Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography
SNAPDRAGON STADIUM – The SMU Mustangs (9-4) held off a frantic second-half comeback to defeat the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats (9-4) 24-19 in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl on Friday night, claiming the program's first bowl victory in 13 years.
The Mustangs dominated the first half, building a 24-0 lead before the Wildcats mounted a desperate rally that fell just short.
"It's the first bowl we've won in a while here at SMU," said Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee. "Each year, we've been able to check things off. That's the one thing this group hadn't done. We hadn't won a bowl game, we hadn't finished the season with a win."
SMU came out firing, racing to a 21-0 lead before halftime with three touchdown drives that dissected Arizona's undermanned defense. The Wildcats were without several key players who opted out of the bowl game, a decision Arizona head coach Brent Brennan acknowledged before kickoff.
"Three weeks ago, we had some of our players tell us that they were not going to play in this football game," Brennan said. "Those are family decisions, and we respect that."
Senior running back T.J. Harden set the tone immediately for SMU, capping the opening 83-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run just 13:58 into the game. Harden struck again midway through the first quarter with a 3-yard scoring plunge, making it 14-0.
The Mustangs' offense showed no signs of slowing. A methodical 16-play, 94-yard drive consumed nearly seven minutes and ended with senior tight end Stone Eby's 1-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 21-0.
Sam Keltner added a 24-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the half for a commanding 24-0 advantage.
"One, we couldn't have played much better in the first half," Lashlee said. "Nobody has done that to Arizona's defense all year."
But Arizona, picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll before winning nine games, refused to go quietly.
Quarterback Noah Fifita orchestrated a masterful 15-play, 96-yard drive to open the second half, capping it with a 28-yard touchdown strike to Javin Whatley. The Wildcats failed on a two-point conversion attempt, making it 24-6 with 2:37 left in the third quarter.
"At the time that I went for two, we were down a lot," Brennan explained. "I was like, 'If we can go for two, we can reduce the possession we need to tie it.'"
The momentum shifted completely in the fourth quarter. Fifita connected with Tre Spivey for a 10-yard touchdown, cutting SMU's lead to 24-12 with 8:40 remaining. Another failed two-point try kept it a two-possession game, but Arizona wasn't finished.
With time running out, Fifita delivered a clutch 15-yard touchdown pass to Cam Barmore with just 33 seconds on the clock. This time, kicker Michael Salgado-Medina converted the extra point, making it 24-19 and forcing SMU to recover the onside kick to seal the victory.
The Mustangs did just that, running out the clock to end their 13-year bowl drought.
"At the end of the day, when you're down 24-0, the only thing that gets you through the game is the love you have for each other," Fifita said. "At halftime, we knew that we had 30 minutes left to play for each other."
Fifita finished 28-of-43 for 265 yards and three touchdowns, also leading Arizona's rushing attack with 73 yards on 13 carries. Barmore (5 catches, 61 yards), Whatley (3 catches, 47 yards) and Spivey (2 catches, 22 yards) all found the end zone in the comeback bid.
For SMU, quarterback Kevin Jennings completed 21-of-32 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns. Offensive MVP Yamir Knight hauled in seven catches for 104 yards, while Matthew Hibner recorded two catches for 85 yards, including a bowl-record 80-yard reception.
SMU started the season 2-2 before winning six of their eight following games.
"Trusting the process has really been my main thing," Knight said. "Because starting off the season a little shaky – we lost two games out of four, and we were in a 2-2 situation. The team has been resilient."
Defensive MVP Ahmaad Moses led all players with 13 tackles and a sack, while Alexander Kilgore added an interception for the Mustangs. Arizona linebacker Riley Wilson recorded two interceptions – a remarkable feat for an outside linebacker – while Ayden Garnes (9 tackles) and Taye Brown (8 tackles, 1 sack) paced the Wildcats' defense.
"Schematically, nothing changed," Wilson said of the second-half adjustments. "It was just more of our mentality and sticking to our fundamentals."
Despite the loss, Brennan praised his team's historic season and fighting spirit.
"The throws Noah Fifita made at the end of the game – incredible, incredible!" Brennan said. "I'm proud of this team. I'm disappointed and pissed off about tonight, but I'm not gonna let that wreck how I feel about Team 122."
For Lashlee and SMU, the victory cemented a remarkable turnaround for a program that's won 31 games over the last three years, including a College Football Playoff berth last season.
"Our program has a rich history," Lashlee said. "But these guys, this senior class, they brought our program back. These guys have put us back on the national stage with a college playoff berth, a Holiday Bowl win, and just given our program a lot of momentum."
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