What to watch for when the Arizona Wildcats host Washington State

Here are three things to watch in the Arizona Wildcats’ game against Washington State at Arizona Stadium (Saturday, noon, Pac-12 Networks), plus a score prediction and some pertinent preview links:

1. JDL VS. WSU

Jayden de Laura undoubtedly has matured since WSU days. Most of us get wiser with age, right? His play style hasn’t changed that much. De Laura’s former QB coach, Craig Stutzmann, described him as a “wild bronco.” “You don't break wild broncos,” Stutzmann said. “You rein them in and you teach them. But at a certain level, you’ve gotta live with some of the mistakes because he's gonna make some plays that you can't create. It's Jayden de Laura being who he is and winning football games.” I asked de Laura about his escapability, and he said it’s a “sixth sense.” “It’s like playing backyard football,” he said. “Trying not get tagged.” Can you imagine how good de Laura was at tag? Well, this week, he’s “it.” He said facing his former team would be fun, and it might be. But I bet he won’t be unhappy when it’s over with and he can move on.

2. GROUND RAID

The Cougars are running a version of the Air Raid again. Three of their assistants worked under Mike Leach during his time at WSU. But here’s what’s weird, and challenging, about the Cougars’ offense: It’s been at its best when tailback Nakia Watson has been healthy and heavily involved. Jedd Fisch was asked how Arizona planned to defend an attack like that. “They've been able to make you spread out defensively, and then they've had a very good box count to be able to run the ball,” Fisch said. “What we have to do to defend a team like that is give them different looks.” The temptation against a team that frequently uses four receivers is to deploy extra defensive backs and keep two safeties deep. Johnny Nansen surely will do that at times. But he’s also going to have to trust his DBs in single coverage at times so more resources can be devoted to stopping Watson.

3. PROTECTION PREDICAMENT

The timing of left tackle Jordan Morgan’s injury couldn’t be worse - for him or the Wildcats. WSU has one of the most aggressive, productive defensive fronts in the Pac-12. The Cougars lead the league with 68 tackles for losses. It’s a major concern heading into this game. Morgan’s replacement, Sam Langi, has struggled in pass protection at times. He has yielded 15 QB pressures in 236 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Morgan allowed 17 in 443. Maybe sticking with one position will help. After moving around the line and playing multiple spots throughout the season, Langi has focused solely on left tackle this week. As we’ve mentioned many times, de Laura has been a wizard when it comes to avoiding sacks. But relying on that is not a formula for sustained offensive success.