STARKVILLE, Miss. — It wasn't pretty. At times it was disastrous. But despite five turnovers — four of those interceptions by quarterback Jayden de Laura — the Arizona Wildcats displayed grit in their 31-24 overtime loss to Mississippi State on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
UA suffered its first loss of the season and became the first team from the Pac-12 to lose in nonconference play; after ASU and Cal also lost later on Saturday, the conference is now 20-3 in non-league action heading into this upcoming week.
"Great football game where it certainly felt like a heavyweight fight," Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch said. "It certainly felt like both teams were getting after it back-and-forth, back-and-forth.
"This is a team that is very resilient. We expected to win this game. We came in here and expected to win this game," Fisch added. "We did not come in here scared, we did not come here concerned. We thought we were bringing a really good team."
De Laura ended Saturday completing 32 of 46 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns, but tied his career-worst outing with those four interceptions. That included three in the first quarter alone. UA wide receiver Jacob Cowing also fumbled in the red zone to contribute to the Wildcats' four first-half turnovers.
Even still, Arizona trailed just 14-7 at the half and, despite falling behind 21-7 in the third quarter, fought back to tie the game at 24 apiece on a 37-yard field goal by Tyler Loop with just seconds remaining in regulation.
To start overtime, Arizona linebacker Daniel Heimuli couldn't wrap up MSU's Jeffrey Pittman, who broke off a 29-yard touchdown. On Arizona's matching OT possession, on fourth-and-10, de Laura evaded MSU's pass-rushers, rolled to his left, stepped up and tried to run for the first down with the game on the line. He was tackled right at the first-down marker, but after official review, de Laura's elbow was ruled down short of the sticks.
"We ended a yard short," Fisch said. "But I would say our defense absolutely battled every single snap. I thought our defense had a fantastic game. There's always going to be a play here or a play there, but when you look at what we did, how we kept that offense contained, how we made plays on the ball.
"All of those things indicated to me that our defense is playing really, really good football right now," Fisch added. "All together, I'd just say we ended an inch short."
Arizona will end nonconference play on Saturday against UTEP in Tucson.
Mississippi State wide receiver Lideatrick Griffin (5) dives into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown reception while Arizona safety Isaiah Taylor (4) defends during the first half of their game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Starkville, Miss.
On Saturday, the game appeared almost out of reach for Arizona multiple times, but the Wildcats proved that was never actually the case. Trailing 21-7 in the third, Arizona crafted a 10-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 17-yard touchdown by Cowing.
To start the fourth quarter, Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu sacked MSU quarterback Will Rogers on the Arizona 43-yard line to force MSU to punt. That set up an 80-yard drive for Arizona's offense that resulted in de Laura throwing a ball to the back of the end zone for a stretched out Tetairoa McMillan to tie the game.
"That's T-Mac for you," de Laura said of McMillan, who finished with 161 yards and the one touchdown on eight catches. "You guys are at practice and you see the crazy things that he does. The game is on the line, you gotta get him the ball the more. Gotta get him the ball. That's just who he is."
UA running back Michael Wiley also had a critical 27-yard reception that moved the Wildcats deep into MSU territory. Wiley was the Wildcats' second-leading receiver with eight catches for 60 yards.
After playing just 11 snaps against NAU last week, Arizona linebacker and Oregon transfer Justin Flowe had 12 tackles, the most he's had in a game since 2021, and 0.5 stops for loss. One of Flowe's tackles forced MSU to kick a field goal and take a 24-21 lead.
"He came in and was ready to go," Manu said. "He knew what he had to do. As you can see, it showed up.
"He brings all the juice," Manu added. "He's our juice guy and he brings it all the time."
Manu had 12 tackles of his own, including 2.5 stops for loss. Arizona's defense had "no flinch" against the Bulldogs.
"They just went back out," Fisch said. "So you have guys battling and making plays."
Although de Laura tossed his fourth interception to Jett Johnson near midfield with 4:15 left in regulation, Arizona's defense forced another three-and-out.
With 2:36 left in the fourth quarter, McMillan hauled in a deep pass for 49 yards; a few plays later, Loop's kick tied the game at 24-24 with five seconds left to force overtime.
Mississippi State running back Jo'Quavious Marks (7) rushes while Arizona cornerback Tacario Davis (23) pursues during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Early on, it was Mississippi State's new balanced attack on offense, which had 298 rushing yards in the season opener against Southeastern Louisiana, that established the run game. On the opening drive, the Bulldogs gave the ball three straight times to running back Joquavious Marks, who had eight carries for 53 yards in the contest in Tucson last season. Marks had seven carries for 53 yards in the first quarter alone this go-round, and the Bulldogs, after passing 49 times against the Wildcats a year ago, only attempted 17 passes while running 39 times.
Still in the first, despite Marks and MSU's offensive charge down the field, Rogers' completed pass to wide receiver Justin Robinson was stuffed by nickelback Martell Irby on fourth down on the UA's 4-yard line. The ball rolled out of Robinson's hands and rolled out of bounds for a touchback. Irby started in place of starter Treydan Stukes, who was questionable for Saturday after exiting the Northern Arizona game in the first half.
But Irby exited this game in the first half and was replaced by junior safety DJ Warnell. Fisch said he has "no update" hasn't "heard much" regarding Irby's absence.
The Wildcats were also without cornerback Dylan Wyatt, who was replaced by second-year cornerback Tacario Davis.
For the first time this season, Arizona deployed its 3-1-7 "dollar" package, but the Wildcats were without Stukes, Wyatt and safety Gunner Maldonado, who missed the first half on Saturday for his targeting ejection last week; so Arizona's seven defensive backs were Prysock, Davis, Irby and safeties Genesis Smith, Warnell, Dalton Johnson and Isaiah Taylor, who started in place of Maldonado.
On offense, Arizona was without right guard Raymond Pulido, who has yet to make his Arizona debut after a bike accident last week. Arizona star right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea moved to right guard, the position he played last season, while redshirt sophomore Joseph Borjon started at right tackle.
"We'll see what happens with Wyatt, we'll see what happens with Stukes, we'll see what happens with Pulido," Fisch said. "But I believe those are the three right now that we have to be aware of."
Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura throws a pass against Mississippi State during the first half earlier this season. He was picked off four times in the Wildcats' 31-24 overtime loss in Starkville.
Early on, de Laura's first interception was a throw intended for tight end Tanner McLachlan, who caught his first pass of the season earlier in that same first-quarter drive. The ball was tipped up from McLachlan's hands and picked off by linebacker Nathaniel Watson at the MSU 46-yard line. Watson also had an interception in last season's game. MSU converted the turnover into points, Rogers found MSU receiver Lideatrick Griffin for a 23-yard touchdown.
De Laura's next interception was jumped by MSU star linebacker Jett Johnson and was returned 30 yards to the UA 6-yard line. Two runs from Marks boosted the Bulldogs' lead to 14-0 in the first quarter. The Wildcats forced a three-and-out on defense following de Laura's third interception.
"They did a great job of taking the ball away early on the first three possessions and then after that everything settled down," Fisch said.
The second-year starter de Laura said he "would've dealt with (the turnovers) differently" a year ago.
"The ball wasn't bouncing the right way I guess. It was always bouncing up and towards one of their players. I gotta be cleaner. I can't turn over the ball on the first three possessions, four times. But I just knew we had four quarters to play, so we couldn't give up in the first quarter," de Laura said. "I would've shut down (last season). I would've just went into a box."
Mississippi State wide receiver Jordan Mosley (18) reaches for a pass after being interfered by Arizona defensive back Martell Irby (13) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
On Arizona's second-to-final possession of the first half, the Wildcats' 19-play drive chewed up nine minutes and 17 seconds. De Laura, who was reluctant to run against the Bulldogs last season, had 24 rushing yards on a pair of scrambles up the middle. On third-and-goal on the 2-yard line, de Laura connected with Cowing on a flat route, but safety Shawn Preston's booming hit forced Cowing to fumble, which was picked up safety Hunter Washington Jr. and returned to the MSU 41-yard line.
Although the Bulldogs flirted with a potential 21-0 lead, Arizona defensive end Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei sacked Rogers on 3rd down to force a missed 41-yard field goal. MSU was 1-for-3 on third-down conversions in the first half.
Arizona approached the end of the first half with a 55-yard completion from de Laura to sophomore wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, then Arizona's quarterback rushed in for a 1-yard touchdown on what appeared to be a fake spike to cut the deficit 14-7 at the break.
"You walk into halftime, you can't believe the score based on the way the game was going, but it's just the way our defense played," Fisch said.
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