The Arizona Wildcats missed an easy game-winning interception in the final seconds against USC and it cost them the game

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The Arizona Wildcats missed an easy game-winning interception in the final seconds against USC and it cost them the game
Arizona defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace misses the game-winning interception by inches.Fox
  • Arizona came within inches of pulling off an upset win over No. 20 USC on Saturday.
  • The Wildcats led 30-27 with just 90 seconds remaining needing one defensive stop to seal the game.
  • Defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace nearley ended things with an interception in the final seconds, but had to watch as the ball sailed through his hands and into the waiting arms of a USC wide receiver.
  • Three plays later, USC scored a touchdown to win the game.
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The Arizona Wildcats came within inches of upsetting the USC Trojans on Saturday, only to watch the game-winning interception slip through their fingers in the final seconds.

Arizona and USC had traded blows through the final minutes of the game, with the Wildcats driving the field for a touchdown to take a 30-27 lead with just 95 seconds remaining.

USC needed a field goal to tie and a touchdown to win, and immediately got to work marching into Arizona territory. After a series of quick passes got USC across midfield, the Trojans looked to pick up a chunk of yards with 40 seconds left.

Quarterback Kedon Slovis targeted wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown on the left sideline, but didn't account for Arizona defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace, who jumped to meet the ball in the air.

Roland-Wallace had the game-winning intecerption in his hands, but he couldn't hold on to the ball. St. Brown stayed with the play, made the catch, and got out of bounds.

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Another camera angle showed just how close Roland-Wallace came to ending the game for good.

Three plays later, the Trojans would punch the ball into the end zone to take the lead for good. Final score: USC 34, Arizona 30.

For USC, it was the second consecutive week that they needed a game-winning touchdown drive to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. For Arizona, the loss was a crushing example of the miniscule margins that can decide a football game.

It's a game of inches.

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