The Wildcats led 18-0 earlier in the game and seemed like they would stay unbeaten before the Bruins bounced back to grab the lead before Arizona regained it the fourth quarter.
With over a minute remaining, UCLA drove into Arizona territory and scored to retake the lead for good to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the season.
Although the Wildcats (ranked 14th) would hang tough with the Trojans (18th), their offense didn’t do enough and committed several turnovers, leading to a loss.
The turning point of the game occurred in the fourth quarter when ASU, down 24–10, threatened by driving down the field and cutting into Arizona's lead.
It was also Arizona’s fifth straight victory over ASU, which was their longest winning streak in the rivalry since they won 11 in a row from 1932 to 1948.
He also said that Arizona was the state’s “NFL team” due to their performance (also echoing the remarks that he said after losing to ASU in his first season in 1980.
[15][16] Arizona fans often declare Cecil's pick-six as the greatest moment in Wildcat football history and not just in the UA–ASU rivalry.
[17] Riding high on the momentum after its big victory over Arizona State, the Wildcats traveled out of the country to play Stanford in Tokyo in a special matchup.
At the conclusion of the season, Smith left Arizona to accept the head coaching position at USC, due to the fact that the Trojans’ football tradition lasted longer than the Wildcats and that he would be offered more money since Los Angeles (where USC is located) is a much larger market than Tucson, and that Arizona didn't pay him as much money.