It was a tale of two halves in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl on January 2, 2026. The SMU Mustangs went on to win the Holiday Bowl 24-19 over the Arizona Wildcats, but it wasn’t a guarantee by any means. While previewing this one, it was clear that Arizona Head Coach Brent Brennan would not be announcing any opt-outs ahead of the game. Therefore, SMU, the fans, and the media had to assume the Wildcats would be nearly at full strength for this game. That ended up not being the case for Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. Three defensive backs decided not to play. The Widcats were without starters Dalton Johnson, Genesis Smith, and Treydan Stukes. However, this didn’t seem to matter too much as SMU’s starting quarterback, Kevin Jennings, added three interceptions to his season total.
Both Teams Traded Scoring Halves
It was all SMU Mustangs in the first half. The Mustangs scored 24 unanswered points in the first half of the Holiday Bowl, stunning an Arizona Wildcats team that was en route to only the program’s fifth 10-win season. Jennings may have gotten the Mustangs down the field on each scoring drive, but it was the rushing attack that got SMU into the end zone. It was very reminiscent of the regular season for SMU. Jennings threw for 278 yards in the Holiday Bowl and went 21-for-32 through the air. As stated, he did throw three interceptions, but all three came in the second half, which was all Arizona.
In the first half, SMU was efficient. The first touchdown of the game only took three plays and 56 seconds. It was, to no surprise, running back TJ Harden that took it in for a one-yard score. After three back-and-forth drives that ended in punts, SMU got another efficient downfield drive. This one took eight plays and just over three minutes off the clock. SMU did get a little bit of help from the Arizona defense, with a pass interference call, which led to another Harden touchdown. This one, for a three-yard score that gave the Mustangs a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The second quarter was still efficient for SMU, but a different type of efficiency. The Mustangs took time off the clock on their scoring drives. The first was 16 plays for six minutes and 47 seconds, ending in a Stone Eby score. The final score for SMU was on a 24-yard field goal by Sam Keltner. This was also the last success that the Mustangs’ offense had in the Holiday Bowl.
The Second Half Was All Arizona
As was stated above, Jennings threw three interceptions in this contest. All three came in the second half. The Arizona Wildcats finally woke up and mounted a comeback. Two of those Jennings interceptions came in the third quarter, and Arizona was able to capitalize on one of them. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita had a pretty good day, considering the Wildcat offense didn’t do much in the first half. Fifita ended the Holiday Bowl with 265 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception of his own. He was also the Wildcats’ leading rusher with 13 carries for 73 yards, averaging just over five-and-a-half yards per rush.
Further, Fifita did indeed have all three of his favorite targets in this game. Kris Hutson, Javin Whatley, and Tre Spivey all played in the Holiday Bowl, and all had receptions. Whatley and Spivey were responsible for two of the second-half touchdowns. Unfortunately, after both of those touchdowns, Arizona attempted two-point conversions, and both failed. Putting the score at 24-12 before Jennings’ third interception of the day. The Wildcats were unable to capitalize on this one, though. Fifita gave it right back on the next drive. Arizona did get the ball back and moved right down the field with 2:32 left on the clock. Fifita had five incompletions on the 12-play drive, but ended it with a touchdown pass to Cam Barmore. The tight end was the leader in receptions on the day with five for 61 yards. Arizona kicked the extra point, bringing the score to 24-19 with 33 seconds on the clock. The onside kick wasn’t successful, and SMU knelt for the win.
A Tale of Two Halves in San Diego
As you can see, these teams completely flipped the switch at halftime. Arizona decided to go for two points after its first two scores in the second half and failed both times. Outside of the interception by Fifita, the Wildcats were on a roll in the second half. The defense got its groove back and forced SMU to turn the ball over. The offense was efficient, but could have been a little bit faster during the touchdown drive in the third quarter. At the end of the day, SMU scored enough points in the first half to secure the win. The Wildcats didn’t go down without a fight, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images