The Star presents five storylines of interest as the Arizona Wildcats host Washington State on Saturday at Arizona Stadium. Kickoff is slated for noon. The game will air on Pac-12 Networks.
Winning streak? Bowl berth? It’s all within Wildcats’ grasp as they enter 'playoff mode'
The Arizona Wildcats have a chance to do something they haven’t done in a long time. To pull it off, they’ll need to do three things they haven’t done in a while.
Arizona’s overarching objective now is to qualify for a bowl berth. A week ago, most assumed that wouldn’t be possible. The Wildcats were 20-point underdogs at UCLA last Saturday. A loss would have been their seventh of the season, knocking them out of bowl contention.
Instead, Arizona pulled off a monumental upset. The win kept the Wildcats alive for a bowl game. They haven’t played in one since the Foster Farms Bowl at the end of the 2017 season. That was Rich Rodriguez’s final game as UA coach.
The first step toward ending that drought: Defeat Washington State on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.
"We're in the playoffs right now in our mind," UA offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll said. "To keep playing games, you gotta keep winning. So every one of these, you're in playoff mode."
If the Wildcats were to prevail Saturday – they’re four-point underdogs – they’d have their first two-game winning streak since 2019. Not-so-fun fact: Arizona won four games in a row that season and was 4-1 before losing 20 in a row.
Jedd Fisch is keenly aware of this. He knew the exact date – Oct. 5, 2019 – that the Wildcats last could say they had a winning streak of any kind. He’s using the fact that they haven’t won two in a row in over three years as motivation in a spot in which the Cats haven’t played inspired football of late.
Arizona has lost the game before the Territorial Cup six years in a row. Few have even been competitive. Starting in 2016, the Wildcats have lost by 25 to Oregon State, by 20 to Oregon, by 41 to Washington State, by 28 to Utah, by 11 to Colorado and by 26 to WSU.
"We gotta win this game," Fisch said. "That's really how I look at it. We have to do everything we possibly can – everything in our power – to play the best game we can possibly play.
"We know we're playing a very good team. ... They’ve had a lot of years of success in a row. They know how to win games.
"It's going to be our sole focus to find a way to play our best game this week. We want to play better than we did last week."
If they can beat the Cougars, the Wildcats can zero in on the final achievement that’s eluded them – defeating rival Arizona State. The Sun Devils have won the past five Territorial Cup matchups. Arizona’s last win in the series came in 2016.
"It's our job to try to actually go back-to-back and see if we can win a couple games in a row," Fisch said. "Winning four (games) this year compared to one is better than winning two or three. But winning five would be better than winning four. Winning six would be better than five. So we have to find a way to keep on building this program up."
Arizona running back Michael Wiley leaves USC defensive back Bryson Shaw in the dust during the first quarter of last month’s game at Arizona Stadium.
'Triple threat' Michael Wiley gives Arizona offense a multitude of options
The fastest player in the Arizona running back room? It’s gotta be Rayshon Luke. He nickname, "Speedy," isn’t meant to be ironic.
The biggest, most powerful Wildcat back? That’d be DJ Williams. He’s an absolute load at 225 pounds.
The best all-around UA runner? It’s Michael Wiley. And it’s no contest.
The fourth-year junior isn’t the fastest back. He isn’t the biggest. He just does everything really well.
"Michael has the skill set to be able to be a very versatile running back," Arizona coach Jedd Fisch said. "To be able to be all three things – to be a great runner, to be a great pass blocker, to be a great passer receiver – allows you to be a triple threat.
"You can use him in any capacity. We line him up as a wide receiver in empty formations. We’ve brought him back in and given him tight handoffs. And everything in between."
Wiley leads Arizona in rushing with 507 yards in nine games. He’s tied for first in touchdowns with eight. He ranks fifth on the team with 28 receptions. The other running backs, combined, have 13.
Wiley ranks 14th in the Pac-12 with 758 scrimmage yards. He’s averaging 6.2 yards per touch, up from 4.8 last season.
Wiley notched career highs in rushes (21), touches (27) and scrimmage yards (143) in last week’s upset victory over UCLA. When they needed someone to close out the Bruins, the Wildcats turned to Wiley, who carried the ball six times in a row on their last possession.
Wiley also scored Arizona’s first two touchdowns. The first came on an inside handoff after Wiley was lined up on the wing. The second came on a pass downfield after a Jayden de Laura scramble.
"It makes my job about 10-15 times easier," de Laura said afterward. "I know that he has a good sense of space. He runs the ball. (He’s) one of the best athletes that I’ve been around. Just having the trust in him, knowing that he’ll get open ... everything came together for us."
Arizona offensive lineman Sam Langi, left, congratulates wide receiver Dorian Singer after Singer’s touchdown in their win over Colorado earlier this year.
Sam Langi set to tackle new assignment as Jordan Morgan’s replacement
Arizona can’t replicate what Jordan Morgan provided. But the Wildcats weren’t completely vulnerable when their star left tackle went down.
Arizona had an experienced substitute at the ready when Morgan got hurt in the first quarter vs. UCLA. Veteran Sam Langi had appeared in eight games and had played 308 offensive snaps when he was called upon at the Rose Bowl. He’ll make his second career start Saturday vs. Washington State with Morgan sidelined for the season.
"He played pretty well," UA offensive line coach Brennan Carroll said. "There were a couple mental errors in there that gotta cleaned up. But for the most part, he held his own, had a couple really nice blocks, a couple nice plays."
Langi (6-5, 325) is in his third season at Arizona. He barely played the first two years, appearing in only two games.
Langi came to Tucson after spending two seasons at the College of San Mateo in Northern California. He played right tackle and right guard for the Bulldogs. He has played everything but center for the Wildcats.
Langi’s grades on Pro Football Focus are nowhere near Morgan’s. Then again, that applies to the entire UA offensive line.
"When you look at a guy like Jordan Morgan and the production Jordan has had as a starting left tackle – his size, his speed, his athleticism, his abilities – they're not easy to replace," UA coach Jedd Fisch said.
"Sam has done a great job stepping in. He's played (357) snaps this season at four of the five different positions on the offensive line. When you can do that, there's certainly a confidence rather than throwing somebody in there that hasn't had that type of experience.
"I have confidence in Sam 100%. I also know that our whole offensive line will step up to provide support."
Led by LB Daiyan Henley, Cougars are Pac-12 rarity: They play good defense
The Pac-12 isn’t exactly known for its shutdown defenses this season. No team in the league ranks in the top 20 nationally in total defense. Only three rank higher than 68th.
Washington State is an exception.
Arizona’s upcoming opponent is 45th in the country in yards allowed. Even more impressive, the Cougars rank 20th in scoring defense. They’re allowing only 19.8 points per game. Five Pac-12 teams score at least 38.4 per contest.
"One of the best defenses, if not the best defense, in the Pac-12," UA coach Jedd Fisch said. "They have a great scheme. They're very disciplined. We certainly will be challenged."
WSU ranks in the top three in the league in scoring defense (first), total defense (third) and third-down defense (third). The Cougars are fourth against the run and pass.
Their most productive defender, linebacker Daiyan Henley, spent his first five seasons at Nevada. He began his college career as a wide receiver and kick returner after playing quarterback at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles.
Henley later moved to safety before finding a home at weak-side linebacker. Now listed at 6-2, 232 pounds, Henley ranks second in the Pac-12 in tackles (95) and stops for losses (12, including four sacks). He also has two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Henley has the highest grade (77.5) of any off-ball linebacker in the conference, per Pro Football Focus. He also has the highest tackling grade (88.8) and is tied for first in QB pressures (18).
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. at one point projected Henley as a late first-round pick. Both Kiper and colleague Todd McShay rank Henley as the No. 5 off-ball linebacker in the 2023 NFL draft.
QB Jayden de Laura, pass catchers make multiple UA top-10 lists
Ten games into the 2022 season, several Wildcats have climbed into the top 10 on Arizona’s single-season leaderboards. Here are some of the standouts:
QB Jayden de Laura
The transfer from Washington State ranks sixth in UA annals with 24 touchdown passes. The school record is 28, shared by Nick Foles, Willie Tuitama and Anu Solomon. De Laura ranks seventh in passing yards (3,128) and completion percentage (63.4).
TE Tanner McLachlan
The transfer from Southern Utah ranks third all time among UA tight ends with 29 receptions. He needs four more to surpass Mark Keel for second place. Rob Gronkowski, in 2008, set the Arizona records for catches (47), yards (672) and touchdowns (10) by a tight end.
WR Tetairoa McMillan
McMillan ranks second all-time among UA freshmen with 627 receiving yards. He trails Nate Phillips, who had 696 yards in 2013. McMillan has eight touchdowns, the most among true freshmen in FBS, and needs one more to crack Arizona’s single-season top 10 (regardless of class).
WR Jacob Cowing
The transfer from UTEP is tied for seventh with 74 receptions. He ranks 10th with 964 yards. Cowing, who has seven touchdowns, needs two more to make the top 10.
