SAN DIEGO—One game doesn’t define a season, and it shouldn’t take away from all the accomplishments leading up to that point. Even ones that start as bad as this one did.
Arizona put forth its worst effort
of the 2025 campaign, at least in the first half, falling behind 24-0 before coming up short of a massive comeback in a 24-19 loss to SMU in the Holiday Bowl on Friday night at Snapdragon Stadium. It was the Wildcats’ second consecutive loss in San Diego’s bowl game, following the 33-0 loss to Nebraska in 2009.
The loss snaps a 5-game win streak for the UA, which finishes at 9-4.
Arizona played without three veteran starters in the secondary, as seniors Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes and junior Genesis Smith opted out. SMU (9-4) took full advantage, with Kevin Jennings throwing for 278 yards—the first quarterback to top 200 since Iowa State’s Rocco Becht in September—but he also was intercepted three times, allowing the Wildcats to try and mount a comeback.
But the UA offense, which began the game at full strength but lost starting left tackle Ty Buchanan to injury on the first series, was equally disappointing for the first two-plus quarters. Arizona didn’t top the 200-yard mark until there were less than five minutes to go in the 3rd but still ended up outgaining SMU 441-392 thanks to 309 yards in the second half
Noah Fifita threw for 265 yards and three TDs, giving him 29 for the season to set the school record, and added a career-high 73 yards on the ground. The Wildcats ran for 176 yards but struggled on third and fourth down until late, turning it over on downs three times.
The UA trailed 24-0 at the half, its biggest deficit after 30 minutes since trailing 35-0 to ASU at halftime of the 2024 Territorial Cup, and was outgained 328-132. The Wildcats then turned it over on downs on their first possession when Quincy Craig was stuffed on 4th and 1 at the UA 44.
Michael Dansby intercepted a deep ball on SMU’s first drive of the third quarter, the 20th pick for the Wildcats, most in a season since 1985. That set up Arizona to go 96 yards on 15 plays to break the shutout.
Nunu Whatley caught a 28-yard TD pass from Fifita with 2:32 left in the third to cap a drive that saw the UA three times on 3rd down and once on 4th. Arizona had two chances to go for two, the first resulting in a penalty, but then Craig was stopped on the second attempt.
A tipped interception three plays later by Riley Wilson gave Arizona a short field, and a personal foul on SMU had the Wildcats inside Mustangs’ 15-yard line with less than a minute to go in the third. But Fifita threw behind Kris Hutson in the end zone on the final play of the quarter, giving it back to SMU.
The UA defense forced a 3-and-out, getting the ball back with just over 14 minutes to go, and again faced a 4th down in the SMU red zone. This time, though, Fifita found Tre Spivey for a 10-yard score to get within 24-12 with 8:40 remaining after another failed 2-point attempt.
Jennings finally completed a pass in the second half, with SMU getting its first first down after halftime. But then Wilson stepped in front of a slant for his second pick, giving the Wildcats the ball at their own 33 with 4:52 remaining.
The UA got into Mustangs territory thanks to a Fifita scramble but then, after a holding penalty, his pass was deflected and intercepted by SMU’s Alexander Kilgore with 3:05 to go.
One last chance with 2:41 left resulted in the Wildcats getting within five on a 15-yard TD catch by Cameron Barmore with 33 seconds to go, but the UA couldn’t recover the onside kick.
SMU needed three plays to take a 7-0 lead, the middle snap resulting in an 80-yard completion by tight end Matthew Hibner on a trick play. TJ Harden scored on a 1-yard run on the following play and the Mustangs led after 62 seconds.
A few more big passing plays, plus a pass interference call in the end zone, set up a 3-yard Harden run for a 14-0 lead less than 10 minutes in. Then a 16-play, 94-yard drive capped by a 1-yard run from Stone Eby put SMU up 21-0 with 9:33 left before halftime.
Arizona’s first three drives ended in punts, with the third one thwarted by penalties. The Wildcats went for it on 4th and 2 on their fourth possession and couldn’t convert, which enabled SMU to kick a short field goal in the final minute of the half.
The UA will open the 2026 season at home Sept. 5 against NAU, the first of seven games at Casino del Sol Stadium.
