Here's a look at Saturday's lineups and key matchups — and a prediction from Star reporter Justin Spears.
Arizona (3-3) at No. 19 Washington State (4-1)
When: Saturday
Where: Martin Stadium; Pullman, Washington
Kickoff: 4 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Network
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan (84) tries to wrench his way out of the hold of Washington State linebacker Travion Brown (82) after a catch in the backfield in the third quarter of their Pac 12 game at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., November 19, 2022.
Arizona Wildcats
Record: 3-3 (1-2 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 | 7 | Jayden de Laura | 6-0 | 205 | Jr.
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.
Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch watches the final minutes of the Wildcats 31-20 loss against Washington State at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., November 19, 2022.
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 | L, 31-24
October
7 | at No. 9 USC | L, 43-41 (3OT)
14 | at No. 19 Washington State | 4 p.m.
28 | No. 15 OREGON STATE | TBD
November
4 | No. 18 UCLA | TBD
11 | at Colorado | TBD
18 | No. 16 UTAH | TBD
25 | at ASU | TBD
Home games in Bold
A wide Tetairoa McMillan hauls in a long bomb for Arizona during the Wildcats' home matchup with Washington State last fall at Arizona Stadium. The then-freshman wide receiver caught 39 passes for 702 yards and two touchdowns in his first year in Tucson.
2023 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
de Laura | 87-125-5 | 1,069 | 9 | 55
Fifita | 60-82-2 | 604 | 8 | 39
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Coleman | 54 | 363 | 0 | 6.7 | 60.5
Williams | 43 | 209 | 1 | 4.9 | 34.8
Wiley | 40 | 176 | 1 | 4.4 | 44.0
de Laura | 20 | 131 | 3 | 6.6 | 32.8
Luke | 14 | 63 | 0 | 4.5 | 12.6
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
McMillan | 33 | 524 | 5 | 15.9 | 87.3
Cowing | 47 | 396 | 8 | 8.3 | 61.6
McLachlan | 19 | 242 | 2 | 12.7 | 40.3
Coleman | 16 | 191 | 1 | 11.9 | 31.8
Lemonious-Craig | 12 | 132 | 1 | 11.0 | 22.0
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Manu | 53 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0
Johnson | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3
Flowe | 31 | .5 | 1 | 0 | 0
Maldonado | 27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
Prysock | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Washington State defensive back Jaden Hicks (25) nearly picks off a pass intended for Arizona running back Rayshon Luke (20) in the second quarter of the Cougars' Pac-12 matchup with the Wildcats on Nov. 19, 2022 at Arizona Stadium.
Washington State Cougars
Record: 4-1 (1-1 Pac-12)
WHEN WSU IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
WR | 3 | Josh Kelly | 6-1 | 192 | R-Jr.
WR | 2 | Kyle Williams | 6-0 | 187 | Jr.
LT | 76 | Esa Pole | 6-7 | 323 | Jr.
LG | 61 | Christian Hilborn | 6-5 | 320 | R-So.
C | 77 | Konner Gomness | 6-5 | 286 | R-Jr.
RG | 66 | Ma'ake Fifita | 6-5 | 297 | R-Jr.
RT | 79 | Fa'amoe Fa'alili | 6-5 | 305 | R-So.
TE | 24 | Cooper Mathers | 6-2 | 228 | Jr.
WR | 5 | Lincoln Victor | 5-9 | 177 | Sr.
QB | 1 | Cameron Ward | 6-2 | 223 | Jr.
RB | 25 | Nakia Watson | 6-0 | 217 | R-Sr.
WHEN WSU IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
DE | 10 | Ron Stone Jr. | 6-3 | 246| R-Sr.
DT | 15 | Nusi Malani| 6-4 | 286 | Jr.
DT | 60 | David Gusta | 6-3 | 292 | So.
DE | 80 | Brennan Jackson | 6-4 | 264 | Grad.
WLB | 52 | Kyle Thornton | 6-1 | 222 | R-Jr.
MLB | 8 | Devin Richardson | 6-3 | 232 | R-Sr.
STAR | 4 | Kapena Gushiken | 6-0 | 180 | Jr.
CB | 3 | Cam Lampkin | 5-11 | 173 | R-Sr.
CB | 6 | Chau Smith-Wade | 5-11 | 176 | Jr.
BS | 25 | Jaden Hicks | 6-3 | 212 | R-So.
FS | 00 | Sam Locket III | 6-1 | 207 | R-Sr.
2023 schedule
September
2 | at Colorado State | W, 50-24
9 | vs. No. 19 WISCONSIN | W, 31-22
16 | vs. NORTHERN COLORADO | W, 64-21
23 | vs. No. 14 OREGON STATE | W, 38-35
October
7 | at UCLA | L, 25-17
14 | vs. ARIZONA | 4 p.m.
21 | at No. 7 Oregon | 12:30 p.m.
28 | at Arizona State | TBD
November
4 | vs. STANFORD| TBD
11 | at Cal | TBD
17 | vs. COLORADO | TBD
25 | at No. 7 Washington | TBD
Home games in Bold
2023 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long
Ward | 124-180-2 | 1,586 | 14 | 63
Mateer | 9-170-0 | 170 | 3 | 72
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Watson | 46 | 153 | 2 | 3.3 | 30.6
Ward | 48 | 97 | 3 | 2.0 | 19.4
Paine | 14 | 91 | 1 | 6.5 | 18.2
Mateer | 11 | 59 | 2 | 5.4 | 11.8
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
Kelly | 26 | 376 | 5 | 14.5 | 75.2
Rice | 24 | 337 | 4 | 14.0 | 84.3
Williams | 24 | 387 | 4 | 16.1 | 77.4
Hernandez | 20 | 162 | 0 | 8.1 | 32.4
Watson | 7 | 63 | 2 | 9 | 12.6
Hamilton | 6 | 62 | 9 | 10.3 | 12.4
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Thornton | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Hicks | 36 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 1
Lockett | 35 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0
Richardson| 31| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Smith-Wade | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Head to Head
Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea was one of the Wildcats’ most production linemen, statistically speaking, in 2023.
Jonah Savaiinaea vs. Brennan Jackson
Whether it's at right tackle or right guard, Savaiinaea has emerged as one of the top pass-blocking offensive lineman in college football. Per Pro Football Focus, Savaiinaea has the second-best pass-blocking grade (87.3) nationally among college football offensive lineman with at least 250 pass-protection snaps this season. In last season's contest between the Wildcats and Cougars, Savaiinaea and Jordan Morgan weren't playing tackle. Savaiinaea was a starter at right guard, while Morgan was out for the season with a knee injury he suffered the previous week.
Washington State defensive end Quinn Roff (20) and defensive end Brennan Jackson (80) react to a play against Arizona as snow falls during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. are one of the top edge-rushing duos the Wildcats will face this season. Last season, Jackson was tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with 12 tackles for loss and six sacks, and was named an All-Pac-12 Second Team member. In last week's loss to UCLA, Jackson logged five tackles, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups.
Arizona defensive back Martell Irby jumps for joy next to assistant Duane Akina after a goal-line stand in the Wildcats’ 38-3 win over NAU.
Martell Irby vs. Cameron Ward
Arizona found a way to get both of its nickelbacks on the field between Treydan Stukes and Irby: just play them both in the "dollar" package, the Wildcats' defensive back-heavy 3-1-7 scheme that's used to counter teams with high-level passing attacks. Irby, who replaced safety Isaiah Taylor in the dollar package against USC, garnered a fumble recovery last week. Irby is Arizona's highest-graded (82.2) defensive player on PFF; he also leads the Cats with an 85.1 pass-coverage grade.
Ward, the successor to Jayden de Laura at quarterback at Washington State, reunited with former Incarnate Word head coach Eric Morris, who took over as the Cougars' offensive coordinator, last season. After one season, Morris left WSU and became the head coach at North Texas and was replaced by Western Kentucky play-caller Ben Arbuckle. No Morris, no problem this season for Ward, who is nearly averaging 317.4 yards per game this season — nearly 70 more yards than last season. Ward has a 14:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio through five games.
Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura, left, gestures to tight end Tanner McLachlan as the offensive unit leaves the field following an interception in the third quarter against Washington State at Arizona Stadium on Nov. 19, 2022.
The matchup
When Arizona has the ball …
After getting outscored 31-7 in the first quarter in the first five games of the season, the Wildcats came out relatively sharp at USC and leapt to an early 17-0 lead until quarterback Noah Fifita threw an interception, which shifted the momentum in the first half. Whoever is playing quarterback for the Wildcats, whether it's Jayden de Laura or Fifita, the Wildcats can't afford to turn the ball over. If de Laura replicates last season's four-interception outing against his former team or the four-pick performance at Mississippi State, Arizona could be playing catch-up the entire time on the road.
When Washington State has the ball …
In three straight weeks, the Wildcats will face one of the top passing units in college football. No, seriously. Washington (446.4), Washington State (365.6) and USC (355.2) average the most passing yards per game nationally this season. Much like Washington, WSU has a vertical attack and averages 13.3 yards per catch this season.
Washington State wide receiver Robert Ferrel (12) has plenty of room to look the ball into his arms as Arizona cornerback Treydan Stukes (20) tires to make up ground in the first quarter of their Pac 12 game at Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., November 19, 2022.
Prediction: Arizona 38, No. 19 Washington State 35
Nineteen points is the difference between .500 and an unblemished record. The Wildcats have lost all three games, including overtime contests, by a combined 16 points this season. If Jayden de Laura plays, keeping his emotions in check will be essential. If Noah Fifita starts quarterback, he's a quarterback who's given the Wildcats a legitimate shot at beating two Top-10 teams in as many weeks. Entering the bye week 4-3 is a better feeling than 3-4 with three straight losses — and the path to bowl eligibility more difficult. The Wildcats only had 84 rushing yards against the Cougars last season. Despite running back Michael Wiley likely out with an ankle injury, Jonah Coleman, DJ Williams and Rayshon Luke do their part in a high-scoring, grind-it-out victory for the Wildcats in their final trip to Pullman.
VIDEO: Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch says quarterback Jayden de Laura (ankle) is a "gametime decision" but will be fully dressed at Washington State. De Laura is "certainly closer than he's ever been." Fisch said de Laura could be used in an "emergency situation." (Justin Spears/Arizona Daily Star)
