Special teams played critical role in Arizona's win over Oregon State
TUCSON — Special teams is often discussed as “one-third of the game,” but who are we kidding, it doesn’t have the same value in football discourse as offense and defense. You’re either a liar or a former kicker, long snapper or punter if you say otherwise.
Sometimes special teams isn’t a topic of conversation unless game-affecting blunders happen, like USC’s botched field goal at the end of regulation in the Wildcats’ triple-overtime loss to the Trojans in Los Angeles or, most recently, Oregon State’s rush attempt with kicker Atticus Seppington on a fake 34-yard field goal just before halftime on Saturday in Tucson; UA safety Gunner Maldonado stopped Seppington at the 9-yard line.
Special teams was instrumental in Arizona’s upset win over the No. 11-ranked Beavers. In comparison to other wins this season, including the 38-point beatdown of Washington State in Pullman, one could argue Saturday was the most well-rounded game Arizona has played in all departments this season.
“The one thing that we didn’t necessarily hit on enough was what a great job our special teams did in that game,” said Arizona coach Jedd Fisch during his news conference on Monday.
Later added Fisch: “It was a good team win. ... All in all, I thought it was an excellent team win. Probably one of the best overall team games — Washington State was a pretty good one, too.”
Arizona’s first points on Saturday was a 51-yard field goal by junior kicker Tyler Loop — a career-long for him. Loop’s only other attempt at a field goal longer than 50 yards was a miss at USC this season. Prior to this year, Loop hadn’t attempted a field goal that was 50 yards or longer.
“I asked him how he was feeling pregame and he felt like the ball was coming off his foot really well,” Fisch said. “The air was great. In our home stadium we have a good altitude situation, so the ball flies off his foot. I just felt like in that situation, as confident as he was, I was more confident in his foot than I was in that fourth-and-6 call at the time.”
Arizona receiver Jacob Cowing only had five punt returns for 9 yards entering Saturday. In the fourth quarter, Cowing had two returns for 36 yards that set up the Wildcats near midfield. Cowing’s first return, following Arizona’s third-down stop, was 20 yards to the OSU 40-yard line; two plays later, running back Michael Wiley took a dump-off pass down the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown.
After his 16-yard return to the UA 45-yard line with 7:42 left, Arizona went on a 10-play touchdown drive that shaved 5:20 off the clock — and extended the Wildcats’ lead to 27-17 with just over two minutes remaining.
“If you look at the two punt returns, those were critical to the success of the team,” Fisch said.
Arizona punter and former All-Pac-12 selection Kyle Ostendorp boomed a punt 54 yards that pinned OSU inside the 20-yard line, while quarterback Noah Fifita pooch-punted the football 49 yards down to Oregon State’s 5-yard line. Fisch said, “both of those were huge plays.”
After just one first down gained by the Beavers on the following drive, OSU’s punt to Cowing was the one that set up Wiley’s first receiving touchdown of the night. Cowing also knocked the loose ball out of bounds on the onside kick at the end of the game to retain possession and run out the clock to win the game, which Fisch said “was a big-time play in a tight game.”
“We talk so much about offense and defense,” Fisch said. “I think it’s really important to talk about in that past game — and I talked to the team about that (on Sunday) — what a great job our special teams did.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona's special teams played critical role in win over Oregon State
