TUCSON, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 06: Zuri Watson #25 of the Arizona Wildcats recovers an onside kick agai

No. 22 Arizona beats TCU 29-28 to keep Big 12 title hopes alive

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Quincy Craig’s Late Touchdown and Tyrese Boss’s Interception Lift Arizona Over TCU

No. 22 Arizona pulled off an improbable 29-28 victory over TCU at Casino Del Sol Stadium, securing the win on a late Friday night thanks to a flurry of plays in the final two minutes. The frantic sequence featured a 14-yard diving touchdown grab by running back Quincy Craig, a recovered onside kick by Zuri Watson, a 37-yard field goal from Michael Salgado-Medina, and a game-sealing interception by cornerback Tyrese Boss.

Coming off a loss to No. 15 Texas Tech last Saturday, the Wildcats improved to 7-2 on the season and kept their Big 12 title hopes alive while narrowly avoiding a trap game against a 4-5 Horned Frogs squad. The dramatic finish materialized after Arizona trailed 28-20 with 6:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Noah Fifita engineered a scoring drive that culminated in Craig’s wheel-route touchdown catch with 1:43 left on the clock, though the team failed to convert the two-point attempt.

“What you saw was a great demonstration of redline. Effort, execution and accountability,” Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said after the game. “It’s November, these games are just battles, and that’s what you expect when you get into this month. Knowing it was going to be a four-quarter game, I think anytime you have Noah Fifita pulling the trigger, you have a chance. It was just magic the way that thing finished.”

Special Teams and Defensive Heroics Seal the Win

Following the touchdown and failed two-point try, Zuri Watson executed a pooch onside kick that was recovered by the Wildcats at the TCU 36-yard line. After three short rushing plays netted minimal yardage, Salgado-Medina stepped up to nail a 37-yard field goal with 38 seconds remaining, giving Arizona its first lead since the middle of the third quarter.

“It was a great feeling. Being able to execute on it and work so hard for a moment like that. Doing it on a stage like this, it’s an amazing feeling,” Salgado-Medina said of his first career game-winning field goal.

TCU still had a chance to answer, but Tyrese Boss intercepted a pass to halt the Horned Frogs’ final push and lock down the victory. The defensive stop was particularly notable given that Arizona finished the match playing without four members of its secondary due to injuries.

Jay’Vion Cole was ruled out before kickoff with a leg injury alongside Cam Chapa, while Malcolm Hartzog went to the medical tent in the first quarter and Quinn Olson exited in the fourth. TCU capitalized on the depleted defensive backfield as quarterbacks and receivers exploited single coverage, with Kari Ashley tallying 95 yards and Jordan Dwyer adding 86 yards out of the Horned Frogs’ 232 total passing yards.

“As a cornerback room, we’ve got a really big statement on going on to the next play,” Boss said. “Never fold under that one play because there’s still a whole game to go. For all the pass interference penalties we got, there’s still a lot more game left in that situation.”

Fifita’s Performance and Next Week’s Matchup Against Utah

Noah Fifita finished the night completing 24 of 37 pass attempts for 313 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The offense started strong as the Wildcats scored on their first two possessions to build a 10-0 lead, but the momentum stalled as the offensive line struggled to pick up the TCU pass rush. Right tackle Tristan Bounds faced constant pressure, while a costly mistake by Fifita saw his pass intended for Giovanni Richardson intercepted by linebacker Hudson Hooper and returned 93 yards for a touchdown, putting TCU ahead 14-10 before halftime.

Despite the protection issues, Richardson had a career night with 11 receptions for 171 receiving yards. Official attendance was announced at 40,501.

The Wildcats now turn their attention to hosting No. 3 Utah next Saturday at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The Utes head into that matchup following a contest against No. 9 BYU in Salt Lake City.

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