Revisiting Arizona's Game-Winning Drive Against Kansas

Arizona has issues moving the ball against a Kansas defense that ranks 11th in the Big 12, allowing 377 yards per game. Offensive coordinator Seth Doege's offense gained 323 yards on the day, but the movement was not consistent. The Wildcats only had four drives of 50 yards or more, all of which they scored on.

Noah Fifita had a shaky day. After throwing an early touchdown pass to tight end Sam Olson, he finished the day completing just 16-of-31 pass attempts for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He also had three very risky throws that should have been intercepted.

Fifita's two passing touchdowns tied him with former Wildcat quarterbacks Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles for the program's career record for touchdown passes with 67.

The Wildcats scored first but then trailed until the very end. Both offenses stalled for much of the second half, but Brennan's team continued to chip away until the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

Arizona didn't run the ball a ton on Saturday, but it was the deciding factor on a two-minute drive to win the game. Here's how it happened.

The Drive

After kicking a field goal in the third quarter to tie the game, the Wildcats were forced to punt on the next three possessions, barely moving the ball. The Jayhawks recaptured the lead, 20-17, and were driving deep into Arizona territory.

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels scrambled and lost the ball just short of the line to gain. With Daniels leaving the game hurt, which stopped the clock, the Jayhawks lined up for a 30-yard field goal. Fortunately, for the Wildcats, kicker Laith Marjan missed wide right.

The game had not gone the way Brennan had hoped, but his team continued to fight and did so on the final drive.

• "We just kept finding ways to respond in some really tough moments," Brennan said. "Down ten, we respond with a touchdown right before half. There were so many good things that we can be so excited about, and I know it wasn’t perfect, and that’s okay. We’ll fix that. We’re accountable for that. That’s what 'red line' is. The accountability piece is a huge part of it. But we’re going to enjoy this."

Instead of trailing by six points, the deficit was just three points as Arizona took possession from its own 20-yard line with 2:39 on the clock.

On the first play of the drive, Fifita dropped back and made a quick decision to run, picking up 11 yards and moving the sticks. Fifita then ran on a designed QB draw for nine yards to set up a critical third down with just one yard to go.

On third down, Doege decided to turn to tailback Kedrick Reescano, who had carried the ball just four times for 20 yards to that point. Reescano took the hand off and was stacked up at the line. Somehow, however, he stayed on his feet, shook a tackler, and kept grinding his feet as the Arizona offensive line huddled around him and pushed forward for 11 yards and the first down.

It was a team effort to run the ball on that play. Without the conversion, fourth down would have been interesting. Instead, Arizona's comeback bid stayed alive.

Facing another third down, just outside of field goal range at the Kansas 42-yard line, the Wildcats turned to another unlikely tailback: Quincy Craig.

After starting the season as a bigger part of the ground game, the Portland State transfer had fallen out of the regular rotation in recent weeks. Entering the drive, he had just one carry for five yards. He also caught two passes for 13 yards and had a spectacular drive to corral the pylon for a touchdown before the half.

It was unusual to see the Wildcats rely on Craig in such a big moment, but not for Brennan.

"Five touches, two touchdowns, I think that speaks to the unselfish nature of this team," Brennan said. "I think it speaks to how one of the really special things about this team is how they celebrate each other’s successes."

"There’s no jealousy there. I’ve been a part of teams where, inside the same position group, guys were literally hoping someone fails so they can get a chance. It’s not like that with this team. Those guys were so excited. You should have seen all the running backs with Q in the locker room. That part of it, I think, is really, really special, but all of those guys contributed today."

Facing a third down and needing three yards, Craig burst up the middle on the draw play, scampering for 18 yards before ducking down at the 24-yard line. That should have been enough to put the Wildcats in field goal range to tie the game, should it come to that point.

Craig wasn't going to leave the game up to chance.

On the next play, Craig followed center Ka'ena Decambra up the middle on an inside zone run and went untouched into the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown. The offensive line parted like the Red Sea in front of the red-out crowd in the stands, paving the way for the go-ahead score.

“I saw the O-line open up a nice hole for me to get through," Craig said. "The rest was simple. That was definitely one of my favorite touchdowns I’ve experienced.”

Arizona held on from there, knocking away a Hail Mary attempt by the Jayhawks as time expired to capture the 24-20 win.

For the Wildcats, the hunt for a bowl is over, and now they can focus on establishing a new standard under Brennan.

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