Oregon State @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2012 ) Oregon State 38, Arizona 35

Oregon State ranks last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense, but the Beavers have an excellent chance to get untracked Saturday when they visit Arizona and its injury-plagued defense. The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back blowout losses to UCLA and Stanford and could use a dramatic turnaround from its beleaguered defense, which is allowing 453.2 yards per game.

Unfortunately for Arizona, injuries continue to be a key storyline on both sides of the ball with quarterback Anu Solomon (concussion) listed as day-to-day and linebackers Derrick Turituri (hip), Scooby Wright (foot) and Haden Gregory (knee) still unavailable. If Solomon isn’t cleared to play, the Wildcats will again turn to senior Jerrard Randall, who accounted for 245 yards of total offense in his first career start last Saturday against Stanford. The dual-threat Randall averages 13 yards per carry while running back Nick Wilson leads the Pac-12 at 123.2 rushing yards per game. Oregon State’s running game is led by Storm Barrs-Woods, who rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown in the Beavers’ 38-35 victory in Tucson in 2012.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Arizona -8

ABOUT OREGON STATE (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12): Linebacker Rommel Mageo has two sacks and averages a team-high nine tackles for the Beavers, who have won three straight against the Wildcats and six in a row in Tucson. Oregon State’s offense remains a work in progress, but freshman quarterback Seth Collins turned in an encouraging outing before last week’s bye as he threw for a career-high 275 yards and a score in a 42-24 loss to Stanford on Sept. 25. Collins’ favorite target is sophomore Jordan Villamin, who is primed for a big game against Arizona’s vulnerable secondary after recording 138 receiving yards against the Cardinal.

ABOUT ARIZONA (3-2, 0-2): The defending Pac-12 South champions are hoping to rejoin the conference race with games against Oregon State, Colorado, and the Washington schools over the next four weeks, but the Wildcats face an uphill battle without Solomon and Wright. Arizona has allowed 111 points in the last two weeks and will need to figure out how to slow down Barrs-Woods after yielding 314 rushing yards in last Saturday's 55-17 loss to Stanford. Wide receivers Johnny Jackson and David Richards have caught four touchdowns apiece, but they’ll be tested by the Pac-12’s best pass defense.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Six of the last eight games in the series have been decided by seven points or fewer.

2. Arizona is 24-2 when leading at halftime under coach Rich Rodriguez.

3. Oregon State coach Gary Anderson has won his last six games (at Wisconsin and Utah State) following a bye week.

PREDICTION: Arizona 24, Oregon State 20