Washington State running back Max Borghi runs past Arizona cornerback Malik Hausman and linebacker Kenny Hebert during the first half of Friday’s game.
Washington State routed Arizona 44-18 in Pullman Friday night, dropping the UA to 1-10 on the season with the season finale at Arizona State on the horizon.
What happened in the UA’s latest defeat? These numbers explain it all:
44
Washington State’s 44 points are the most Arizona has allowed all season.
60.7
The Wildcats have surrendered 182 points in three straight road losses to the Cougars; that’s an average of 60.7 points per game.
8
Arizona linebacker Jerry Roberts left Friday’s game with a left leg injury suffered just eight seconds into the game. With transfer linebacker and original starter Treshaun Hayward away from the team, the UA was left with third-stringer Dante Smith at “Mike” linebacker Friday night. Smith finished with five tackles. Roberts will miss the rest of the season.
15
Arizona fullback Clay Markoff, who transferred from Washington State in the offseason, had a 15-yard rush in the first half against his former team. Markoff’s previous best was an 8-yard gain during a 2019 game.
32
Temperature at kickoff in Pullman was 32 degrees. Snow began to fall in the first half but never stuck to the turf. The last time Arizona played a football game in the snow was 1972, when the Wildcats lost 28-27 to Utah.
Yards per rush for both teams in the first half. Arizona went into the halftime break with 133 yards, while the Cougars had 134. Washington State, which ranked 11th in the Pac-12 in rushing heading into Friday night, finished with 223 yards — 110 more than its average. The Wildcats finished the night with 147 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per rush.
6
Washington State won its sixth game of the season, making the Cougars bowl-eligible for the sixth straight year.
23
The Wildcats cut the WSU deficit to 14-7 in the second quarter only to watch as Wazzu scored 23 unanswered points.
The last time Arizona beat the Cougars in Pullman was seven years ago, when the 15th-ranked Wildcats cruised by WSU 59-37. Washington State has won three straight against the Wildcats in Pullman for the first time ever. Seven is also the number of penalties committed by Arizona in the first half, including four false starts, two illegal formations and a delay of game.
10
Friday night was Arizona’s 10th loss of the season. The last time the Wildcats had a double-digit loss season was in 2003. The Wildcats are now in danger of finishing with 11 losses for the first time in program history.
Photos: Arizona Wildcats vs. Washington State Cougars in Pullman