Here's a look at Saturday's lineups and key matchups — and a prediction from Star reporter Justin Spears.
No. 7 Washington (4-0) at Arizona (3-1)
When: Saturday
Where: Arizona Stadium
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Network
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington offense are putting up video-game numbers so far this year. The Huskies face the improved Arizona defense in Tucson on Saturday.
Washington Huskies
Record: 4-0, 1-0 Pac-12
WHEN WASHINGTON IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
WR | 1 | Rome Odunze | 6-3 | 215 | Jr.
TE | 83 | Devin Culp | 6-4 | 237 | Sr.
LT | 55 | Troy Fautanu | 6-4 | 317 | Jr.
LG | 71 | Nate Kalepo | 6-6 | 327 | R-Jr.
C | 72 | Parker Brailsford | 6-2 | 275 | R-Fr.
RG | 56 | Geirean Hatchett | 6-4 | 303 | So.
RT | 73 | Roger Rosengarten | 6-6 | 300 | So.
WR | 2 | Ja'Lynn Polk | 6-2 | 204 | So.
WR | 11 | Jalen McMillan | 6-1 | 192 | Jr.
QB | 9 | Michael Penix Jr. | 6-3 | 213 | Sr.
RB | 7 | Dillon Johnson | 6-0 | 215 | So.
WHEN WASHINGTON IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
DE | 8 | Bralen Trice | 6-4 | 274 | Jr.
DT | 68 | Ulumoo Ale | 6-6 | 327 | Sr.
DT | 91 | Tuli Letuligasenoa | 6-1 | 292 | Sr.
DE | 4 | Zion Tupuola-Fetui | 6-4 | 254 | Sr.
MLB | 5 | Edefuan Ulofoshio | 6-1 | 236 | Sr..
WLB | 11 | Alphonzo Tuputala | 6-2 | 240 | Jr.
HUSKY | 3 | Mishael Powell | 6-1 | 210 | Jr.
CB | 1 | Jabbar Muhammad | 5-10 | 183 | Jr.
S | 7 | Dominique Hampton | 6-3 | 220 | Sr.
S | 20 | Asa Turner | 6-3 | 200 | Sr.
CB | 25 | Elijah Jackson | 6-1 | 191 | So.
2023 schedule
September
2 | BOISE STATE | W, 56-19
9 | TULSA | W, 43-10
16 | at Michigan State | W, 41-7
23 | CAL | W, 59-32
30 | at Arizona | 7 p.m.
October
14 | No. 9 OREGON | TBD
21 | ASU | TBD
28 | at Stanford | TBD
November
4 | at No. 8 USC | TBD
11 | No. 10 UTAH | TBD
18 | at No. 19 Oregon State | TBD
25 | No. 16 WASHINGTON STATE | TBD
Home games in Bold
2023 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
Penix Jr. | 103-138-2 |1636 | 16 | 50
Morris | 9-14-0 | 224 | 1 | 57
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Johnson | 25 | 149 | 2 | 6.0 | 49.7
Nixon | 18 | 121 | 0 | 6.7 | 30.3
Rogers | 23 | 87 | 0 | 3.8 | 43.5
Newton | 4 | 29 | 0 | 7.3 | 7.3
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
Odunze | 27 | 544 | 4 | 20.1 | 136.0
Polk | 21 | 427 | 4 | 20.3 | 106.8
McMillan | 20 | 311 | 3 | 15.6 | 103.7
Bernard | 9 | 133 | 1 | 14.8 | 33.3
Westover | 11 | 114 | 4 | 10.4 | 28.5
Culp | 4 | 50 | 0 | 12.5 | 12.5
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Hampton | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
Ulofoshio | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0
Tuputala | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Bruener | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
Jackson | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan catches a pass for a touchdown over Washington linebacker Kamren Fabiculanan during the second half of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Seattle. Washington won 49-39. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Wildcats
Record: 3-1, 1-0 Pac-12
WHEN ARIZONA IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
XWR | 4 | Tetairoa McMillan | 6-5 | 210 | So.
FWR | 2 | Jacob Cowing | 5-11 | 175 | Sr.
LT | 77 | Jordan Morgan | 6-5 | 325 | Sr.
LG | 72 | Wendell Moe | 6-2 | 340 | R-Fr.
C | 75 | Josh Baker | 6-3 | 305 | Jr.
RG | 65 | Leif Magnuson | 6-5 | 315 | R-So.
RT | 71 | Jonah Savaiinaea | 6-5 | 330 | So.
TE | 84 | Tanner McLachlan | 6-5 | 245 | R-Sr.
ZWR | 5 | Montana Lemonious-Craig | 6-2 | 200 | Jr.
QB | 11 | Noah Fifita | 5-11 | 194 | R-Fr.
RB | 3 | Jonah Coleman | 5-9 | 223 | So.
WHEN ARIZONA IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
KAT | 90 | Isaiah Ward | 6-5 | 225 | R-Fr.
DT | 92 | Tyler Manoa | 6-5 | 315 | Sr.
NT | 45 | Bill Norton | 6-6 | 325 | Sr.
DE | 11 | Taylor Upshaw | 6-5 | 270 | Grad.
WLB | 59 | Jacob Manu | 5-11 | 225 | So.
MLB | 10 | Justin Flowe | 6-2 | 225 | R-So.
STAR | 2 | Treydan Stukes | 6-2 | 195 | Jr.
CB | 7 | Ephesians Prysock | 6-4 | 190 | So.
CB | 23 | Tacario Davis | 6-4 | 195 | So.
BS | 43 | Dalton Johnson | 5-11 | 200 | R-So.
FS | 9 | Gunner Maldonado | 6-0 | 195 | Jr.
2023 schedule
September
2 | N. ARIZONA | W, 38-3
9 | at Mississippi State | L, 31-24 (OT)
16 | UTEP | W, 31-10
23 | at Stanford | W, 21-20
30 | No. 7 WASHINGTON | 7 p.m.
October
7 | at No. 8 USC | 7:30 p.m.
14 | at No. 16 Washington State | TBD
28 | No. 19 OREGON STATE | TBD
November
4 | UCLA | TBD
11 | at Colorado | TBD
18 | No. 10 UTAH | TBD
25 | at ASU | TBD
Home games in Bold
2023 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
de Laura | 87-125-5 | 1,069 | 9 | 55
Fifita | 8-8-0 | 69 | 0 | 18
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Wiley | 40 | 176 | 1 | 4.4 | 44.0
Coleman | 20 | 176 | 0 | 8.8 | 44.0
de Laura | 20 | 131 | 3 | 6.6 | 32.8
Williams | 23 | 121 | 1 | 5.3 | 30.2
Luke | 11 | 59 | 0 | 5.4 | 14.8
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
McMillan | 21 | 341 | 3 | 16.2 | 85.3
Cowing | 28 | 238 | 3 | 8.5 | 59.5
McLachlan | 10 | 163 | 1 | 16.3 | 40.8
Wiley | 15 | 132 | 0 | 8.8 | 33
Lemonious-Craig | 8 | 115 | 1 | 14.4 | 28.8
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Manu | 40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0
Flowe | 28 | .5 | 0 | 0 | 0
Johnson | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1
Maldonado | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
Prysock | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Head to Head
Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea goes into protection during the Wildcats' 38-3 season-opening win Sept. 2 over NAU last year.
8 Bralen Trice vs. 71 Jonah Savaiinaea
Between Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington's edge rushers are arguably the best pass-rushing unit the Wildcats will face all season. Trice, a Phoenix native and former Sandra Day O'Connor High School standout, is a fifth-year junior and one of four team captains for the Huskies. Trice was an All-Pac-12 First Team selection last season after leading UW with nine sacks — third-most in the Pac-12 — although he's yet to record a sack this season.
Arizona's Pro Football Focus grade (94.4) for pass-blocking at Stanford is the highest the Wildcats have recorded in the last decade. The Wildcats' top pass-blocker, according to PFF, has been Savaiinaea, who has a 93.5 grade. Savaiinaea and Jordan Morgan haven't allowed a sack all season, but are now tasked with protecting either Noah Fifita, who will likely make his first collegiate start on Saturday, or the hobbled Jayden de Laura.
9 Michael Penix Jr. vs. 7 Ephesians Prysock
If the Heisman Trophy voting started today, Penix could conceivably win college football's prestigious award in a landslide. Penix, who threw out first pitch before the Seattle Mariners game on Thursday, is averaging 409 passing yards per game this season, which is tops in college football. The second-best passer, Colorado's Shadeur Sanders, is averaging 352.5 yards per game. In two seasons at Washington, Penix has a 45-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
In his first season as a mainstay in Arizona's defense, Prysock has emerged as arguably the Wildcats' top defensive back. He hasn't, however, faced a receiving corps like Washington's, which has three receivers averaging over 100 yards per game. Prysock and the rest of Arizona's secondary is looking for their first interception of the season. If Prysock and company, specifically Arizona's 3-1-7 "dollar" package, can steal a possession from Washington with an interception, that could be a difference-maker for the Cats.
Arizona cornerback Ephesians Prysock drives NAU receiver Myseth Currie off his feet after his catch and run in the second quarter of the Wildcats’ season opener on Sept. 2
The matchup
When Washington has the ball …
The Miami Dolphins-esque offense has three NFL-caliber receivers between Odunze, McMillan and Polk in addition to the current top passer in college football. Washington is averaging 593.3 yards of total offense and 49.8 points per game this season. Washington also has former Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson, who had 94 all-purpose yards for the Bulldogs in Tucson last season.
When Arizona has the ball …
Regardless of who's playing quarterback, getting off to a fast start is essential for the Wildcats. Opponents have out-scored Arizona 17-7 in the first quarter this season, while the Wildcats are out-scoring teams 35-9 in the second quarter. Three quarters of sound football won't cut it against the Huskies. Arizona has to establish its presence in this game early, get the sold-out Arizona Stadium crowd involved, and energize the defense.
Prediction: Washington 42, Arizona 30
History suggests that whenever these two teams meet in Tucson, records, rankings and hype don't mean anything. Just look back to Arizona's win over the defending national champion (and top-ranked) Huskies in 1992, the Wildcats' nail-biting win in 2014 when Casey Skowrown kicked a game-winning field, and two years later, when the UA — a team that finished 3-9 — nearly upset the College Football Playoff-bound Huskies. No team this season has pushed Washington deep into a game. That changes on Saturday night with a spirited effort from the Wildcats, but Arizona will likely have to score in the 40s to win. Arizona has scored more than 40 points once in the Fisch era, which was against a doormat Colorado team last season. Cats scratch, but Dawgs prevail.
