For the second year in a row, the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl ended in a walkoff.
Ty Gangi’s 11-yard pass to Reagan Roberson gave Nevada a 16-13 victory in overtime over Arkansas State on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.
The Wolf Pack (8-5) became the first team to win two Arizona Bowl trophies. Nevada won the inaugural game in 2015.
The Wolf Pack snapped the Red Wolves’ four-game winning streak. Arkansas State finished the season 8-5.
Arkansas State got the ball first in overtime and quickly moved it to the Nevada 8-yard line. The Red Wolves stalled there, settling for Blake Grupe’s 24-yard field goal.
Nevada scored with 1:06 remaining in regulation to take a 10-7 lead.
MORE: Nevada never stopped believing during 16-13 comeback win in Arizona Bowl
The Wolf Pack had done next to nothing on offense until the go-ahead drive. The key plays: Gangi’s 15-yard pass to Dominic Christian on fourth-and-7 and Gangi’s 44-yard pass to Ben Putnam that set up Devonte Lee’s 1-yard TD plunge.
Gangi finished with 200 yards and a touchdown, despite an interception that gave Arkansas State possession deep in Nevada territory at the end of the third quarter. Putnam was on the receiving end for 114 yards on four receptions.
The Red Wolves — who had failed to score on four trips inside the Wolf Pack 10-yard line spanning the second and fourth quarters — drove into field-goal range nearing the end of regulation. Grupe, who had missed two earlier attempts, made a 32-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime.
Nevada had a chance to take the lead earlier in the fourth quarter. But on third-and-7 from the A-State 14, Dajon Emory sacked Gangi for a 10-yard loss. Gangi’s fourth-down pass for Elijah Cooks in the right corner of the end zone was broken up by Jerry Jacobs.
Arkansas State had a 481-260 edge in total yards, and a 24-13 advantage in first downs, entering overtime. That edge came in large part to Warren Wand's 140 yards rushing on just 16 attempts. The Red Wolves out-gained Nevada on the ground, 224 yards to just 85 for the Wolf Pack.
Omar Bayless paced A-State in receiving, with 129 yards on seven receptions. Kirk Merritt added 66 yards on eight catches.
In the third quarter, the game morphed from ugly to absurd.
Arkansas State twice advanced inside Nevada 10-yard line and couldn’t score — which was exactly how the first half ended for the Red Wolves.
A-State failed to score every which way: a missed field goal, a turnover on downs and an interception. The latter came on a deflected pass, which the Wolf Pack’s Justin Brent batted to Jomon Dotson in the end zone.
Incredibly, Arkansas State began the fourth quarter with yet another turnover inside the Nevada 10. Brent corralled this one on a ball Justice Hansen tried to rifle over the middle. It was Brent’s second interception of the game. Hansen threw three interceptions.
PHOTOS: Arizona Bowl, Nevada vs. Arkansas State
Arkansas State defensive back Antonio Fletcher (14) hauls in a throw while working out with the defense as they get ready to face Nevada in the Arizona Bowl, Saturday, December 29, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
HALFTIME UPDATE:
If you came to the 2018 Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl looking for offense, you came to the wrong place.
Arkansas State leads Nevada 7-3 at halftime Saturday at Arizona Stadium. The fourth iteration of the game has been dominated by defense.
The teams have combined to convert only 3 of 17 third downs and 1 of 4 fourth downs. Arkansas State has 266 yards of offense but has been unable to convert in Nevada territory. The Wolf Pack has just 72 yards of offense.
Arkansas State finally broke through late in the second quarter.
The second-quarter drive began with Justice Hansen hitting Kirk Merritt for 43 yards. Merritt made a diving catch over Nevada’s Jomon Dotson. Angry that the play wasn’t immediately being reviewed, Nevada coach Jay Norvell drew a unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, advancing the ball to the Nevada 17-yard line.
Five plays later, A-State’s Marcel Murray crashed into the end zone from the 2 to give the Red Wolves a 7-3 lead with 3:08 left in the half.
Neither team scored in a ragged first quarter that featured fourth-down stops, dropped passes and an unsightly missed field goal.
After a pair of three-and-outs, Arkansas State advanced to the Nevada 26-yard line. But on fourth-and-4, an under-pressure Hansen missed Darveon Brown over the middle.
The Red Wolves again moved into Wolf Pack territory on their next possession. But a pass initially ruled complete at the Nevada 15-yard line was overturned, forcing A-State to attempt a 47-yard field goal. Blake Grupe’s kick knuckleballed well short of the goalposts.
Nevada took over and advanced to the A-State 37. But on fourth-and-2, Justin Coleman and B.J. Edmonds stuffed Toa Taua for a 2-yard loss.
The next possession ended with Hansen throwing his first interception since Oct. 27.
The first drive of the second quarter ended with yet another fourth-down failure, this one by Arkansas State. After two more three-and-outs, Nevada finally found a rhythm. Ty Gangi hit Ben Putman on consecutive passes, gaining 26 yards. Kelton Moore rushed for 6 yards on third-and-5 for the Wolf Pack’s first and only third-down conversion of the half.
The drive stalled at the 19. Ramiz Ahmed’s 36-yard field goal gave Nevada a 3-0 lead.
The half ended with Grupe missing a 25-yard field-goal attempt.
Hansen is 12 of 22 for 150 yards. Gangi is 7 of 14 for 50 yards.
