Ethan Sanchez hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Houston a 31-28 win over Arizona in a Big 12 Conference game on Saturday afternoon in Houston, Texas.
Sanchez, the reigning Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, missed a 48-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter that allowed Arizona to go downfield and tie the game.
The Cougars (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) locked up bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022 by leaning on their run game, which produced 232 yards. Dean Connors ran for 100 and quarterback Connor Weigman added 98 with a touchdown while also throwing for 164 yards and three TDs.
Arizona (4-3, 1-3) got 269 yards and two TDs from Noah Fifita, who was 24 of 26. The Wildcats have dropped five straight road games.
Up 21-14 at halftime, Houston opened the second half on a 17-play drive capped by a 2-yard Amare Thomas TD catch. Arizona cut it to 28-21 on the first play of the fourth on a 3-yard run by Tre Spivey, who also had a 70-yard TD reception on the game’s opening possession.
Sanchez missed from 48 yards out with 11:40 left, opening the door for Arizona to tie it on a 2-yard run by Kedrick Reescano with 4:48 to go before Sanchez’s winner.
The teams traded touchdowns on the first three drives, with Arizona scoring three plays into the day on the TD catch by Spivey and Houston following four plays later with a 52-yard TD catch by Thomas. A 13-yard TD by Luke Wysong put the Wildcats up 14-7 less than nine minutes into the game.
The Cougars tied it with 5:18 left before halftime on a 10-yard Weigman run one play after he found Dean Connors on fourth down for a 33-yard gain. Weigman then hit Tanner Koziol with 16 seconds left before halftime on a 15-yard TD pass.
Arizona is off until visiting Colorado on Nov. 1 while Houston visits Arizona State on Oct. 25.
