USC freezes Arizona, 28-26

Arizona Wildcats Football


It looked like the "magic" was still with the 10th-ranked and unbeaten Arizona Wildcats as they score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and with 17 seconds remaining set up for a 36-yard field goal to beat USC Saturday night at Arizona Stadium in front of 56,000 screaming fans.

Unfortunately, USC freezes the kicker for the second time in the game and the final field goal try by Casey Skowron is wide right. If the ball had sailed through the upright, Arizona would have moved to 6-0 on the season, move further up the national standings and remain as top dog in the Pac-12 Conference.

Instead, the USC strategy works and the boot floats to the right and the Wildcats fall to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

With Arizona's top two running backs Terris Jones-Grigsby and Nick Wilson on the sideline, nursing injuries, Jerad Baker picks up the slack and rushes for two touchdowns and hauls in a TD pass from Anu Solomon to lead the Wildcats, who were down 28-13 to start the fourth quarter.

Solomon finished the night 43 for 72 and 395 passing yards, while Baker rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries, but it was another slow start in the first half by the Wildcats as they scored just two field goals and trailed at intermission, 14-6. It was more of the same in the third quarter as the Trojans outscored the Wildcats 14-7.

In the fourth quarter, the Wildcats made their move, getting their first score on a 41-yard TD pass from Solomon to Baker with 10:19 left in the game and pulled within two points on a 1-yard run by Baker with 1:07 remaining.

Arizona fails to tie the game as Baker is knocked back at the goal line, but on the ensuing onside kick, the Wildcats prevail as Cayleb Jones grabs the ball out of the night sky and Arizona is in line for another improbable victory.

Solomon moved the Wildcats down the field, setting up a game-winning field goal try at the 26 yard line. Skowron's boot went through the upright, but USC had called timeout -- freezing the kicker.

Skowron's next attempt brought back some old Wildcat wounds.

Tough loss for the Wildcats!