Arizona @ Colorado preview
Folsom Field
Last Meeting ( Nov 8, 2014 ) Colorado 20, Arizona 38
Quarterback Anu Solomon returned from a one-game injury absence last week, and Arizona returned to the win column, snapping a two-game skid with a 44-7 rout of Oregon State. The Wildcats will now try to follow up with another win Saturday at struggling Colorado.
Arizona opened the season 3-0, but lopsided losses against nationally ranked UCLA (56-30) and Stanford (55-17) followed along with a concussion suffered by Solomon.”They understood that we had some work to do, even without me saying it,” said Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez at his weekly news conference, describing his team’s mindset entering last Saturday’s contest against the Beavers. “I didn’t think they were distracted. I just think we didn’t have the edge we normally do, (and) I think we got that edge back this week though.” Colorado, meanwhile, is searching for the momentum it had built with a 3-1 start, but the Buffs have opened Pac-12 play with losses to Oregon (41-24) and Arizona State (48-23).
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Arizona -8
ABOUT ARIZONA (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12): The Wildcats’ offensive machine was humming on all cylinders against Oregon State, outgaining the visitors 645-249 behind 276 passing yards from Solomon and a 368-yard rushing performance. Paced by a trio of talented tailbacks in Nick Wilson (113.8 yards per game), Jared Baker (career-best 123 yards last week) and Orlando Bradford (three TDs last week), Arizona is averaging 500-plus yards per game, Arizona ranks seventh nationally in scoring (42.3) and rushing (298.5) and ninth in total offense (530.2). Defensively, the Wildcats are led by safety Will Parks (41 total tackles, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles), but in the Pac-12 only Oregon at 38.7 is allowing more points per outing than the Wildcats’ 30.5.
ABOUT COLORADO (3-3, 0-2): With their losses to Oregon and Arizona State, the Buffaloes have now dropped 13 straight Pac-12 games since a late-2013 win over California. Despite playing with a separated shoulder for the last month that wasn’t helped by eight Arizona State sacks, quarterback Sefo Liufau threw for a season-high 389 yards and a TD against the Sun Devils, but counterpart Mike Bercovici threw for 260 yards and five scores while the ASU defense limited CU to a season-low 49 rushing yards on 28 attempts. The Buffs have been outrushed 592-126 in their two conference contests, and that looks to be a problem with the ground-oriented Wildcats coming to town.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Colorado holds a 13-4 advantage in the series, but Arizona has won three of the four Pac-12 meetings, including a 38-20 victory last season in Tucson.
2. The contest will serve as the Buffs’ homecoming contest, but Buffs have dropped seven straight — their last homecoming win was in 2007 against third-ranked Oklahoma.
3. The Wildcats are on pace to set school single-season standards in scoring and rushing. Both records have stood since 1954 when Arizona averaged 38.5 points and 276.5 ground yards.
PREDICTION: Arizona 32, Colorado 23