Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: UA head coach Jedd Fisch holds up the Alamo Bowl trophy after the Wildcats defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 38-24 in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
Defense ties bowl turnover record
By Jon Johnson
SAN ANTONIO – The University of Arizona came back from down 11 late in the third quarter to defeat Oklahoma 38-24 in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. It was the first bowl victory for Arizona since 2017, and head coach Jedd Fisch’s first bowl victory in his third season at UA.
Oklahoma dwarfed UA in rushing yards with 201 to just 29 and had a total of 562 yards of offense to UA’s 383, but turnovers lost the game for the Sooners.
Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year Noah Fifita started for Arizona in a battle between true freshman quarterbacks with Jackson Arnold starting for Oklahoma.
Fifita finished 24 for 38 with 1 interception and 2 TDs and started the game by setting up the Cats for an opening possession field goal.
But it was the defense who truly shined for Arizona on the day, scoring a record-tying 6 turnovers, including 2 fumbles and 3 interceptions of Arnold, starting with an interception by Genesis Smith on the Sooners’ first possession.
The Cats capitalized on the turnover on the very next play as Fifita found Jacob Cowling for the 35-yard touchdown as the UA jumped out on Oklahoma 10-0.
Defensive back Gunner Maldonado was named the defensive most valuable player and had an interception in the first quarter and two fumble recoveries later in the game – one for a pivotal change in momentum and score.
Arizona went up 13-0 on a second field goal by Tyler Loop who went 3-3, hitting from 39, 38, and 37 yards.
Oklahoma got on the board twice in the second with an 18-yard rushing TD by Gavin Sawchuk, and a 10-yard TD pass from Arnold to Nic Anderson to take a 14-13 lead into halftime.
The Sooners kept the pedal to the metal to start the third quarter and came out with a 63-yard TD pass from Arnold to Brenen Thompson and followed that up with a field goal to go up 24-13 with 7 minutes left in the third.
The UA had five straight punts and was going nowhere on offense as Oklahoma was driving for a third consecutive score to start the third. That’s when the defense picked it up again.
With UA down 13-24 and Oklahoma threatening. Arnold completed a pass to Farooq at the Arizona 13-yard line but Dalton Johnson forced a fumble and Maldonado took it 87 yards to the house. Fifita then danced in the pocket long enough for his receiver to get open and the 2-point attempt pass to Lemonious-Craig was good as the Cats clawed back and instead of being down multiple touchdowns were now just 3 points back at 21-24 at the end of the third quarter.
The defense stepped up again in the fourth, and Irby intercepted Arnold and returned it to the Sooners’ 22. A facemask penalty brought it to the 11 to set up the Cats with a game-tying field goal.
After an Oklahoma punt, Fifita took the reins and hit the Offensive MVP of the game Jacob Cowing on a deep pass for the go-ahead 57-yard TD as Cowing broke the plane and the Cats burst back ahead 31-24.
Then the defense ended the game with a big sack/fumble by Isaiah Ward who nailed Arnold and forced him to cough up the ball. Jacob Kongaika was there to recover the fumble and set up the Cats at the 19-yard line.
Arizona wasted no time in putting the Sooners away for good as DJ Williams broke free for a 19-yard TD to put the Cats up 38-24, and the celebration started to begin as Arizona had its first bowl victory since 2017.
