When the Arizona Wildcats (6-3, 4-2 Pacific-10 Conference) visited Autzen Stadium last year they found themselves down two scores just over a minute into the first quarter. And after struggling their way to a 48-17 deficit at halftime, the Wildcats were able to bounce back with 28 straight points before ultimately coming up short as the Ducks sealed the 55-45 victory.
 
Arizona head coach Mike Stoops said this week that there is a lot his team can take away from last year’s second half performance heading into Saturday’s showdown with Oregon at Arizona Stadium, but slowing the Ducks offense is still far from easy.
 
“I think when you look at Oregon play, their athleticism and their skill really jumps out at you,” Stoops said. “Their speed, they’re very good. So defensively, our discipline is going to be tested across the board.”
 
The Wildcats’ defense enters the game with the second-ranked defense in the Pac-10, allowing just 305.1 yard per game. Senior linebackers Xavier Kelley and Vuna Tuihalamaka have led the way for Arizona this year with 55 and 52
tackles, respectively.
 
Sophomore cornerback Trevin Wade has also provided some stability in the secondary with 46 tackles, four interceptions and eight broken up passes.
 
“They play hard,” Oregon center Jordan Holmes said. “And that’s the bottom line.”
 
And most encouraging for the Wildcats defense is the success they had against Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who possess a very similar threat to that of Oregon’s LaMichael James. Arizona held Rodgers to 85 yards on 16 carries in a 37-32 victory for UA in Corvallis earlier this year.
 
“They run the ball so well,” Stoops said of the Ducks. “And they’re so systematic in the way that they do it that people haven’t had much success blitzing them either.”
 
But come Saturday, Arizona’s best defense will be a good offense. Sophomore quarterback Nick Foles has done an impressive job in the absence of the graduated Willie Tuitama, as he’s completed 175 of 251 passes for 1,736 yards and 13 touchdowns in
eight games.
 
But the Wildcats’ offensive line struggled against Cal’s defensive front last week in Berkeley, Calif., as it gave up three sacks in the game. Foles completed 25 passes for 201 yards with one touchdown and an interception in a losing effort as the Golden Bears knocked then-No. 18 Arizona out of the top 25.
 
Junior running back Nic Grigsby, the Wildcats’ leading rusher with 535 yards and five scores, did not see much action last week due to a shoulder injury, which resulted in another opportunity for sophomore Keola Antolin to step up and carry the load. Antolin carried the ball 19 times for 78 yards and a touchdown, bringing his season totals to 394 yards and three scores, though he did cough up a costly fumble that resulted in a field goal for Cal.
 
Fortunately for Arizona, it returns home where it is 5-0 in 2009 and will play host to ESPN’s College GameDay in what will be another exciting weekend in Tucson. The game has already been billed as a “Red Out,” and will undoubtedly be another hostile environment for first-year head coach Chip Kelly and his young Oregon squad.
 
“It’s going to be loud,” Oregon linebacker Casey Matthews said. “Fans were rowdy two years ago and with GameDay the fans will be this year too.”
 
Stoops agreed, saying of the weekend festivities, “I think it’s great for our university. It’s great for our football program, it’s great for our fans, and I think it’s fun to see and it’s fun to be a part of.”


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