The Washington State Cougars beat the Arizona Wildcats, 24-17, on Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium in game that was both slow and uneventful.
Arizona (6-4, 3-4 Pac-12) lost its second in a row, after scoring only three points in the second half.
WSU (5-5, 3-4) put the first points on the board with a 15-yard touchdown run with about seven minutes left in the first quarter.
After an Arizona three-and-out, the Cougars kicked a 24-yard field goal and extended their lead to ten.
Arizona finally showed signs of life late in the first quarter.
Junior running back Ka’Deem Carey had a 30-yard rushing touchdown to wake up the Arizona Wildcats with :47 left in the first quarter.
Carey ended the first quarter with a whopping 63 rushing yards on five carries.
After the first, the Wildcats trailed, 10-7.
Junior safety Tra’Mayne Bondurant intercepted a Washington State pass early in the second quarter. The pick was in vain, however, as senior quarterback B.J. Denker fumbled on the very next play and was recovered by Washington State.
After a relatively quiet second quarter, Denker made a long pass to freshman receiver Samajie Grant to take the Wildcats down to the Cougars’ 10-yard line.
A pass from Denker to Carey resulted in a 7-yard touchdown. The Wildcats took the lead the first time this afternoon, 14-10 with 7:37 left in the half.
This was Carey’s second touchdown of the game, and first receiving touchdown of the season. Carey also broke 100 rushing yards for the 13th consecutive game.
Carey finished the game with 132 yards rushing and Denker passed for 200.
Arizona closed out the half by missing a 40-yard field goal attempt.
To begin the second half, the Wildcats went three-and-out. Sophomore punter Drew Riggleman fumbled the snap and Washington recovered on the Arizona 31-yard line. After six plays, the Cougars converted into a touchdown and regained the lead, 17-14.
Arizona then turned around with senior Jake Smith kicking a field goal to tie the game at 17-17.
The game was quiet until Washington State attempted a 46-yard field goal. The ball hit the left upright, and the score remained 17-17.
The Wildcats responded with a field goal attempt of their own. Smith’s 34-yard attempt was also no good, leaving it a tied game.
Washington scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, bringing life back to Arizona Stadium and breaking the tie, making it 24-17 with 2:15 left on the clock.
With what was sure to be the last drive of the game, Arizona hustled its way down the field, playing with purpose.
On a fourth down, Denker miraculously broke a sack and converted a first down with seconds on the clock.
However, Denker’s pass to the endzone on the last play was caught by Grant out of bounds.
—Follow Scarlett McCourt @scarlettnoelani
