No. 21 Arizona beats Colorado on field goal as time expires

Arizona’s Tyler Loop hit a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the No. 21 Wildcats a 34-31 win over Colorado.

Arizona ran the clock out after taking over with 4:57 to go following a missed 44-yard field goal by Colorado’s Alejandro Mata that would have given Colorado a three-point lead.

The Wildcats (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) ran 11 plays on their final drive as the Colorado defense simply couldn’t stop Jonah Coleman. The running back had runs of 21 and 24 yards to get Arizona deep into Colorado territory and let the Wildcats slow-play it the rest of the way.

The loss is the sixth in seven games for the Buffaloes as they are in last in the Pac-12 at 1-6. And many of the same issues that have plagued Colorado all season existed on Saturday. The Buffs are now 4-6 overall and need to win at Washington State in Week 12 and at No. 18 Utah in Week 13 to make a bowl in coach Deion Sanders’ first season.

The Buffaloes gave up 421 yards to the Wildcats and couldn’t get a ground game going. Colorado rushed for just 90 yards and also committed 11 penalties.

QB Shedeur Sanders was 22-of-35 passing for 262 yards and two TDs and was the team’s leading rusher with 13 carries for 42 yards and a score. Xavier Weaver led the Buffaloes with five catches for 84 yards while two-way star Travis Hunter had five catches for 74 yards.

Coleman finished the game with 11 carries for 179 yards and also broke off a 54-yard run during the game. Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan had nine catches for 107 yards and made an incredible one-handed TD catch.

As Colorado is sliding, Arizona is surging. The Wildcats have won four in a row and are on the periphery of the Pac-12 mix with games against Utah and Arizona State remaining.