Another game, another heartbreaking loss for the Arizona Wildcats (3-3, 0-3 Pac-12), as it fell to No. 18 Stanford 54-48 in overtime in Palo Alto, Calif.
There were 11 lead changes in another fast-paced shootout for the Wildcats. In the third quarter alone, the Wildcats and Cardinal combined for 42 points.
Vying for an upset over the Cardinal, the Wildcats offense rolled up 618 total yards, including 491 passing yards and three touchdowns from Matt Scott. The 618 total yards were the 10th most yards Stanford has given up in school history. Ka’Deem Carey scored three touchdowns, including an eight-yarder in the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Scott eclipsed two passing records for Arizona, with a career-high in completions and attempts with 45 and 69, respectively.
After failing to stop Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes on a rushing touchdown early in the game, the Cardinal worked the play into the final two scoring drives of regulation, each ending with Nunes touchdowns inside five yards.
The Wildcats lost all momentum after giving up 14 points in the final nine minutes. In overtime, the Arizona offense, which had moved the ball with ease on Stanford’s defense all game
The third quarter got off to a quick start, as Arizona drove the ball 75 yards down the field in less than two minutes, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown by Carey. The sophomore back had 29 carries for 133 yards and three touchdowns.
Stanford immediately drove the ball 85 yards in just over two minutes, finishing the drive with a touchdown run by Nunes to take back the lead 21-20.
Arizona bounced back from that immediately on the next drive, which was Austin Hill-centric, as he had two catches for 36 yards and a touchdown, putting the UA back on top. Hill finished with 11 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
After a questionable pass interference call on Jonathan McKnight, Nunes through an accurate deep ball to Jamal-Rashad Patterson for a 54-yard gain, getting the Cardinal close enough for star running back Stepfan Taylor to run it in, giving Stanford the lead yet again at 28-27. On the play, linebacker Marquis Flowers was helped off the field with an apparent injury.
Hill made waves again with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, scoring his second touchdown of the game, a 17-yard strike from Scott that gave the Wildcats the lead back, 33-28.
Taylor returned to the locker room in the third quarter, but returned after Hill’s touchdown. In spot duty, Cardinal backup Kelsey Young scored on a 55-yard rush that gave the Cardinal the lead back, 34-33 after a failed two-point conversion.
Young’s touchdown made it 42 combined points in the quarter.
Stanford started the game on the ground, choosing to run the ball seven of the first 10 plays, on their way to an 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive that ended with a touchdown from Nunes to Zach Ertz.
On the touchdown, Arizona safety Patrick Onwuasor made a bad read on the ball, jumping too early, which allowed Ertz to easily catch the ball in the corner of the endzone.
The Wildcats struggled to move the ball on their first two possessions, gaining only 24 yards on 11 plays, punting twice.
But after marching down the field on the first drive, the Cardinal was only able to amass 47 total yards in 11 plays on their next three. UA safety Tra’Mayne Bondurant was a huge factor on the Stanford drives with two tackles for loss.
Arizona, sticking with the script of its season, has been throwing the ball more than rushing. Scott threw 69 passes in comparison to 29 rushes for Carey.
