T.J. Harden ran for two touchdowns, Kevin Jennings amassed 278 yards through the air and SMU defeated No. 17 Arizona 24-19 to win the Holiday Bowl on Friday night in San Diego.
SMU (9-4) was ahead 24-0 at halftime and had to overcome Jennings’ three second-half interceptions to pick up its first bowl win since 2012. Yamir Knight led all receivers with seven catches for 104 yards in the win.
Noah Fifita led Arizona’s comeback efforts going 28-of-43 passing for 265 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He was also the game’s leading rusher with 73 yards on 13 attempts, but the Wildcats (9-4) saw their five-game winning streak come to an end.
Each of the Mustangs’ first two possessions after halftime resulted in third-down interceptions. The first, by Michael Dansby at his own 4-yard line, set up Arizona for a 15-play, 96-yard drive. Fifita hit Javin Whatley for a 28-yard touchdown with 2:37 left in the third, but the two-point conversion failed.
Arizona got another interception but turned it over on downs. However, the Wildcats forced a three-and-out and later scored on fourth-and-2 from the 10 when Fifita hit Tre Spivey in the end zone. Fifita’s two-point pass was knocked down, leaving it 24-12.
SMU was driving to bleed the fourth-quarter clock, but Arizona linebacker Riley Wilson dropped into zone coverage and Jennings threw straight to him with less than five minutes to play.
Four plays later, however, Fifita’s pass was batted at the line and Alexander Kilgore intercepted it for SMU.
Still, Arizona forced a punt for one more chance, and Fifita connected with Cameron Barmore on third-and-10 from the 15 for a touchdown with 33 seconds left. But the Wildcats could not recover the onside kick necessary to continue their rally.
On the game’s second play from scrimmage, Jennings lofted a pass to a wide-open Matthew Hibner down the right sideline and the tight end raced toward the goal line before being marked down at the 1 for an 80-yard pitch and catch. Harden followed with his first touchdown of the game.
The Mustangs doubled their lead before the quarter ended. Arizona committed pass interference on a third-and-9 incompletion to give SMU new life. Harden ran it in from the 3 on the next play.
The next SMU possession turned into a 16-play, 94-yard march. Tight end Stone Eby had an 18-yard catch on the drive before he lined up as a fullback and pushed in a 1-yard touchdown.
Sam Keltner’s 24-yard field goal in the final minute of the half made it 24-0 at intermission.
