Arizona football eliminated from bowl contention after loss at TCU

At least T-Mac got the receiving record

The most prolific wide receiver in school history will not be finishing his UA career with a bowl game, and a season that began with so much hope and promise has officially been wasted.

On the same day that Tetairoa McMillan broke the school receiving record, Arizona saw its faint bowl hopes disappear with a 49-28 loss at TCU on Saturday afternoon. At 4-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12, all the Wildcats have left to play for is next week’s Territorial Cup at home against ASU.

Arizona suffered their third straight lopsided road loss as its depleted defense could not stop one of the worst rushing offenses in the conference. TCU (7-4, 5-3) only gained XXX yards but scored six rushing touchdowns, most allowed by the UA since giving up seven at home against Oregon in 2022.

TCU scored on five straight possessions after the UA got within 14-13 late in the first half. And like many times this season, the “middle eight” comprising the end of the first half and start of the second half did Arizona in. TCU scored two touchdowns during this period and 21 points in less than eight minutes, turning a 1-point game into a 22-point advantage and never looking back.

Noah Fifita threw for 284 yards on 29-of-44 passing with two TDs, both to Chris Hunter III, with McMillan catching nine passes for 115 yards. His final reception gave him 3,355 yards for his career, passing Bobby Wade’s school record of 3,351 from 1999-2002.

Arizona again couldn’t run the ball, finishing with 38 yards on 22 carries including sacks. Quali Conley ran for 42 yards on 13 carries.

TCU, which led 21-13 at halftime, made it a 2-score lead on a 1-yard TD run by Trent Battle with 10:13 left in the third quarter. That score was set up by the Horned Frogs converting on 4^th down for the second straight drive.

Arizona went 3-and-out on its first drive of the third, then TCU returned the ensuing punt inside the UA 35. Two plays later the Frogs led 35-13 after Josh Hoover threw a 38-yard TD pass to JP Richardson.

Hoover, the Big 12 passing leader, threw for 252 yards with an interception on 19-of-26 passing as TCU outgained Arizona 450-325.

The Wildcats ended TCU’s 21-0 run with a score on the first play of the 4^th quarter, a 4^th down catch from three yards out by Hunter, and Jeremiah Patterson caught a 2-point pass to make it 35-21. But TCU wasted no time getting back to a 3-score lead, going up 42-21 on a 6-yard TD run by Cam Cook with 10:23 left.

McMillan broke the UA career receiving record with an 8-yard catch with just under 10 minutes remaining. The reception came early on a drive that ended with Fifita getting stopped for no gain on 4^th and 2. TCU would then score its sixth rushing TD, a 30-yarder by Jeremy Payne with 5:25 to go.

Arizona added a defensive TD late, with Sterling Lane II picking up a fumble and running 68 yards for the score. It was the Wildcats’ first defensive score of the season.

It was a nightmare start for Arizona, as Fifita was picked off by TCU safety Bud Clark on the first play of the game, giving the Horned Frogs a short field right away. They capitalized with a 4-yard TD run from Battle just over two minutes into the game.

The Wildcats’ second and third drives didn’t do much better, collecting 18 yards and two first downs, while TCU’s third possession also finished in the end zone on a 1-yard run by Savion Williams. Williams’ score was set up by a 40-yard catch and run inside the UA 10.

Arizona’s fourth time with the ball was much better, with Fifita finding Sam Olson up the seam for a 51-yard catch and hitting Hunter in the end zone for a 17-yard TD reception that saw Hunter just keep his foot inbounds in the corner.

The Wildcats cut it to 14-10 midway through the second quarter on a 53-yard field goal by Tyler Loop, his sixth 50-yarder of the season and third in the last two games. Loop added a 43-yard field goal with 1:55 left before halftime, making it a 1-point game and giving the UA all the momentum.

Then came a disastrous finish to the first half, with Arizona’s defense allowing long gains on 3^rd and 18 and 3^rd and 25 plus a 20-yard TD run by Williams on 4^th and 1 with 13 seconds left before halftime.

Kickoff time and TV info for the Territorial Cup is expected to be announced late Saturday or early Sunday.