Arizona vs. Nevada: Wildcats have room, opportunity to improve
Sep 12, 2014, 1:30 AM | Updated: 4:23 pm
In each of Rich Rodriguez’s first two seasons in Tucson, the Arizona Wildcats have won their first three games.
Saturday, against Nevada, they’ll try to do it for the third time.
The Wildcats (2-0) host the Wolf Pack (2-0) in their final non-conference game of the season. Nevada is coming off an impressive 24-13 win over Washington State, while Arizona squeaked by UTSA 26-23.
“I think our guys realized that we are not good enough to play badly and win against anybody but UTSA is a pretty good football team,” Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said. “We played against a pretty good veteran football team and got a nice win on the road.”
Indeed, it’s much more tolerable to learn from wins than losses, and there is something to be said for going on the road and coming away with a victory, yet there’s no doubt Arizona will need to play better Saturday if it is to keep an unblemished record.
Returning to the friendly confines of Arizona Stadium, where the Wildcats are a healthy 10-4 under Rodriguez, may be just what the doctor ordered. He’s also 1-0 against Nevada, whom the Wildcats beat in a 49-48 Gildan New Mexico Bowl thriller in 2012.
Of course, plenty has changed since that meeting, as Nevada has a new coach (Brian Polian) and both teams have plenty of different players. But one thing that has not changed is the offense Nevada runs, the pistol.
“The key is accounting for the quarterback and the running back,” safety Jared Tevis said. “It takes a lot discipline, and if one person messes up their job, it could be a breakout play for them. We have to be disciplined on every play.”
Though the style is different, the result is not unlike what the Wildcats try to force opponents to deal with their own scheme.
“I think assignment wise defending the pistol is like defending the zone read, and you have to be disciplined,” Rodriguez said. “The biggest thing is their quarterback because he makes the right decisions. We have to tackle well, too, because sometimes you don’t have to concern yourself with tackling the quarterback, but he can run so we have to this game.”
Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo, a senior who played in the New Mexico Bowl, has completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 413 yards with one touchdown and one interception. But where the he and the Wolf Pack get you is on the ground, where Fajardo (168 yards, 1 TD) and running backs Don Jackson (179 yards, 3 TD) and James Butler (86 yards, 2 TD) do most of the damage.
Through two games, the Wildcats have allowed 3.42 yards per rush, and interestingly enough there has not been much worry about their defense. It’s the offense, led by redshirt freshman QB Anu Solomon, which has people curious.
Are the Wildcats more like the team that piled up a school-record 787 yards of offense in the blowout win over UNLV or the one that gained just 454 total yards and had to settle for four field goals against UTSA?
Or, maybe, are they something in between?
“Believe it or not, I thought there were some things in the second game that we did better than we did in the first game, particularly up front,” Rodriguez said. “We have no preseason or scrimmage games in Division I football, so you almost have to sort things out in the first few games of the season.”
Things to Watch
– As great as Solomon was in the Wildcats’ opener against UNLV, he was equally mediocre the following game against UTSA. Which QB shows up Saturday?
– The Wildcats have had a 100-yard rusher in 19 consecutive games, which is a school record. Will the mark reach 20? If so, will it be Terris Jones-Grigsby or Nick Wilson? Or both?
– The Arizona defense has intercepted at least one pass in six-straight games. Making it seven, or at least winning the turnover battle, would go a long way toward avoiding an upset.
– The return of Reggie Gilbert helped lead to the return of Arizona’s pass rush, or at least some semblance of one. While Nevada isn’t an offense that likes to throw the ball, pressure on the QB is a must.
– Nevada’s defense has allowed touchdowns on just three of their opponents’ seven red zone trips. Arizona settled for field goals on four of five trips inside the red zone against UTSA, which is something that will have to be improved upon.
