Arizona football at UCF final: Losing streak grows to 5 as the Wildcats are knocked out by the Knights

The last time Arizona went into a bye after a humiliating road loss, it had its best performance of the season by winning on the road against then-No. 10 Utah. Don't expect that magic again, not this season.

The Wildcats were defeated by host UCF 56-12 on Saturday afternoon, their fifth straight loss. It was their most lopsided loss since the 2020 Territorial Cup and put them in position to win their last three games after a bye to become bowl eligible.

UCF (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) ended a five-game losing streak by scoring seven straight possessions after missing a field goal to start the game, while Arizona (3-6, 1-5) did not The scoreboard continued until the last minute of the first half, when the result was already decided. The Wildcats were outscored 602-261 and managed just five rushing yards while allowing the Knights to run for 308, the most UA has allowed on the ground since giving up 354 at Cal in 2022.

senior RJ Harveythe Big 12's rushing leader, ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries as a quarterback Dylan Rizkmaking his first career start, threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns on 20 of 25 passes.

Noah Fifita was 24 of 33 for 256 yards and two TDs and threw for scores Sam Olson And Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan had six catches for 84 yards, becoming the first player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons Chris Hunter had career highs in catches (seven) and yards (102).

But the UA couldn't move the ball on the floor, with Kedrick Reescano20 yards at 8 gives the highest performance. Fifita was sacked three times for 29 yards and leading rusher Quali Conley finished at minus-2 with seven runs and fell for the second game in a row.

The five net rushing yards were Arizona's fewest since its minus-13 finish against UCLA in 2006.

Arizona held UCF on its first drive, forcing the Knights into a 48-yard field goal that missed wide left, but after that the Knights just kept moving upfield. A 4-yard TD run by the backup quarterback gave them a 7-0 lead with 3:58 left in the first quarter Jacuri Brownand 20 seconds later it was 14-0.

Conley, who lost a fumble on the UA's first drive last week, coughed up on Arizona's first play of the second possession and Harvey scored on a 17-yard run on the ensuing play.

Opponents have scored 73 points off Arizona's 17 turnovers this season. Last year's team only managed it 14 times in 13 games.

Harvey's second TD from 18 yards capped a 99-yard drive to make it 21-0 midway through the second, and after the UA punted from just outside midfield, the Knights made it 28 with a 5-yard TD :0 Myles Montgomery. That score came on a drive in which Rizk ran straight up the middle for 33 yards^approx and 12 of their own 10.

The UA finally scored 46 seconds before halftime when Fifita fought back and hit Olson for a 23-yard touchdown. But any momentum Arizona was hoping to carry into the locker room was dashed when Rizk found him Randy Pittman Jr. for a 48-yard Hail Mary TD pass on the final play of the half.

Harvey's third TD, a 19-yarder, extended the UCF lead to 42-6 less than five minutes into the third quarter. Arizona responded with a 2-yard TD catch from McMillan, which he intercepted one-handed after throwing it to himself during an obstruction, to make it 42-12.

Rizk connected with with Jacoby Jones for a 40-yard TD with 6:49 remaining in the third period, then UCF made it 56-12 with 1:56 remaining on a 1-yard pass from Rizk to Pittman.

The Wildcats enter their second bye week before hosting Houston on November 15th, a Friday evening. The 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff coincides with the Arizona men's basketball game at Wisconsin, which begins at 7 p.m. So plan accordingly.