LOS ANGELES — For the second straight week, the Arizona Wildcats went “head-to-head, toe-to-toe” with a Top-10 team, but fell short. The latest loss: a 43-41 triple-overtime defeat to No. 9-ranked USC on Saturday at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
All three of UA’s losses this season have been one-possession defeats.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had two games we lost in overtime and one game we lost by a touchdown. I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” UA coach Jedd Fisch said. “I think our team is as good as anybody that we play — and will play. They’re just getting better.”
Here’s an in-depth review of the Wildcats’ latest setback, along with a look ahead to Saturday’s matchup with No. 19 Washington State in Pullman.
Pertinent storylines
Wildcats ‘were sharp’ with Fifita at QB
Second-year quarterback Noah Fifita’s introduction to college football as QB1 the last three games was a baptism by fire. Before Saturday, Fifita was thrust into the fourth quarter of Arizona’s come-from-behind win at Stanford on Sept. 23, after starter Jayden de Laura suffered an ankle injury.
Then, with de Laura still sidelined, Fifita started against No. 7 Washington last week in Tucson and ninth-ranked USC on the road.
Good. Luck.
Yet, in that three-game span, Fifita went a combined 56 for 78 passing (72%) for 582 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, including 303 yards and five touchdowns on Saturday. Arizona outgained USC 505-351 in total yards, a development that took form in the first quarter. Prior to Saturday, the Wildcats hadn’t scored in the first quarter since the season-opening drive; they were outscored 31-7 in the opening period before the USC game.
Up 17-0, the Wildcats had a chance to extend their first-half lead until Fifita threw his second interception of the season.
“We were sharp early this week, and we talked all week long how we could just hone in to what we want to get down,” Fisch said. “It was 17-0 and we had a takeaway and had a chance there and gave the ball back — that was tough.
“But outside of that, I thought Noah played a really, really good football game. I can’t think of many plays that we missed on.”
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita throws a pass during the first half of the Wildcats' 43-41 loss in three overtimes Saturday.
Said Fifita, on his two starts: “A lot of things I learned, a lot of things I gotta get better at.”
“At the end of the day, the last two games we played two of the top offenses in the country and we played spectacular in both games. ... At the end of the day, offensively we were unable to get it done,” Fifita said. “Just kinda being thrown into that role, I learned a lot of new things. Game reps, nothing like game reps. So I’m still trying to learn, still trying to get better.”
Fisch quickly put out any speculation of a quarterback change. When asked if Fifita’s performance justifies starting the Southern California native over de Laura moving forward, Fisch responded with a stern “no.”
“Our team is good. Our quarterbacks are good,” Fisch said. “We’ve got two really, really good quarterbacks, we’ve got some really good wide receivers and really good skill players. We’ve got some great (running) backs and our offensive line had one heck of a night tonight. All together, I’m proud of our team, proud of our staff. Disappointed in the outcome.”
Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing (2) celebrates his touchdown catch with tight end Tanner McLachlan during the second half.
Cowing shakes injury to post historic performance
Fifita’s top two targets on Saturday were senior receiver Jacob Cowing and sophomore Tetairoa McMillan, who had six catches for 138 yards and caught the game-tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
Cowing, who left the game in the second quarter for a leg injury and was carted to a room in the bowels of the L.A. Coliseum, set a single-game program record with four touchdown catches. Cowing had 10 catches on 13 targets for 87 yards and scored Arizona’s final three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and the first two overtime periods. Cowing now has 4,016 receiving yards over his five-year career.
Pro Football Focus gave Cowing the best overall offensive grade (78.8) by a Wildcat on Saturday.
USC safety Calen Bullock, center, breaks up a 2-point conversion attempt intended for Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing during the second overtime.
“I think four touchdowns for a wide receiver is pretty impressive,” Fisch said. “It’s a good night to say the least. ... He got hurt at the end of the first half, went into the training room and said, ‘I’m going to play. I’m not going to miss the second half of this game.’ Hats off to our trainers, our doctors to get him ready and he was good to go.”
Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing (2) is helped off the field after an injury during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against Southern California on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Decisions, decisions
It’s required for teams to attempt a 2-point conversion beyond the first overtime period.
“To be honest, I didn’t (know),” Fifita said. “We thought we were going for 2 automatically. In the second overtime, we were expecting to go for 2. ... I thought it started in the third overtime and then even when we go to the third overtime, I was unaware of the rules that it’s all 2-point conversions.”
In the second overtime, the Wildcats “were gonna for the extra point and just play it out, but they said after the second score that you have to go for 2. So we just switched it off.”
When Arizona countered USC’s touchdown in the first overtime, Fisch “thought about it right away” to go for the 2-point conversion to either win or lose — and keep Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams on the sideline. But Fisch trusted his team to outlast the Trojans.
Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan (84) celebrates his touchdown catch against USC with teammate Jonah Savaiinaea (71) and others during the first half of their matchup with the Trojans on Oct. 7 in Los Angeles.
“If you feel like you needed to do it because you think you have to hit a prayer on offense or you can stop them, then yeah, maybe,” Fisch said. “But I didn’t feel that way at all in this game. I felt like it was two great teams going against each other head-to-head. I really didn’t feel like they were stopping us and we had a chance to stop them.”
Arizona place-kicker Tyler Loop lowers his head after missing a field goal during the second half Saturday.
By the numbers
50: In the fourth quarter, Arizona kicker Tyler Loop missed his first 50-yard field goal attempt of his career, which sailed left.
94.1: PFF’s pass-blocking grade for right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea — the best of his career. Left tackle Jordan Morgan received a 93.3 pass-blocking grade against USC.
2.5: Tackles for loss for Arizona sophomore edge rusher Russell Davis II, who registered his first sack as a Wildcat; he had 1.5 sacks against the Trojans.
143: Rushing yards for sophomore running back Jonah Coleman, a career-high.
Injury report
Arizona right guard Leif Magnuson, who appeared hobbled in pregame warmups, exited the game in the second half. With original starter Raymond Pulido out with a leg injury, the Wildcats shifted Savaiinaea to right guard and installed Joseph Borjon at right tackle.
They said it
Arizona nickelback Treydan Stukes, on the Wildcats through the first half of the season: “I think we’ve shown the potential that we have as a team, offensively and defensively. ... We expect to win and we know we’re a good team and we’re capable of beating good teams as well. We just chalk it up to we gotta learn from this and find ways to get to the other side of these close games.”
Fisch, on Arizona’s 12 penalties for 96 yards: “They were disappointing penalties. There were a couple of 15-yarders that came out that were disappointing and I think it probably went into a drive or two. All in all, I’m not going to sit here and talk about penalties. I’m not really wrapped up in that stuff right now. It’s the type of game we wanted to play. ... We had two good teams going at it. I think we all just witnessed a really good football game tonight.”
Looking ahead
The Wildcats open up as 9.5-point underdogs at 19th-ranked Washington State, de Laura’s old stomping grounds before he transferred to Arizona last season. De Laura threw four interceptions in the Wildcats’ loss to the Cougars last season in Tucson.
