Three BOLD Observations From Arizona's Win Over KU
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Arizona faced off against Kansas (5-5, 3-4) with both teams being one win away from clinching a bowl berth.
After falling behind 17-7, the Wildcats managed to outscore KU 17-3 the rest of the way to clinch a bowl berth for the first time under head coach Brent Brennan and winning 24-20 over the Jayhawks.
Now that Arizona has clinched a trip to a bowl game, this marks the 23rd time in program history that the Wildcats will be playing postseason football. It is the first bowl game since the 2023 season when Jedd Fisch led UA to the Alamo Bowl and finished 10-3 on the season.
The Wildcats were able to have some success on the ground, quarterback Noah Fifita managed to go 16 of 31 on his passing attempts where he totaled 158 yards and found the end zone two times.
The two passing touchdowns puts Fifita in a three-way tie for No. 1 all-time in Arizona football history for passing touchdowns with 67, which includes a list of WIllie Tuitama and Nick Foles.
The rushing attack had its moments but with the team falling behind by 10 points, Seth Doege went away from rushing the ball. Still, Arizona managed to rush for 165 yards on 29 carries with running back Ismail Mahdi leading the team with his 61 yards on the ground.
Although the offense had its ups and downs with five sacks that killed a handful of drives, Fifita still managed to ride the wave and put together enough offense to get the job done and lock in the sixth win of the season.
Late in the fourth quarter with the game under three minutes remaining, a missed 30-yard field goal by Kansas gave the Wildcats a shot in the arm and a chance to either tie, or win the game on a final drive.
Throughout the season, Arizona’s offense has been one of the worst offensive units when it comes to third down conversions converting at a 37% clip.
Although the Wildcats struggled on third down, yet again by going 5 of 13, UA came up with a massive third down conversion late in the fourth quarter to keep the game-winning drive alive.
The rushing attack started slow, running back Quincy Craig had the biggest plays of the game with a 18-yard run to convert a third and three situation and then a 24-yard run to score the game winning touchdown.
With the game in the books, we at Arizona Wildcats On SI have put together our three observations from Arizona’s comeback win over Kansas.
Three Observations
Third Down Defense
- It was not pretty on the offensive side of the ball for most of the afternoon, but Arizona's defense kept the team in the game long enough for the offense to eventually prevail with a game-winning drive in the final minutes of Saturday's win over Kansas.
- The defense had some lapses in the first half, but really stayed strong in the second half as they held the Jayhawks to just three points in the final two quarters.
- One of the reasons being the third down defense for Arizona as Kansas went just 6-for-17 on third downs on the day. This has been one of the keys to victory for Arizona all season is third down defense and it excelled Saturday afternoon in that area at home to reach the six win mark on the season and a bowl game.
Noah Fifita
- Over the last two games, Fifita had been playing his best football of the season going 35 of 45 on his passing attempts while racking up 482 yards passing and six touchdowns. He seemed to finally be comfortable in the offensive system and had a line that was playing at a high-level.
- However, it was an up and down game for Fifita against Kansas as he went 16 of 31 totaling 158 yards and recorded two passing touchdowns. One of the major issues for him against Kansas was getting sacked five times.
- The offensive line had key pieces missing in the second half but Fifita walked into a couple of sacks by panicking in the pocket.
- Still, he was able to lead the game-winning drive and put his team in a position to walk away with the win. In all, it was a solid game for him in what could’ve been an underwhelming performance.
Quincy Craig
- Quincy Craig’s number was very scarcely called upon through four quarters of the game. The Portland State transfer only carried the ball a total of three times for 47 yards and a touchdown in the close win over the Jayhawks.
- That one touchdown, which came on his third and final carry, was the most important of the game. The 24-yard run up the middle to the house put the Wildcats up by four points with 39 seconds left, solidifying Arizona’s second bowl game bid in the last three years.
- Before that, he scored a receiving touchdown to put Arizona within three points of Kansas with 23 seconds remaining in the first half.That touchdown also helped Noah Fifita tie Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles for most career passing touchdowns in Arizona history.
ARIZONA TAKES THE LEAD WITH UNDER A MINUTE TO PLAY pic.twitter.com/4elX92qdJL
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) November 8, 2025
- Craig has been an outstanding versatile player that can breeze past defenders in the run game and has been a reliable weapon for Fifita in the passing game. He has shown that he can also be counted on during crunch-time situations, much like the two where he scored against the Jayhawks.
Please be sure to share with us your observations of Arizona’s 24-20 win over Kansas. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.
Troy Hutchison grew up attending Arizona athletic events, which gave him a unique perspective and knowledge of the athletic department's rich history. He attended UA and began covering the Wildcats in 2018. As the Arizona Wildcats Beat Writer on SI, he is set to deliver wall-to-wall coverage to give fans an in-depth perspective.
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