Originally published Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM

College Football | Arizona Wildcats hit a jackpot

Willie Tuitama passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns Saturday night as Arizona won its first bowl game in 10 years, beating 17th-ranked...

By OSKAR GARCIA

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Willie Tuitama passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns Saturday night as Arizona won its first bowl game in 10 years, beating 17th-ranked Brigham Young 31-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Pac-10 Wildcats stifled BYU quarterback Max Hall throughout the game, forcing him to scramble often, lose a fumble and throw a pass that was intercepted.

"We had to go with physical tackling — we had eight guys in the box at all times," Arizona linebacker Xavier Kelley said. "We had our ups and downs, and this is tremendous. It's amazing, amazing."

Arizona fans trickled onto the field as the last minute ticked off the game clock, then sprinted to midfield in celebration of the school's first bowl victory since 1998, when it finished 12-1 and beat Nebraska 23-20 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

"This was five years in the making. It all came together in the last month of the season," Wildcats coach Mike Stoops said. "I couldn't be more proud of these seniors who brought Arizona back."

The Wildcats (8-5) kept the ball in the air for much of the game.

Tuitama threw a 71-yard pass to Terrell Turner that set up the first score, added a 37-yard touchdown to Delashaun Dean that gave the Wildcats the lead for good, and a 24-yard strike to Chris Gronkowski that sent many Cougars fans toward the exits.

Arizona's career passing leader added a 6-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats a 31-14 lead.

BYU (10-3) lost its bid to win three consecutive Las Vegas Bowls in four consecutive trips, ending a sloppy night with three missed field goals and 10 penalties for 76 yards.

The penalties twice cost the Cougars prime chances to tie or take the lead. Three flags in a row shortly before halftime turned a third-and-1 at the Arizona 19-yard line into a third-and-16 situation, and Mitch Payne ended the drive by missing a 40-yard field goal attempt wide left. Arizona led 10-7 at halftime.

The Cougars of the Mountain West Conference took their first lead in the third quarter after Arizona lost a fumble at its own 29 on the first play of the second half. Hall completed a 1-yard TD pass to Andrew George to put BYU up 14-10.

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