 on a Will Ferrin 24-yard field goal with 4:08 left. Arizona went three and out on the next drive with a chance to ice the game with two to three first downs.

After two Kedrick Reescano carries went for three yards, Noah Fifita was incomplete on third down to force an Arizona punt with 2:55 left. Parker Kingston, who had five receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown, had a 26-yard punt return to give BYU the ball at the Arizona 47.

BYU had an 11-play, 47-yard drive in 2:36 and tied the score on a two-yard Bear Bachmeier TD run with 19 seconds left in regulation. Bachmeier ran 22 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday. BYU running back L.J. Martin had 25 carries for 162 yards and a TD as the Cougars ran for 258 yards.

BYU converted eight of 16 on third down and two of three on fourth down. The Cougars had one third-down conversion and one on fourth on the field goal drive to cut the deficit to seven points. BYU had three third-down conversions, including one by penalty on the game-tying TD drive in the fourth quarter.

Arizona stripped Bachmeier on third and four from the eight with 47 seconds left, but BYU recovered the fumble in an extremely pivotal play., The Wildcats would have won the game with a fumble recovery there.

In the first overtime, Kedrick Reescano scored on a nine-yard TD that was called back for a holding penalty on Chubba Maae. The holding penalty appeared to occur after Maae passed him and was unnecessary. Michael Salgado-Medina made a field goal to put Arizona up 27-24.

Arizona held BYU to a loss of two yards on three plays in the first overtime. Ferrin made a 44-yard field goal to send the game to a second OT. If the Reescano TD had stood, BYU would have had a fourth and 12 to extend the game instead of a field goal to tie it.

Bachmeier had a seven-yard TD run on third and four in the second OT to put BYU ahead 33-27. The Cougars missed the mandatory two-point conversion. Arizona had an eight-play 15-yard drive, but Fifita was incomplete to Javin Whatley in the end zone on fourth and six from the BYU 10 to end the game.

Fifita had 219 yards passing, two TDs and no interceptions. Reescano led Arizona with 13 carries for 90 yards and a TD and Kris Hutson had nine receptions for 106 yards and a TD. Bachmeier threw for 172 yards, one TD and two interceptions as BYU had 430 yards in total offense.