With a teammate down, Arizona Wildcats QB Will Plummer will have to step up again

After the best performance of his Arizona career — a 20-of-34, 264-yard outing vs. USC — quarterback Will Plummer said “something just clicked” during the practices leading up to the game.

Plummer wasn’t sure exactly what it was. He and his offensive teammates were “locked in,” he said. They were making more big plays. It was almost as if the entire offense gained a greater grasp of Jedd Fisch’s system.

Asked about Plummer’s comment Monday, Fisch said he saw a more confident quarterback. He saw a QB operate in a way that suggested the game had slowed down for him.

“Every day that he plays quarterback in our offense is a day he should get better in it,” Fisch said. “And every rep he takes.”

Plummer will have plenty of opportunities to get better this week and possibly beyond. Jamarye Joiner — who had been sharing QB duties with Plummer the past two weeks — is doubtful to play against Cal because of a knee injury suffered vs. USC.

Joiner hurt his right knee in the second half. The injury is not a season-ender, Fisch said, and shouldn’t require surgery. If he were able to play, Joiner would have to wear a brace over the knee.

Joiner played 19 snaps against the Trojans, per Pro Football Focus, including a season-high 14 at quarterback. On Arizona’s third play from scrimmage, Joiner threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Tayvian Cunningham. Joiner has two touchdown passes in seven attempts, tied for most on the team with Plummer, Jordan McCloud and Gunner Cruz. McCloud and Cruz are out for the season because of injuries.

Plummer should take every snap with the first-team offense while Joiner is sidelined.

“Not splitting the reps in practice will probably benefit Will,” Fisch said. “It will probably benefit his relationship with the receivers, where they start understanding his timing and his accuracy.”

Plummer displayed a better understanding of the offense against USC. His decision-making was sharper. He took shots downfield when appropriate, yet also took care of the ball when those opportunities weren’t available.

“We encouraged him all week: Be aggressive,” Fisch said. “You can’t just play the game to not make a mistake. That usually is what gets you.

“It seemed as if as the practices went on ... he was just more aggressive. So the ball was flying down the field more, and I think that maybe that kind of message clicked with him. Just like, ‘Hey, let it rip. There’s no one behind me that’s gonna be taking my spot. So I have the freedom to go play the best I possibly can play.’ And then I think he started seeing the field better.”

It was notable that Plummer’s breakthrough game took place in Los Angeles. He had made his college debut 11 month earlier up the freeway at the Rose Bowl. A true freshman at the time, Plummer wasn’t expecting to play. But Grant Gunnell got injured on the first snap against UCLA. Plummer was the next man up.

“I got thrown into that game on the second play of the game,” Plummer said. “Whether I was ready or not, it was just, ‘Here I come.’

“I feel like the game has just gotten way slower for me. I’m seeing defenses. I’m understanding the concepts. Trying to be better at understanding what Coach Fisch wants to do with the football at certain times.”

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In eight games before this past Saturday, Plummer had completed 53.3% of his passes and averaged 4.9 yards per attempt. Against USC, he completed 58.8% and averaged 7.8 yards per attempt.

Questionable calls

Fisch clarified a couple of peculiar rulings during the USC game — at least to the extent that he could.

In the first quarter, Arizona appeared to stop USC’s Keaontay Ingram on a fourth-and-1 run up the middle. The line judge gave the Trojans the first down. The official game book credited Ingram with a 2-yard run.

Fisch discussed the play with the officiating crew but was told he had no recourse.

“I asked them if that was a challengeable one, and they said they already looked at it and were not moving because ... he was blown dead,” Fisch said. “So even if I challenged it, as long as they’re blown dead, they can’t move anything.”

Fisch was able to successfully challenge a spot late in the fourth quarter, turning an apparent USC first down into a third-and-1. But Ingram gained 7 yards on the next play to put the game away.

Earlier in the second half, the officials wiped out a 10-yard pass from Joiner to Stanley Berryhill III. They announced that Berryhill was an ineligible receiver because of his alignment before the snap.

“What I was told by the officials is that Stanley Berryhill was on the line of scrimmage,” Fisch said.

Still images of the play showed that Berryhill was off the line by a yard or two.

Instead of first-and-10 at the USC 16, Arizona faced first-and-15 at the 31. They ended up having to attempt a 51-yard field goal, which missed wide left.

Extra points

In addition to Joiner, Fisch provided several other injury updates. Tight end Bryce Wolma is expected to return after missing the USC game. Defensive tackle Kyon Barrs is probable after missing the past two games. The status of four other players — offensive lineman Donovan Laie, defensive linemen Mo Diallo and Paris Shand, and safety Gunner Maldonado — will be determined over the course of the week.

Freshman receiver Dorian Singer made his official UA debut vs. USC, catching three passes for 65 yards. But don’t expect a flood of freshmen to infiltrate the lineup over the final four weeks — even though anyone making their debut from this point forward would preserve their redshirt. “We’ll absolutely play the best 22 that we can play every game,” Fisch said. “Dorian’s was really more so that he earned the right to play. He was the best X (receiver) that we had at that moment in time.”

Because Election Day is a mandatory day off for NCAA student-athletes, Fisch altered the practice schedule this week. The Wildcats held a light workout Sunday and were scheduled to practice Monday evening. They will resume preparations for Cal on Wednesday.

Arizona’s Nov. 13 home finale vs. Utah will kick off at noon. It will be the second of back-to-back 12 p.m. starts. Does Fisch have a preference between day games and night games? “Whichever one we’ll win. That’s my preference,” he said. “I like to wake up and play. That’s always fun. That’s what a noon game gives.”