What a difference good coaching can make. Jedd Fisch’s Arizona Wildcats are sitting in third place in the PAC-12 standings with a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 record in the conference. They have fewer conference losses than Utah, USC, and UCLA. This one took all 60 minutes as they only finally took the lead in the game for the very first time on a 24 yard Tyler Loop field goal with time expiring to win it 34-31. A heart breaking loss for the Buffaloes who seemed as though they had this one in hand, ahead for three quarters but then held scoreless in the 4th Qtr. Arizona finally caught them at 31 each to start the final period and then, after a missed Colorado field goal with under five minutes left in the game, took the rest of the clock to go 67 yards in 11 plays all the way down to the Colorado 7 yard line with just enough time for Tyler Loop to hit the game winner.
For Arizona, QB Noah Fifita connected on 60% of his throws for 214 yards and 2 TD’s, one to Sophomore WR Tetairoa McMillan who caught 9 passes for 107 yards and the other to Senior Jacob Cowing. Junior WR Montana Lemonious-Craig was also a big part of moving the chains while receiving 5 catches for 67 yards, a 13.4 yard average per catch. Sophomore RB Jonah Coleman led the way on the ground rushing 11 times for 179 of the 207 yard total with Senior DJ Williams rushing 9 times for 33 yards and 2 TD’s. You can add more sacks onto Shedder’s total for the year as the Wildcats recorded three along with three tackles for loss.
For Colorado, Shedeur Sanders connected on 22-of-35 for 262 yards and 2 TD’s in addition to rushing for 29 more yards and another score. He connected 10 times, five each, with his favorite two receivers Xavier Weaver and Travis Hunter for 158 yards with a TD a piece to Junior WR Jimmy Horn Jr. and TE Michael Harrison. On the ground, the Buffalo committee like approach rushed three guys at least five time each for 48 more yards and one TD by Sophomore Sy’Veon Wilkerson in addition to Shedeur’s score on the ground.
As the AP wrote in their recap of the game for ESPN; “Fisch has the Wildcats bowl-eligible in his third season in charge. So he understands the plight of first-year Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who is trying to turn around a program that went 1-11 a season ago and commented; I would not be worried if I was a Colorado fan,” Fisch said. They have a fantastic head coach that is going to do just great.” For Coach Prime, he said; “We could have won the darn game. I like that we should have won. I’m tired of we could’ve won. There ain’t no lose in me. It don’t sit well with me. It don’t rock well with me. It don’t lay down with me. I have no lose in me.” The losses are obviously hard to swallow but I have a feeling that all this pain is going to translate into a lot of gain next year.
In this, their last home game of the season, Shedeur was presented with the 26th edition of the Buffalo Heart Award which is given to the Colorado player who best exemplifies heart, determination, desire and grit.” Sanders who expressed appreciation for the award afterwards also said, “You can’t go into a dark tunnel if you have a season like this. Nothing will ever be perfect in life.” What a talented and impressive young man he is. The Buffaloes finish their season on the road with a trip to the Palouse to take on the Cougars and then to Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake to finish up at Utah. Arizona will get the Utes first as they head back home before going head-to-head with their in-state rival Sun Devils on the road to finish up the season.