Last-second TD catch completes Arizona Wildcats’ miracle comeback: By The Numbers

Sep 21, 2014, 6:13 AM | Updated: Sep 22, 2014, 5:49 pm

Arizona Sports

In Rich Rodriguez’s first season as Arizona Wildcats head coach, UA scored 14 points in the final 46 seconds of the New Mexico Bowl to earn a 49-48 win over Nevada.

The Wildcats’ amazing 49-45 comeback victory over the Cal Golden Bears in front of a “Whiteout” crowd in Tucson on Saturday night was enough to make that win seem rather ho-hum.

UA trailed nearly the entire game — 14-0 after just three minutes, 28-6 at halftime and 31-13 after three quarters. But the Wildcats scored a ridiculous 36 fourth-quarter points against the Bears.

Freshman quarterback Anu Solomon shook off an error-riddled first half to complete 47 of 73 passes for 520 yards and five touchdowns, including a 47-yard TD pass to senior wide receiver Austin Hill as time expired.

With the win, UA opened its season 4-0 for the first time since 2010. Here’s how the Wildcats’ miracle comeback unfolded, by the numbers:

2

Dating back to 1992, UA has opened Pac-12 play at home 11 times. The Wildcats are now 2-9 in those games. Their other win? A 10-9 victory over Cal in 2010.

2 (again)

For the second time this season, the Wildcats had a pair of 100-yard receivers: Hill, who went over the century mark on his last-second TD reception, and redshirt sophomore Cayleb Jones (more on him below).

4

Solomon threw four of his five TD passes — two to Jones, two to Hill — in the fourth quarter.

9

The Wildcats overcame nine offensive plays of 20-plus yards by the Golden Bears.

18

Sophomore linebacker Scooby Wright continues to be UA’s defensive enforcer, recording 18 tackles on the night, including four tackles for a loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

20

UA’s streak of 20 straight games with a 100-yard rusher is over after Cal limited freshman Nick Wilson, who ran for over 100 yards in each of his first three games, to just 46 rushing yards Saturday. For the game, Cal outgained UA 193-107 on the ground.

36

The Wildcats racked up 36 first downs on the game.

86

Cal quarterback Jared Goff’s 294 first-half passing yards and three touchdowns gave Cal a big halftime lead, but the Wildcats limited Goff to 86 yards, no TDs and an interception in the second half.

186

Jones had 186 receiving yards, including three touchdowns, for the Wildcats on Saturday. It was the third-straight 100-yard performance for the transfer from Texas.