COPPER BOWL : Arizona’s Offense Sputters, but Defense Helps Beat North Carolina State

Scott Geyer’s 85-yard interception return helped Arizona close out the decade with a 17-10 victory over North Carolina State Sunday night in the inaugural Copper Bowl, college football’s newest postseason game.

Both teams dominated on defense and North Carolina State (7-5) held Arizona (8-4) to only 50 rushing yards and just 130 total yards, the worst in both categories for the Wildcats this season. The Wolfpack gained 222 yards passing and 88 rushing and had the ball almost 16 minutes longer than Arizona.

But the Wildcat defense recovered two fumbles, made two interceptions and survived three fourth-quarter drives by the Wolfpack that could have tied the score.

A crowd of only 37,237 watched the game, about 20,000 under capacity at Arizona Stadium, the Wildcats’ home field.

Arizona led, 17-7, at halftime on a 37-yard pass from Ronald Veal to Olatide Ogunfiditimi, Geyer’s second interception of the game for the touchdown and Gary Coston’s 34-yard field goal.

Shane Montgomery threw a four-yard pass to Todd Varn with 1:55 left in the half for North Carolina State’s only touchdown. The Wolfpack also scored on Damon Hartman’s 43-yard field-goal with 4:53 left in the third quarter, ending a 10-play, 62-yard drive.

The Wildcats forced turnovers that cut off three Wolfpack drives and came up with the key plays when needed. Chris Singleton forced a punt with a 13-yard sack and Ty Parten prevented Aubrey Shaw from converting a fourth-and-one at the Arizona 26 with 3:03 to go.

After Arizona punted, the Wolfpack’s last chance ended when Chris Williams dropped a pass from Montgomery deep in Arizona territory with 57 seconds left.

Two plays after a Wolfpack punt, Veal passed to Ogunfiditimi to start the scoring with 1:59 left in the first quarter. It was only the third touchdown pass of the season for Veal.

Midway through the second period, with the Wolfpack at Arizona’s 17 and driving after Jesse Campbell intercepted a Veal pass at the Wildcat 29, Geyer stepped in front of a pass by Montgomery intended for Varn and easily raced 85 yards to make it 14-0.

Montgomery’s short pass to Varn brought North Carolina State within a touchdown, but Arizona drove from its 36 to the Wolfpack 24 after the ensuing kickoff and Coston kicked his field goal 10 seconds before halftime.

Arizona’s worst previous rushing total this season was 97 yards against Texas Tech and the Wildcats had only 161 yards against Oregon. They lost both games.