Cat Tracks: Carey, Denker lead ground attack as UA wins second straight on the road

Facing an inferior opponent in the Cal Berkeley Bears Saturday, the Arizona Wildcats relied on their typical mixture of ingredients: a heavy dose of running back Ka’Deem Carey, a hint of quarterback B.J. Denker and his legs in the red zone and a pinch of their opportunistic defense.

After 60 minutes of play, that recipe was more than enough, as Rich Rodriguez’s squad claimed their second straight road victory by a final of 33-28
.

The victory marked the first time in Rodriguez’s tenure that the Wildcats have won consecutive contests away from Tucson.

The Good:

While Denker impressed with his arm — 261 yards passing, one touchdown and no interceptions — in the five-point victory, his career day was highlighted by his mobility.

UA’s junior quarterback ran for a career-high three touchdowns on scampers of one, nine and 14 yards respectively.

Although he wasn’t able to accompany his quarterback in the end zone, Carey had another dominant day running the football. On 32 carries, Carey ran the ball for 152 yards — marking the fifth time he’s run for at least 130 this season.

With two picks of Cal quarterback Jarod Goff Saturday, including one in the end zone by Jourdon Grandon at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Arizona’s defense now has 12 interceptions in 2013 — matching its total from all of last season.

The Bad:

Cal wide receiver Kenny Lawler came into Saturday’s contest with zero touchdown receptions on the season. Yet somehow the freshman managed to torched UA’s secondary, finding the end zone on three separate occasions. He finished with six catches for 72 yards on the day.

Noted:

– Jake Smith’s 53-yard field goal in the second quarter was the longest by a UA kicker since Nick Folk back in Nov. 2004.

– Carey’s 11th straight 100-yard performance vs. Cal set a new school record Saturday.

– Freshman wideout Nate Phillips’ 21-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter was his fourth score of the season. He has a touchdown reception in each of his last four games.

– Senior receiver Terrence Miller’s 60-yard grab in the third quarter was the longest pass play completed by Denker in 2013.

Up Next:

The Wildcats head back to Tucson in search of a season-high fourth straight victory when they take on No. 20 UCLA on Nov. 9 at Arizona Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. MST