Utah Recap 2022

WILDCATS PUNCH POSTSEASON TICKET
R
#14 Arizona 71
#21 UTAh 17

Matthew Start was a catalyst for the Cats on Saturday, helping clinch a postseason berth. (Photo credits: Davey Wilson)

Apr 4- Arizona traveled to Salt Lake City for the final PAC-12 match of the season on Saturday, needing a victory to secure a spot in the 2022 postseason. In a road environment against #21 Utah in one of the toughest conferences in the country, this is no small task.

The visiting Wildcats got off to a quiet start, staying patient in defense and weathering the Utes' attack to keep things level at 0-0 in the first fifteen minutes. As the 14th-ranked side has learned this season, that defense if done right can create attacking opportunities, and the first one arrived with a penalty deep in the Utes' half that led to a Maxime Cathala quick tap and a try from Flanker/Hooker Cameron Blair that Cathala converted. A stolen scrum created another forwards' opportunity, this time with Jack McCrossin touching down to make it 14-0 and start to push things in the favor of Arizona. Standout plays from Cathala, Fullback Jon Rogers, and Center Matthew Start got the backs involved and set the tone in the final portion of the first half. The patient defense and improved execution from previous weeks made it 45-0 at the break.

The second half saw the Utah attack rally and put the Wildcats under early pressure, scoring twice in the first ten minutes to trim the lead. This was the wake-up call needed that the coaches warned about at the break. "We warned them to not take their foot off the gas because Utah does not quit. They never do. So you must continue to execute and do the little things. We didn't do that early in the half but credit to the on-field leadership for nipping that in the bud 50 in and cleaning things up" said Director of Rugby Sean Duffy. That clean up included two Kyle Fulton tries and strong performances from a number of impact reserves, including Center Abe Turpen, Lock Joey Lewis, and Prop Harry Bluck.

The Wildcats clinch a postseason berth for their seventh time in the last eight years, last reaching the national quarterfinal in 2020. Arizona enters the postseason as the #6 seed, and will take on third-seeded BYU in Provo next Saturday. More details including broadcast information to be released shortly.

SCORING vs UTAH

Tries: Fulton (2), Blair, McCrossin, Barker, Start, Freeman, Rivers, Palmer

Conv: Cathala 6/7, Figley 1/1, Furst, 1/1

Pen: Cathala 1/1, Furst 0/1

ROSTER vs UTAH

1- Harry Bluck

2- Zach Barker

3- Dalton Slaughter

4- Jack Brown

5- James Rivers (VC)

6- Cameron Blair

7- EJ Freeman