Arizona Wildcats go 'head-to-head, toe-to-toe' in triple-overtime loss to No. 9 USC

LOS ANGELES — In what could be Arizona's last football game in Los Angeles for a while, the Wildcats — in head coach Jedd Fisch's words — went "head-to-head, toe-to-toe, missed by a yard here, missed by a yard there" against the ninth-ranked USC Trojans. 

However, in a back-and-forth shootout, Arizona (3-3), which entered Saturday as 21-point underdogs, took USC (6-0) down to the wire and fell to the Trojans 43-41 in a triple-overtime thriller Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It was Arizona's first triple-overtime game since 2000.

"I think the 21-point underdog stuff probably has to come to an end here soon," Fisch said after the game. "We've got a really good football team."

Later added Fisch: "All together, I'm proud of our team, proud of our staff. Disappointed in the outcome."

After Arizona tied the game at 28 late in regulation, USC failed on an attempt to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired, sending the game into overtime. The Wildcats and Trojans traded touchdowns in the first overtime and again in the second. Both teams' failed their two-point conversion attempts in the second OT. Initially, Arizona sent out its field goal unit for a PAT, but teams are required to go for two after the first overtime period. 

"I just needed to get clarification from the officials that you had to go for two on the second overtime, not the third," Fisch said. "Initially, we were gonna for the extra point and just play it out, but they said after the second score that you have to go for two. So we just switched it off."

Fisch said Arizona "thought about" going for the two-point conversion during the first overtime. 

"We really liked the way we were playing defense," he said. "I thought we were tackling really well.

"I figured after the second one, we'll do it anyway, so might as well get that first one under our belt," Fisch said. "We didn't feel like we needed to do that."

In the third OT, teams run alternating two-point conversation possessions from the 3-yard line. On its single play in that third OT, USC deployed a "swinging gate" rush for reigning Heisman trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams ran right and extended the ball just enough to break the plane to break a 41-41 tie.

On the next play, an Arizona pitch left to Wildcat running back DJ Williams' was stopped by USC, giving the Trojans their sixth win of the season. USC defensive tackle and former Wildcat Kyon Barrs, who had one tackle on Saturday, posted on X (Twitter) after the game, "Most wins of my career."

The prospect of Arizona even reaching overtime against a top 10 Trojans team wouldn't have been a whisper had the Wildcats not finally found some life early on.

For the second straight game, the Wildcats were without quarterback Jayden de Laura and running back Michael Wiley; both suffered ankle injuries two weeks ago Stanford.

But in just his second start at quarterback for the Wildcats, Southern California native Noah Fifita shined, completing 25 of 35 passes for 303 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Fifita's five touchdown passes are the most by an Arizona quarterback against a ranked opponent, and most against USC. Despite Fifita's performance, Fisch said de Laura will remain Arizona's starter if and when he's healthy. 

Wiley's understudy was on point, too. Jonah Coleman posted a career-high 132 yards on 20 carries Saturday night.

Yet heading into Saturday, Arizona's opponents had outscored the Wildcats 31-7 in the first quarter. Arizona flipped that on its head, jumping out to a 10-0 lead after one, and extending it to 17-0 in the second quarter.

"We talked all week about trusting each other and we emphasized the team starting fast," Fifita said. "Before tonight, both of our losses, we went down 14-0 in the first quarter. ... We emphasized starting fast and we were able to do so. We just gotta keep that going."

A Fifita 30-yard pass to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who ended the night with six catches for 138 yards, set the tone on Arizona's opening drive, which ended with Tyler Loop sinking a 23-yard field goal to give the Wildcats their first points in the first quarter of a game since the season opener against Northern Arizona. Fifita later connected with Jacob Cowing, who briefly left the first half with a leg injury, on a 23-yard touchdown pass. 

In addition to that 10-0 first quarter lead, Arizona forced USC to punt on the Trojans' first three possessions. Williams, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft if he decides to leave college, was held to 1-for-6 passing for three yards in the first quarter, while USC's high-powered offense was held to 10 yards on nine plays in the opening period. The Trojans had four three-and-out possessions on Saturday. 

The Wildcats consistently applied pressure on USC's star quarterback in the first half, sacking him twice. Arizona sophomore edge rusher Russell Davis II, who had 2.5 tackles for loss, registered his first sacks (1.5) as a Wildcat; he combined with linebacker Jacob Manu on one. Linebacker Justin Flowe sacked Williams in the third quarter. Fisch said Arizona's defense "has made unbelievable leaps and bounds from a year ago, and it's because of trusting the process of what we're trying to get done."

"They continue to improve each week and I know I'm excited to watch them play the second half of the season," Fisch said. 

Arizona also had a significant advantage in time of possession early on, besting the Trojans 19:47-10:13 in the first half.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Fifita's 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tanner McLachlan gave the Wildcats that 17-0 second quarter advantage.

Coming out of a timeout early in the second quarter, USC's offense was sparked by a 53-yard pass from Williams to receiver Brenden Rice, but the Wildcats turned the subsequent play into a takeaway, when defensive end Isaiah Ward punched the ball out of Williams' hands and recovered by backup nickelback and "dollar" package member Martell Irby. The Wildcats have seven forced fumbles this season. 

Two plays later, Fifita committed his first mistake of the night and threw his only interception of the night. 

With the ball back and a shortened field, Williams scrambled for a 4-yard touchdown run, and in the waning moments of the half, Williams threw a goal-line touchdown pass to Kyron Hudson to cut into Arizona's lead 17-14 entering the break.

Penalties plagued the Wildcats in the second half, especially in the third quarter. Arizona had 12 penalties for 96 yards — seven of those flags in the second half.  

On USC's first possession in the third quarter, Flowe and Williams were persistently trash-talking each other until it boiled over, when Arizona's linebacker was flagged for a roughing-the-passer penalty on an incomplete pass on third-and-5 on the UA 21-yard line, placing the Trojans on the 9-yard line. USC running back Marshawn Lloyd scored on a 9-yard run up the middle. 

Down 28-20, USC stuffed Arizona running back DJ Williams at the goal line; On a 4th down play, Fifita hit Cowing on a 3-yard arrow route, then connected with McMillan on a similar route for the two-point conversion to tie the game with 8:17 to play.

Arizona got the ball back and had a chance to take a lead late in the fourth quarter, but Loop's 50-yard field goal attempt — his first attempt at that distance as a Wildcat — sailed left.

But it wasn't the most notable field-goal blunder of the night. 

USC stormed down the field and had a 25-yard field goal attempt set up to win in walk-off fashion, but long snapper Jac Casasante sent a high snap and Trojans kicker Denis Lynch didn't have a clean look, sending the game into overtime — the second of the season for Arizona.

Caleb Williams powered his way for an 18-yard run to begin overtime, but the Wildcats quickly answered with a touchdown pass from Fifita to Cowing at the left pylon.

The Fifita-Cowing connection delivered once again in double-overtime with a 7-yard score. Cowing's four touchdowns on Saturday marked a program record for most single-game touchdown receptions. 

Fifita's pass to Cowing was batted down by USC defensive back Calen Bullock on the two-point conversion.

"I think Noah thought he was so open, he just laid it out there and (Bullock) made a fantastic play," Fisch said. 

The Trojans also didn't convert their two-point conversion pass to Rice after Austin Jones' 11-yard touchdown run.

After the second-overtime period, every possession is a two-point conversion, leading to USC shifting most of its offensive personnel to the left side of the field in the "swinging gate" formation, leaving Williams, his center, and a few other players toward the right. After Williams' ran it in, Arizona had one play to keep the game going, but that's when Williams was stopped well behind the line of scrimmage.

Arizona's three losses this season have been by a combined 16 points — including the last two weeks to top 10 teams in Washington (loss by seven) and USC (loss by two). 

"Unfortunately, we've had two games we lost in overtime and one game we lost by a touchdown. I couldn't be more prouder of our team," Fisch said. "I think our team is as good as anybody that we play — and will play. They're just getting better."

Arizona (3-3) will now battle No. 13 Washington State — de Laura's former team before transferring to the UA — in Pullman on Saturday. The previously unbeaten Cougars, also in Southern California Saturday, fell 25-17 to UCLA.

"If we continue to improve like we're improving and get to where we want to be, there's great things ahead for Arizona football," Fisch said.

"There's no question in my mind about that," he said. "Our guys are really good and I'm proud of them."

Photos: Arizona football falls to No. 9 USC in dramatic fashion in 3OT