SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 14, 2014
Arizona 35, Nevada 28: Freshman Anu Solomon threw three touchdown passes - two to Cayleb Jones in the second half - and the quick-strike Wildcats edged the visiting Wolf Pack in a battle of undefeated teams.
Solomon completed 22-of-26 for 278 yards for Arizona (3-0), which trailed briefly in the first half and was tied at 21 in the third quarter before Jones' scores.
Freshman Nick Wilson added a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 171 yards on 29 carries as the Wildcats had a 100-yard rusher for the 20th straight game.
Cody Fajardo led Nevada (2-1) with 321 passing yards including a pair of touchdowns to Jarred Gipson. Fajardo, who eclipsed the 10,000-yard mark for his career (passing and rushing) last week, finished 29-of-39 but was unable to march the Wolf Pack to the tying touchdown after taking possession at his own 17-yard line with 3:04 to play.
Wilson, who rushed for 174 yards a week ago, scored twice in the first half on runs of 2 and 28 yards. Solomon gave the Wildcats a 21-6 lead late in the first half with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Johnson but Fajardo connected with Gipson from 7 yards out with eight seconds left in the first half to trim the deficit to 21-13 at the break.
Fajardo capped a 16-play, 84-yard drive with a 6-yard pass to Hasaan Henderson and Don Jackson ran for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 21 with 6:03 left in the third quarter. But Solomon threw scoring passes of 22 and 24 yards to Jones on Arizona's next two possessions, giving the Wildcats a 35-21 lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Nevada took the game's opening drive 70 yards on 19 plays but settled for a 22-yard field goal by Brent Zuzo after possessing the ball for 9:26. ...Nevada won time of possession 35:48-34:12. ...James Butler paced the Nevada rushing attack with 50 yards on 13 carries.