TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Quincy Craig scored his second touchdown of the game on a 24-yard run with just 39 seconds left in regulation, leading Arizona to a thrilling 24-20 comeback victory over Kansas on Saturday.
Coming off a blowout win against Colorado, the Wildcats (6-3, 3-3 Big 12) struggled to move the ball against a Kansas defense that entered the game ranked 12th in the Big 12. Quarterback Noah Fifita threw an early touchdown pass but was sacked five times and nearly had three passes intercepted before ultimately rallying Arizona to become bowl eligible.
“We knew it was going to be an incredible battle and our players kept responding,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “They kept responding and responding. I know it wasn’t perfect, but we’ll fix that.”
After Kansas kicker Laith Marjan pushed a 30-yard field goal wide right — his first miss in 15 attempts this season — the Wildcats took over at their own 20-yard line with 2:39 left on the clock. Arizona moved quickly down the field, and Craig burst through a big hole up the middle for the go-ahead score.
“That was definitely one of my favorite touchdowns I’ve experienced,” said Craig, who finished with 47 yards rushing on just three carries.
The Jayhawks (5-5, 3-4) controlled Arizona’s offense for much of the game, holding the Wildcats to 323 total yards — nearly 100 yards below their season average. They also limited Fifita to 158 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-31 passing.
On the other side, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels threw for 199 yards and a touchdown, adding 74 yards and another score on the ground. His desperation attempt at the end of the game bounded out of the end zone as time expired.
“We were able to throw a very accurate quarterback really out of rhythm there for a while,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “But they made the plays down the stretch.”
Fifita showcased his dual-threat ability on Arizona’s second drive, breaking off a 19-yard run — his longest of the season — and floating a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Sam Olson just as he got hit.
Daniels responded on Kansas’ next two drives by scoring on a 1-yard keeper, set up by a 14-yard run, then hitting Emmanuel Henderson Jr. in stride for a 24-yard touchdown.
Kansas appeared poised to build a 24-7 halftime lead when Leroy Harris III returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown. However, the play was called back after cornerback Jalen Todd was flagged for holding away from the play.
Craig then scored on an 8-yard touchdown by reaching the ball to the pylon two plays later, pulling Arizona within 17-14 at halftime.
The defenses dominated the second half. Kansas had one interception overturned on review, and Syeed Gibbs nearly made another pick but dropped the catch.
In the closing minutes, Kansas coach Lance Leipold faced a tough decision on fourth-and-2 at Arizona’s 11 with a three-point lead. An injury timeout was called for Daniels after he was hurt on the previous play, preventing him from returning even if Kansas had called a timeout.
Leipold opted to kick a field goal to extend the lead to six points, but Marjan missed his first kick of the season.
“We just felt putting one of the other guys in that situation, it was better to kick the field goal,” Leipold said. “I understand that’s one that could be scrutinized.”
### Takeaways
**Kansas:** The Jayhawks played solid defense for most of the afternoon but couldn’t stop Arizona when it mattered most.
**Arizona:** The Wildcats appeared stuck in the desert sand for much of the second half before Fifita rallied the team to a crucial win after two last-second losses earlier in the season.
### What’s Next
Kansas plays at Iowa State on Nov. 22, while Arizona travels to face No. 25 Cincinnati next Saturday.
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AP College Football
https://mymotherlode.com/sports/college-sports-general-news/10162450/quincy-craig-scores-on-24-yard-run-with-39-seconds-left-arizona-rallies-to-beat-kansas-24-20.html
