PULLMAN, Wash. – The Arizona Wildcats will not be going bowling this season. At this point, they’d settle for one victory.
Arizona lost its sixth in a row Saturday afternoon, falling to Washington State 69-7 in front of an announced crowd of 33,547 at Martin Stadium.
The 62-point margin makes it Arizona's worst loss since 1949. That year, Michigan State routed the Wildcats 75-0.
A late Washington State touchdown on Saturday made it the worst loss of the Rich Rodriguez era. The UA fell to UCLA 66-10 in 2012, the coach's first year.
Arizona fell to 2-7, 0-6 in the Pac-12. With seven losses, the Wildcats are all but eliminated from postseason bowl eligibility. (There’s a minute chance they could get into one at 5-7.) They had gone to four straight bowls – a school record – under Rodriguez.
No. 25 Washington State won its seventh in a row, improving to 7-2, 6-0.
The Arizona defense, which had shown gradual signs of improvement, took a major step backward. Quarterback Luke Falk picked the Wildcats apart, completing 32 of 35 passes for 311 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions before exiting late in the third quarter.
Arizona ended up using three quarterbacks. Brandon Dawkins started and again struggled. Anu Solomon entered in relief in the first quarter. He alternated with Dawkins for the rest of the first half. Solomon played the third quarter before giving way to freshman Khalil Tate in the fourth.
Dawkins completed only 1 of 4 passes for minus-2 yards with one interception. He rushed for 48 yards on six attempts.
Solomon completed 9 of 13 passes for 122 yards with one touchdown.
The UA faces Colorado in its penultimate home game next Saturday. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.
THIRD-QUARTER UPDATE:
PULLMAN, Wash. – Continuing to struggle in all three phases, the Arizona Wildcats trail Washington State 52-7 after three quarters Saturday afternoon at Martin Stadium.
Arizona is 15 minutes away from losing its sixth in a row. It would be the Wildcats’ first six-game losing streak since 2004.
One play in the third quarter encapsulated Arizona’s woes. Down 38-7 at halftime, the Wildcats had the Cougars backed up in their own territory via a bad snap and a penalty.
Facing third-and-26 from the 9, Luke Falk lofted a pass down the left sideline for Tavares Martin Jr. The pass fell incomplete – but UA cornerback Jace Whittaker interfered with Martin, drawing a penalty and an automatic first down.
Washington State ended up scoring to make it 45-7. Another touchdown made it 52-7. The Cougars scored on eight of their first nine possessions.
WSU quarterback Luke Falk exited late in the quarter having completed 32 of 35 passes for 311 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Quarterback Anu Solomon played the entire third quarter after Brandon Dawkins came up limping near the end of the first half.
HALFTIME UPDATE:
PULLMAN, Wash. – Nothing is going right for the Arizona Wildcats, who are halfway to one of their worst losses ever.
Arizona trails Washington State 38-7 at halftime of their game Saturday afternoon at Martin Stadium.
No matter who plays quarterback, the UA offense can’t move the ball or gives it away. No matter what they try on defense, the Wildcats can’t stop Luke Falk and the Cougars offense.
Falk, the prolific WSU quarterback, has completed 19 of 21 passes for 212 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Cougars have 330 yards of total offense.
Brandon Dawkins and Anu Solomon have shared time at quarterback for Arizona. Both turned the ball over – Dawkins via interception, Solomon via fumble.
Dawkins is 1 of 4 passing for minus-2 yards. He has 48 rushing yards on six attempts. He appeared to injury a knee or ankle at the end of a 28-yard run late in the second quarter.
On the next play, Solomon threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Cam Denson – the lone bright spot thus far in an otherwise miserable afternoon.
Solomon is 8 of 11 for 114 yards. Denson has three catches for 69 yards. Both are career highs.
FIRST-QUARTER UPDATE:
PULLMAN, Wash. – Things are going from bad to rock bottom for the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona entered Saturday with a five-game losing streak and trails Washington State 24-0 after the first quarter Saturday afternoon at Martin Stadium.
UA coach Rich Rodriguez benched starting quarterback Brandon Dawkins after a rough start. After a first-play touchdown pass to Nate Phillips was wiped out by a penalty, the Wildcats went three-and-out. Then Dawkins threw an interception that set up the Cougars at the 8-yard line. They soon made it 10-0, prompting Rodriguez to summon Anu Solomon out of the bullpen.
Solomon at least moved Arizona to midfield, flipping the field position. It hardly mattered. Washington State drove 85 yards in eight plays. Gerald Wicks’ 1-yard run made it 17-0.
Arizona reached the WSU 39 on its next possession, but on fourth-and-4, Solomon got sacked. The Cougars needed just 1:35 to score another touchdown, this time a 2-yard pass from Luke Falk to Gabe Marks.
Arizona right guard Jacob Alsadek did not start because of an unspecified injury.
