In his last two games against Arizona, quarterback Marcus Mariota has averaged 292 yards passing, thrown four touchdowns and accounted for two interceptions. It’s a modest stat line for the quarterback who totaled 404 yards of offense last week, but it’s not indicative of why he hasn’t beaten the Pac-12 South division winner since his redshirt freshman season.
Although Mariota asked for the blame in the Ducks’ only loss this season on Oct. 2 to the Wildcats, the quarterback has not been the reason why Arizona is averaging 256 rushing yards and 36.5 points per game in its last two match-ups.
Now, as a rematch between the two beckons in the Pac-12 Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 5, it is clear that there are some underlying themes that have emerged out of the two previous contests that must be fixed if the Ducks expect to win.
For Arizona, this matchup seems to be exactly what its spread-tempo offense is geared for and the numbers are there to prove it.
Match-ups to watch:
Arizona rushing attack vs. Oregon defense:
In addition to the 256 yards rushing the Wildcats have averaged, they ran the ball 60 times per game against Oregon in the previous two games. In 2013, Ka’Deem Carey carried the ball 48 times for 206 yards and this year, the combination of Nick Wilson and Terris Jones-Grigsby gained 207 yards. However, Oregon’s defense has come into its own as of late, holding opposing rushing attacks to 129.8 yards on the ground per game in the month of November. Now, the unit will try to flip the script and contain the Arizona ball carriers it has had such difficulty stopping over the past two years.
Oregon offensive line vs. Arizona defense:
In the previous matchup, the Oregon offensive line was as disheveled as it has been all year. Just a week after the group had given up seven sacks to Washington State, The Wildcats sacked Mariota five times. It all culminated when Arizona defender Scooby Wright III stripped the ball from Mariota while sacking him on Oregon’s final drive of the game. Now with Jake Fisher and Andre Yruretagoyena back from injury, the only question Oregon is facing regards the health of center Hroniss Grasu. In addition, Oregon averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in the October matchup and it clearly put the Wildcats in control. Friday, control of the trenches will play a large factor in the game’s outcome.
Players to watch:
Royce Freeman:
Freeman ran the ball 19 times for 85 yards back in October and his role has only increased since then. In the Ducks’ seven-game win streak following their loss, Freeman has averaged 119.9 rushing yards per game. He has also served as a workhorse, averaging 20 carries per game. Just a true freshman, Freeman should provide the Ducks with a constant threat on the ground on Friday.
Nick Wilson: 
His 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns last week played a major factor in getting the Wildcats to the Pac-12 Championship game. In Arizona’s 42-35 win over Arizona State that sealed its fate as the Pac-12 South division leader, Wilson dominated. He has rushed for over 150 yards in three of his last four games and has 15 touchdowns to his credit on the year. Another true freshman, Friday’s contest is expected to have first-year players deciding each team’s fate.
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise