Pierre Cormier was a true freshman when he watched Ka’Deem Carey carry the ball 48 times for 206 yards and four touchdowns in a shocking upset of Oregon at home in 2013.
Cormier vividly remembers arriving at Arizona’s facilities the following morning and finding Carey already there, lifting weights as if he didn’t just carry the ball 48 times. Even more remarkable: Carey never missed a game due to injury in his career.
“I’d just think: ‘Man, he’s a freak!’” Cormier said.
Cormier was on the sideline on Saturday night with a new role: student assistant. He was forced to medically retire two years ago because of a blood clot.
The Wildcats could really use a Carey right now. Or even a healthy Cormier.
Starting running back J.J. Taylor broke his ankle in Saturday’s loss to No. 9 Washington and is lost for the season. Taylor was starting Saturday in place of Nick Wilson, who suffered an ankle injury last week against Hawaii. Orlando Bradford, the Wildcats’ co-starter to begin the season, is no longer with the team after charged with multiple felony counts of domestic violence.
Taylor had a coming-out-party last week, rushing for 168 rushing yards and a touchdown. He added another 97 yards and a touchdown on Saturday against the Huskies.
But as the Wildcats stormed back and forced overtime, Taylor stood on the sideline in crutches, a boot on his foot.
“Extremely frustrating,” UA coach Rich Rodriguez said. “I mean, J.J. Taylor breaks his ankle. This guy’s going to be lights out, is lights out, and will be whenever he comes back.”
Backup Zach Green was Arizona’s last healthy scholarship running back Saturday. He rushed six times for 19 yards on Saturday, and collected one catch for three yards.
Tyrell Johnson had five carries for 16 yards, one catch for one yard and committed a costly turnover. It's clear the converted receiver is still learning the nuances of the position. Following his fourth-quarter fumble, Rodriguez found Johnson on the sideline and imitated the best way to hold a football: High and tight.
Johnson played running back in high school and prep school, rushing for 1,106 yards and 17 touchdowns his last two years, but was exclusively a receiver at Arizona until last week.
Wilson’s status for next week remains uncertain. He did not dress for Saturday’s game, opting to watch from the sidelines in street clothes. There’s no telling how Wilson, who has missed five games in his career, will fare when he does return.
A few unheralded names could get a longer look if Wilson is unable to play.
One is Branden Leon, a 5-foot-8, 195 pounder from Goodyear. He was a track and field star at Estrella Foothills High.
There’s Jake Laudenslager — he’s 5-10 and 195 pounds from Novato, California, and played in high school at Marin Catholic, the alma mater of No. 1 NFL Draft pick Jared Goff.
Richie Estrada was a star locally at Mountain View. He started his career at Wabash College.
Nathan Tilford is a four-star recruit committed to be in Arizona’s 2017 class. In the first game of his senior season, he rushed for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns. He can’t arrive in Tucson soon enough.
“We hate to see a guy go down, but we look at it as the next man up,” said Arizona quarterback Brandon Dawkins. “It’s their opportunity.”
The Wildcats will travel to UCLA next week. There will be no Taylor, no Bradford and no Cormier to play running back. There’s also the possibility that there will be no Wilson.
So, they’ll carry on, without a Carey in sight.
Extra points
• UA safety Tellas Jones didn’t play against Washington. He was listed as probable on Thursday’s injury report with a sprained ankle, and suited up, but never saw the field. Freshman Tristan Cooper started in his place and forced a fumble while collecting three tackles.
• In place of an injured DeAndre’ Miller (ankle), Arizona started John Kenny at the “stud” linebacker position. On the defensive line, Sani Fuimaono moved over on the defensive line to replace the injured Parker Zellers (knee), and Jack Banda replaced Fuimaono at tackle. Banda finished with a game-high two sacks.
• Saturday’s game drew 48,747 fans to Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats’ next two home games — an Oct. 15 game against USC and an Oct. 29 showdown Stanford — figure to draw more fans.
