After beginning the season ranked 21st in both polls Arizona was officially eliminated from bowl contention on Saturday with a 49-28 loss at TCU. Arizona fell to 4-7 with the loss. A win on Saturday over TCU and a victory next week over Arizona State would have given Arizona six wins and made the Wildcats bowl-eligible.
The three-score loss for Arizona on Saturday was its third in the last five games and fourth in its last six. BYU beat Arizona 41-19 on October 5. Arizona lost 34-7 at home a week later to Colorado. Central Florida gave Arizona its worst loss of the season 56-12 on November 2 and then today, the 21 point loss to BYU.
Many of the problems versus TCU were the same. Arizona had 38 rushing yards, which included 14 yards lost on sacks by Noah Fifita. TCU who entered the game 120th nationally averaging 110.00 rushing yards per game had 38 carries for 147 yards and six, yes six touchdowns. TCU entered Saturday's game with 18 rushing TDs in 10 games.
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover was 19-26 for 252 yards, one TD and one interception. JP Richardson had six receptions for 107 yards and a TD and Eric McAlister had three receptions for 87 yards. TCU pummeled Arizona will big plays. The Horned Frogs had nine completions of 15 yards or more and five runs of 10 plus.
The game began with Noah Fifita throwing an interception on the first play of the game. TCU took over at the Arizona 37. TCU went five plays in 2:06 to take a 7-0 lead. TCU extended the lead to 14-0 with 2:10 left in the first quarter Arizona showed life with a six play, 75-yard drive in 01:54 to cut the deficit to 14-7.
Fifita threw a 17-yard TD pass to Chris Hunter for the first score for Arizona. Tyler Loop made 53 and 43-yard field goals after the Arizona defense forced consecutive three and outs and Arizona pulled within 14-13. TCU went 12 plays, 75 yards in 1:42 that culminated with a 20-yard Savion Williams TD run with 13 seconds left in the first half.
Arizona choosing to take the ball to begin the game instead of deferring to the second half came back to hinder Arizona. TCU scored on its first possession of the second half to extend the lead to 28-13 and that was the last Arizona was within on score. Beginning with Williams' late first-half TD, TCU had five straight TD drives.
Chris Hunter caught his second TD in the second half and Sterling Lane had a 70-yard fumble return for a TD for the final points for Arizona. Earlier in the game Arizona Tetairoa McMillan passed his position coach Bobby Wade to set the Arizona career record for receiving yards. McMillan now has 3,365 receiving yards.