Game 3: Nevada (2-0, 0-0 MW) at Arizona (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
Weekly Game Notes: Nevada (PDF) | Arizona (PDF)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13
Time: 8 p.m. (MST)
Location: Tucson, Ariz.
Stadium: Arizona Stadium (56,029)
Surface: FieldTurf
Television: Pac-12 Network
All-Time Series: Arizona leads, 2-1-1
In Tucson: Arizona leads, 1-0-1
Last Meeting: UA 49, Nevada 48
Dec. 15, 2012 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Streak: UA has won last two meetings
Television Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Play-by-Play: Kevin Calabro
Analyst: Yogi Roth
Sideline: Lewis Johnson
Watch Online: Pac-12.com
Radio: Arizona IMG Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Brian Jeffries
Analyst: Lamont Lovett
Sideline: Dana Cooper
Flagship Stations: 1290 AM, 107.5 FM
Statewide Affiliates: See Page 7 of UA weekly release
Listen on TuneIn: www.arizonawildcats.com
Satellite Radio: XM (84), SIRIUS (84)
Spanish Radio: 990 AM
Play-by-Play: Jorge Leyva
Analyst: Marco Rincon
Hard Edge Game Notes
» Arizona equaled its program record with a 21-point comeback to defeat Nevada, 49-48, on Dec. 15, 2012, at the New Mexico Bowl.
» Arizona has produced a 100-yard rusher in 19-consecutive games, which is the longest streak for an FBS team since 1999-2000.
» Rich Rodriguez has the Wildcats 2-0 for the third-straight year, something no coach has done in his first three seasons since Jim Young (1973-1975).
» UA has a 100-yard rusher AND 100-yard receiver in each of its last three games.
» The Wildcats have two players with a 100-yard rushing game and three players with a 100-yard receiving game this season.
» The UA defense has an interception in six-straight games and nine of the last 10.
» Arizona’s offense line totals 112 career starts, led by tackles Mickey Baucus (40) and Fabbians Ebbele (39).
» The Wildcat offense has three touchdown plays of 85-plus yards and five touchdown drives of 40 seconds or less this season.
» Anu Solomon, the first freshman to start a season opener at QB for Arizona, has five TD pass -- all to different receivers.
» Austin Hill is 90 receiving yards shy of moving into the school’s all-time top-10 for career receiving yards (1,794 currently).
» Hill has a pass reception in 19-straight games played dating to the 2011 season.
» Rich Rodriguez’s teams account for five of the nine all-time games in which UA has gained 600-plus yards of offense. The school record was set Aug. 29 against UNLV (787 yards).
Some Game Themes: We quickly zip along to the third week of the season with an intriguing Pac-12/Mountain West clash under the lights at Arizona Stadium … Both squads head into the contest with 2-0 records, yet enough kinks keep coaches busy sorting out … For Arizona, last Thursday’s road win at UTSA left some clear areas to improve, notably more consistent play on offense and certainly the need for a pass rush on the defensive side … Meantime, Nevada upended Washington State, 24-13, last Friday in Reno, Nev., pumping confidence into the locker room that it can find similar success against another Pac-12 opponent … Despite no regular history on the gridiron, the two sides have some familiarity thanks to the wild showdown at the 2012 Gildan New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque. In that one, Arizona erased a 13-point deficit (and an early 21-0 deficit) in the final 1:48 to rally and win 49-48 to put an 8-win stamp on Rich Rodriguez’s first season and cap a legendary career for former Nevada coach Chris Ault … Some of the stars of that game are gone (like Arizona’s Matt Scott and Ka’Deem Carey or Nevada’s Stefphon Jefferson), but a couple notables remain. Senior receiver Austin Hill had a career-high 175 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the Wildcats, while the Wolf Pack’s Cody Fajardo – then a sophomore – passed three touchdowns, rushed for another and accounted for nearly 400 yards of offense … This time around, Fajardo is the experienced signal caller and a proven playmaker who will counter Arizona’s true freshman quarterback, Anu Solomon … Solomon has been solid early, but shown his best days are ahead of him. He has the skills – arm, footwork and poise – but there is no substitute with the knowledge that comes simply from being battle-tested, which takes time … The Wildcat offense has a bevy of weapons beginning with the known commodity – the receivers. But running backs Terris Jones-Grigsby (missed UTSA game with injury) and Nick Wilson have more than proven their worth in the ground attack … On the defensive side, Arizona has bent, but not broken, through two games. This week, though, will provide the unit with its stiffest test thus far … Pass rush has been lacking, and Fajardo will have the opportunity to capitalize on that with his arm or legs if not rattled this week … However it all plays out, one team will leave unblemished and eager to begin play in its respective conference. The other will have plenty of questions left to answer, but plenty of season remains either way.
Remember the Alamodome: Arizona started with an offensive bang, but needed some late defensive stops to hold off a pesky bunch of Roadrunners as Arizona defeated UTSA, 26-23, last Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas … The quick-strike Cats scored on the first play of the game when Anu Solomon hit Cayleb Jones on a sideline route, and the Texas native turned it into an 85-yard touchdown reception thanks to a stiff-arm to spring him the distance … Minutes later, Casey Skowron booted a field goal and the visitors were on top 10-0 not even four minutes in to the game … But UTSA is an experienced club, and with a cozy yet boisterous crowd behind them, stormed back with a pair of first-half touchdowns, including an 18-yard run by Kam Jones to claim a 14-13 lead midway through the second quarter. … After the hot start, quarterback Anu Solomon struggled to consistently connect with his receivers and, when pinned back along his own goaline, stepped out of the endzone to avoid a pass rush which resulted in a safety and a three point deficit … So Arizona began to lean on the ground game led by true freshman Nick Wilson. In his first career start, Wilson racked up 174 yards on 30 carries, and his 2-yard touchdown with 26 seconds remaining in the first half gave Arizona the lead for good … There were plenty of tense moments in the second half, though, especially after the Wildcats struggled to finish drives. Fortunately, Skowron finished the game 4-for-4 on field goal tries, his last coming in the late stages of the third quarter to give Arizona 26-16 lead … But the Roadrunners had no quit in them, mounting an 8-play, 80-yard touchdown drive capped by David Glasco II to bring the home side within a field goal … UTSA would have the ball three more times, but Arizona’s defense rose to the occasion, forcing a three-and-out, securing an interception, and turning away a desperation play in the final seconds to close out the game … The interception came from senior Jared Tevis, who also had a career-high 16 tackles, and effectively ended the game though the Wildcats left 20 seconds and some 72 yards on the field before the Roadrunners ran out of time … The victory marked the 19th-consecutive game a Wildcat (Wilson) topped 100 receiving yards and also resulted in a third-straight contest in which the squad had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver (Jones, 4-143) in the same game … Rich Rodriguez improved to 10-0 against non-conference opponents at Arizona.
Read more here in the Arizona football weekly release. For continued coverage of Arizona football, follow the team on Facebook at facebook.com/ArizonaFootball and on Twitter @ArizonaFBall.
