Arizona Edges TCU 29-28 After Late Onside Kick Recovery

Wild Finish in Tucson

Michael Salgado-Medina kicked a 37 yard field goal with 39 seconds left to give No. 22 Arizona a 29-28 victory over TCU early Saturday. The Wildcats kept their Big 12 championship hopes alive and extended their home winning streak to seven games, their longest since 1993-94.

Arizona trailed 28-20 late in the fourth quarter. Noah Fifita threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Quincy Craig with 1:45 remaining, but the 2 point attempt failed. Arizona then executed an onside pooch kick. Ian French floated the ball over the front line, TCU player Ed Small could not come up with the catch, and Zuri Watson recovered at the TCU 26.

Salgado-Medina made his field goal four plays later. Tyrese Boss then sealed the win with an interception on the final drive.

How the Game Unfolded

Arizona started fast with an Isaiah Mizell 20 yard diving touchdown catch and a 43 yard field goal from Salgado-Medina to build a 10-0 lead. TCU answered before halftime. Jaden Craig avoided a sack and scrambled 7 yards for a touchdown. Later in the second quarter, Hudson Hooper intercepted Fifita and returned it 93 yards for a score, giving TCU a 14-10 lead at halftime.

Jaden Craig threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Jordan Dwyer in the third quarter. He later added a 2 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put the Horned Frogs ahead 28-20. Fifita finished with 313 passing yards and two touchdowns for Arizona. Jaden Craig threw for 232 yards and ran for two touchdowns for TCU.

What the Coaches Said

"It was a great feeling, being able to execute it and work so hard for it," Salgado-Medina said. "And being able to do it on a big stage like that is an amazing feeling."

Arizona coach Brent Brennan praised his squad after the victory. "The players kept believing, the sideline was electric," Brennan said. "It was just magic the way that thing finished."

TCU coach Sonny Dykes expressed disappointment after his team dropped to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play. "I'm disappointed for our players," Dykes said. "It's been a frustrating year. We've lost a lot of close games."

What it means for the next game

Utah Utes at Arizona Wildcats (College Football, Sat, 14 Nov): Arizona Wildcats win 45%, Utah Utes win 55%; projected score Arizona Wildcats 26, Utah Utes 26. Our safest pick: Arizona +11.5.

Kansas State Wildcats at TCU Horned Frogs (College Football, Sat, 14 Nov): TCU Horned Frogs win 65%, Kansas State Wildcats win 35%; projected score TCU Horned Frogs 27, Kansas State Wildcats 21. Our safest pick: Under 58.5 points.