In a thrilling turn of events, the No. 14 Arizona Wildcats delivered a stunning comeback to defeat the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners, 38-24, in the Valero Alamo Bowl, according to Fox San Antonio. Both teams entered the game with significant changes in their rosters, with the Sooners missing starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the Wildcats without star left tackle Jordan Morgan.
Oklahoma, now operating with a leaner squad, were forced to quickly adapt after their starting quarterback, who transferred to the University of Oregon, vacated his spot. The Sooners had to rely on the young arm of Jackson Arnold, who despite showing flashes of brilliance, couldn't avoid turnovers. Arizona capitalized on these mistakes, with Gunner Maldonado's 87-yard fumble return setting a bowl record and sending the Wildcats on their path to victory, as mentioned by KSAT.
On the Arizona side, Joseph Borjon stepped up to fill in the gap left by Morgan, a maneuver that initially paid off with the Wildcats turning two interceptions into points, taking an early lead. The game, however, remained tightly contested until Arizona pulled away, scoring 25 consecutive points to close out the bowl game. Wildcats' head coach Jedd Fisch acknowledged the initial lead, stating, "We were expecting a battle," and emphasized that even with a 13-0 lead, "the guys just kept competing," as he told Fox San Antonio.
Arnold's hopeful debut as Oklahoma's starting quarterback was marred by three interceptions, which he took full responsibility for. "Those mistakes were on me," Arnold said. "I'm going to take the full blame for that. I've just got to be better," he conceded in a statement obtained by Fox San Antonio. The Wildcats capitalized on the Sooners' turnovers, with offensive MVP Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan making crucial receptions for Arizona.
After a rocky 2021 season, this victory represented a significant turnaround for the Arizona team, completing their season with seven straight wins and signaling a promising future in the Big 12. "This win means everything. We came a long way. This whole team, this whole staff, this whole facility deserves it," Arizona safety Dalton Johnson remarked on the team's transformation and Alamo Bowl victory in an interview with Fox San Antonio. The Sooners, transitioning to the Southeastern Conference, now have to grapple with ending an otherwise successful season on a sour note.
