Bear Bachmeier, No. 18 BYU storm past Arizona in 2OT
Bear Bachmeier rushed for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in the second overtime, to help No. 18 BYU pull out a 33-27 victory over Arizona on Saturday night in Big 12 play at Tucson, Ariz.
Bachmeier completed 12 of 29 passes for 172 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions and also rushed for 89 yards on 22 carries for BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12), which is undefeated after six games in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
Noah Fifita completed 25 of 45 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Arizona (4-2, 1-2), which let a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead slip away.
The Wildcats had the ball first in overtime and settled for Michael Salgado-Medina’s 23-yard field goal. Will Ferrin answered with a 45-yarder for BYU.
In the second overtime, Bachmeier scored from the 7 on a third-down quarterback draw. The two-point conversion pass fell incomplete to leave BYU ahead by six.
The Wildcats came up empty on their possession as Fifita’s fourth-down pass went off the hands of Javin Whatley in the left corner of the end zone.
LJ Martin rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown and Parker Kingston caught five passes for 117 yards and a score for the Cougars.
Kedrick Reescano scored a 36-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-1 run as part of his 90-yard effort for the Wildcats. Kris Hutson had nine receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown and Chris Hunter also had a scoring catch for Arizona.
The contest included a 75-minute weather delay before the start of the second quarter due to heavy rain and lightning.
Reescano’s scamper gave Arizona a 24-14 lead with 11:14 remaining, but BYU scored 10 points in the final 4:08 of regulation to force the overtime.
Ferrin kicked a 24-yard field goal for the Cougars’ first points since the weather delay. Bachmeier later capped an 11-play, 47-yard drive with a 2-yard run with 19 seconds left to tie it at 24.
The Cougars scored two touchdowns in the first 11 minutes of the game with Martin breaking free for a 28-yard touchdown run with 8:55 left in the first quarter.
Later in the period, Kingston caught a throw from Bachmeier at the Arizona 48 and turned it into a 75-yard scoring play with 4:15 to go. That was the first passing touchdown allowed by the Wildcats this season. Arizona was the last team in the nation to allow one.
The Wildcats scored on Fifita’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Hutson with 32 seconds left in the first quarter, Salgado-Medina’s 24-yard field goal in the second and Fifita’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Hunter with 40 seconds remaining in the half.
–Field Level Media
