GLENDALE – Of all the possible outcomes, who could have foreseen this?
Arizona’s defense played valiantly. Its offense stumbled before rallying. An out-of-nowhere comeback put the Wildcats ahead. And in the end they let it slip away.
Jake Oldroyd’s 33-yard field goal with four seconds remaining gave BYU an 18-16 victory over Arizona in the Cactus Kickoff Classic at University of Phoenix Stadium on Saturday night.
The loss was the UA’s first in a season opener in five tries under Rich Rodriguez. It was also the Wildcats’ first regular-season loss to a nonconference opponent under Rodriguez.
The game was a test of two major decisions by Rodriguez. One was to overhaul the defense, cleaning out the entire staff and installing Marcel Yates as the new coordinator. That happened early in the offseason, and the initial results were generally positive.
The other was to pick Anu Solomon as the Wildcats’ starting quarterback. The incumbent had been battling Brandon Dawkins since spring. About two hours before kickoff, word leaked that Solomon was the choice.
Despite helping Arizona rally from a 15-3 fourth-quarter deficit, Solomon did not play his best. He took four sacks, threw two interceptions and failed to convert a critical two-point conversion after the go-ahead touchdown.
“This game’s on me,” said Solomon, who completed 20 of 30 passes for 213 yards. “I’ve got to step it up. Lead better and play better.”
Rodriguez said he considered inserting Dawkins at different points, but more as a countermeasure to BYU’s defensive scheme.
“I’ve got 100 percent confidence in Anu Solomon,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone wants to point to the quarterback. ‘It’s his fault.’ You don’t know all the factors.
“He battles. He’s going to keep competing. He did all the way to the last whistle.”
So did the revamped defense, but the much-maligned unit eventually ran out of energy and answers. After Arizona took a 16-15 lead with 1:26 remaining on Nick Wilson’s 49-yard touchdown run, the Wildcats yielded a nine-play, 53-yard drive. Quarterback Taysom Hill (239 total yards) and bruising tailback Jamaal Williams (162 rushing yards) did most of the damage, as they had all game long.
Despite allowing fewer points than they had in any game since Oct. 10 of last year, Arizona’s defense left the field frustrated and disappointed.
“We didn’t win,” said linebacker Paul Magloire Jr., who had a team-high 10 tackles, including two for losses. “We could have played better.”
It didn’t look good for a really long time.
But with Arizona’s defense – surprise! – keeping the Wildcats close, Arizona’s offense finally came to life.
Wilson’s touchdown gave the UA its first and only lead. Looking spry and fit, the junior rushed for 138 yards and two scores.
“It felt good,” Wilson said. “I feel healthy. I feel great. But I’d trade all that for the W.”
It wasn’t meant to be, and the offense – which is supposed to be the Wildcats’ strength – bore most of the blame. The UA was particularly inept in the first half.
The Wildcats, who averaged 37.4 points last season, failed to score in the opening 30 minutes. They barely even threatened to score.
Plagued by blocking and other breakdowns, the UA managed just 107 yards, including minus-12 net rushing yards. Even when they seemed to have something going, the Cats self-destructed.
Down 9-0 in the final minutes of the second quarter, Arizona advanced to the BYU 19-yard line. But on third-and-four, Solomon, operating out of an empty backfield, took a 16-yard sack.
Rodriguez let the clock run down to one second and sent out Josh Pollack for his first career field-goal attempt. Pollack’s 52-yarder missed wide left.
You couldn’t ask for much more from the defense at that point. Arizona allowed 35.8 points per game last season and limited BYU to single digits.
Safety Tellas Jones was all over the field, recording five tackles, before getting hurt in the second quarter. He did not return.
Even when Arizona’s offense got things going in the second half, you were left wanting more.
A sack on third-and-eight forced the Wildcats’ to settle for Pollack’s 46-yard field goal with 5:59 left in the third quarter.
After a three-and-out by the UA offense that took just 2:04 off the clock, the defense finally broke. A combination of Williams runs and Hill scrambles – including a 4-yard scamper on third-and-three – set up Hill’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Colby Pearson with 11:36 remaining. BYU went for two and didn’t get it, leaving the score at 15-3.
Some unlikely pass catchers helped Arizona get back in the game. Junior college transfer Shawn Poindexter made his first career reception, for 19 yards, to get the drive going. Tyrell Johnson’s 20-yard catch on third-and-four advanced the ball to the 30. Two plays later, from the 15, Wilson charged up the middle to make it 15-10 with 9:33 left.
After the UA defense forced BYU’s first three-and-out, Arizona got the ball back with 6:28 to play. However, on third-and-seven, Solomon overshot Johnson over the middle. Cougars safety Kai Nacua made the easy interception.
Despite Solomon’s shaky performance, Rodriguez gave no indication that he’d make a change at quarterback next week in the home opener against Grambling State.
