PULLMAN, Wash. — Like the rest of the Arizona Wildcats, quarterback Anu Solomon has done a lot of soul-searching of late.
Out with an injury, coming off the bench, the redshirt junior just didn’t feel like himself. But if there was one positive to come out of Arizona’s disastrous 69-7 loss to Washington State on Saturday, it’s that Solomon looked decent in his first extended action since the opener — and felt OK about it afterward.
“I felt like there was a lot of weight on my shoulders. Mentally, I just wasn’t there,” Solomon told the Star in his first interview since early September.
“Coming into this game, with the support of my family, teammates and coaches, they did a great job of telling me I need to be back (to) my freshman self. I was hungry. I wanted everything. I’m just upset that it took me this long to find out that I wasn’t being myself.
“It’s not going back to being the old Anu; it’s going back to being the better Anu.”
Solomon began the season as Arizona’s starting quarterback. But four days after the opener, he suffered a sprained left knee during practice. He sat out until last Saturday against Stanford, when he played two ineffective series off the bench.
Solomon entered Saturday’s game at Martin Stadium in the first quarter after starter Brandon Dawkins threw an interception. Coach Rich Rodriguez said he planned to play both quarterbacks and made the move “to get Brandon settled down a little bit.”
Solomon and Dawkins rotated in the second quarter before Dawkins limped off after a 28-yard rush. On the next play, Solomon threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Cam Denson.
Solomon played the third quarter and finished 9 of 13 for 122 yards. Dawkins and freshman Khalil Tate combined to go 2 of 10 with two interceptions.
But Solomon still looked rusty at times. He fumbled early in the second quarter, inside the WSU 10-yard line. He took four sacks. And he attempted two questionable laterals.
“I can’t put my team in that situation, where we’re at the 10-yard line and I fumble,” Solomon said. “It really just sums up our season.”
Denson’s day
Denson caught four passes for 77 yards — both career-high marks for the junior from Salpointe Catholic.
He had hoped his touchdown near the end of the first half would provide a spark for the Wildcats, but their deficit only grew.
Denson said he would have traded all of his personal numbers for a victory.
“It’s overruled by the scoreboard,” he said. “I’d rather have one catch for 5 yards and have a victory instead of 10 catches for 200 yards. I’d rather have wins instead of stats.”
Hayes’ homecoming
Arizona freshman safety Isaiah Hayes experienced mixed emotions Saturday.
He played for the first time at Washington State, his parents’ alma mater. The school acknowledged his father, Chris Hayes, a former Cougars and NFL defensive back, during a brief ceremony in the first quarter.
Isaiah didn’t have time to soak in the moment. He was trying to figure out how to stop Washington State’s offense on a day when Arizona’s defense struggled from start to finish.
“I had to lock in,” said Hayes, who finished with seven tackles. “It’s an honor to come over here and represent his name, but I came out here for business with me and my team.”
Hayes’ business trip ended with the Wildcats’ worst loss in more than 60 years.
“Losing like that, it is embarrassing,” he said. “We’ve got to leave it in the past, keep our energy up, keep our spirits up, rally as a team. ..”
Extra points
- Right guard Jacob Alsadek did not play because of an undisclosed injury. He dressed and appeared to have a wrap on his right knee. Alsadek’s replacement, Christian Boettcher, was ruled to have been too far downfield on the first play from scrimmage, negating Dawkins’ 75-yard TD pass to Nate Phillips.
- The game-time temperature of 63 degrees tied for the second warmest for a November game in Pullman.
- Linebacker Michael Barton didn’t dress or play. He was questionable to play because of a knee injury.
- Cornerback DaVonte’ Neal (ankle) didn’t play, either, despite warming up with the team. He was likewise questionable to play.
