Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff implore the team to hasten during the fourth quarter of the University of Arizona Wildcats vs. Arizona State University Sun Devils in the Territorial Cup college football game on Nov. 25, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. The Sun Devils won 42-30.
TEMPE -- The Wildcats appeared to have this one in the bag. Arizona led 24-14 with a minute left in the first half, had the ball with hopes to go up by three scores and start on offense in the second half.
Nothing could go wrong, right? Well, Rich Rodriguez's worst nightmare happened. Arizona ran three running plays with J.J. Taylor and it appeared that the Cats were just going to milk the clock and go into halftime ahead by 10, but Rodriguez called two timeouts, the last one to set up a Hail Mary with three seconds left.
Tate couldn't connect with Shun Brown in the end zone and the Wildcats still had the 10-point lead.
This is where the nightmare part comes in.
Tate was slammed into the ground and walked off the field in obvious pain. He finished the half throwing 10 of 11 for 127 yards with his only incomplete pass off the Hail Mary. Former starter and backup Brandon Dawkins started the second half, but after back-to-back stops, Rodriguez reinstalled Tate at quarterback.
However, the injured Tate was moving the ball down the field and Dawkins returned in the third quarter to finish the game. Dawkins ran for a 50-yard touchdown, but a failed two-point conversion would put the lid on scoring for Arizona. The Wildcats were unable to gain momentum and the Sun Devils will regain the Territorial Cup.
Here's what the Wildcats had to say following the loss:
