Here's a look at Saturday's lineups and key matchups β and a prediction from Star reporter Justin Spears.
No. 11 Oregon State (6-1) at Arizona (4-3)
When:Β Saturday
Where:Β Arizona Stadium
Kickoff:Β 7:30 p.m.
TV:Β ESPN
Radio:Β 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Oregon State Beavers
Record:Β 6-1, 3-1 Pac-12
WHEN OREGON STATE IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):Β
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
WR | 7 | Silas Bolden | 5-8 | 157 | Jr.
TE | 88 | Jack Velling | 6-4 | 241 | So.
LT | 55 | Joshua Gray | 6-4 | 305 | Jr.
LG | 58 | Heneli Bloomfield | 6-4 | 310 | R-Sr.
C | 70 | Jake Levengood | 6-4 | 294 | R-Sr.
RG | 61 | Tanner Mitchell | 6-1 | 287 | R-Jr.
RT | 75 | Taliese Fuaga | 6-6 | 334 | Jr.
TE | 84 | Jermaine Terry II | 6-4 | 251 | Jr.
WR | 2 | Anthony Gould | 5-8 | 172 | R-Jr.
QB | 5 | D.J. Uiagalelei | 6-4 | 252 | Jr.
RB | 6 | Damien Martinez | 6-0 | 232 | So.
WHEN OREGON STATE IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
DT | 95 | Joe Golden | 6-5 | 290 | R-Sr.
NT | 52 | James Rawls | 6-2 | 284 | R-Sr.
DE | 8 | Sione Lolohea | 6-3 | 266 | Jr.
LB | 5 | Easton Mascarenas-Arnold | 5-11 | 228 | Jr.
LB | 2 | Calvin Hart Jr. | 6-0 | 226 | R-Sr..
OLB | 6 | John McCartan | 6-5 | 228 | R-Sr.
CB | 4 | Jaden Robinson | 6-0 | 190 | R-Sr.
NB | 1 | Ryan Cooper Jr. | 6-0 | 187 | Sr.
SS | 28 | Kitan Oladapo | 6-1 | 217 | R-Sr.
FS | 0 | Akili Arnold | 5-11 | 200 | R-Jr.
CB | 21 | Noble Thomas | 5-11 | 195 | R-Fr.
OSU 2023 schedule
September
3 |Β at San Jose StateΒ | W, 42-17
9 |Β UC DAVISΒ | W, 55-7
16 | SAN DIEGO STATE | W, 26-9
23 |Β at No. 21 Washington StateΒ | L, 38-35
29 | No. 10Β UTAH | W, 21-7
October
7 | at CalΒ | W, 52-40
14 | UCLAΒ | W, 36-24
21 | BYE
28 | at Arizona | 7:30 p.m.
November
4 | at Colorado | 7 p.m.
11 | STANFORDΒ | TBD
18 | No. 5 WASHINGTON | TBD
24 | at No. 8 OregonΒ | TBD
Home games inΒ Bold
Oregon State wide receiver Silas Bolden slips a tackle by Utah cornerback JaTravis Broughton during the Beaversβ win over the Utes.Β
OSU 2023 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
Uiagalelei | 106-176-4 |1,573 | 15 | 75
Chiles | 16-21-0 | 171 | 3 | 23
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Martinez | 105 | 676 | 3 | 6.4 | 96.6
Fenwick | 67 | 382 | 4 | 5.7 | 54.6
Uiagalelei | 36 | 124 | 5 | 3.4 | 17.7
Bolden | 5 | 87 | 1 | 17.4 | 12.4
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
Bolden | 32 | 456 | 4 | 14.3 | 65.1
Gould | 27 | 443 | 2 | 16.4 | 73.8
Velling | 16 | 223 | 7 | 13.9 | 31.9
Irish | 8 | 154 | 1 | 19.3 | 25.7
Noga | 7 | 108 | 1 | 15.4 | 15.4
Munyagi | 4 | 93 | 1 | 15.5 | 8.9
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Mascarenas-Arnold | 64 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0
Arnold | 41 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 | 0
Oladapo | 40 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0
Hart | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1
Lolohea | 30 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 2
Arizona cornerback Ephesians Prysock lines up for a play during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Washington State, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
Arizona Wildcats
Record:Β 4-3 (2-2 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 | 11 | Noah Fifita | 5-11 | 194 | R-Fr.Β
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 |Β Gunner Maldonado | 6-0 | 195 | Jr.
Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan, left, and running back Jonah Coleman, right, gather around wide receiver Jacob Cowing after he scored in the third quarter of Arizona's win over UTEP on Sept. 16 at Arizona Stadium.
UA 2023 schedule
September
2 |Β N. ARIZONAΒ | W, 38-3
9 | at Mississippi State | L, 31-24 (OT)
16 |Β UTEPΒ | W, 31-10
23 | at Stanford | W, 21-20
30 |Β No. 7Β WASHINGTONΒ | L, 31-24
October
7 | at No. 9 USC | L, 43-41 (3OT)
14 | at No. 19 Washington State | W, 44-6
28 |Β No. 11Β OREGON STATEΒ | 7:30 p.m.
November
4 |Β No. 23Β UCLAΒ | 7:30 p.m.
11 | at Colorado | TBD
18 |Β No. 13Β UTAHΒ | TBD
25 | at ASU | TBD
Home games inΒ Bold
UA 2023 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
de Laura | 87-125-5 | 1,069 | 9 | 55
Fifita | 94-125-2 | 946 | 8 | 69
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Coleman | 65 | 433 | 3 | 6.7 | 61.9
Williams | 55 | 246 | 2 | 4.5 | 35.1
Wiley | 40 | 176 | 1 | 4.4 | 44.0
Luke | 24 | 134 | 1 | 5.6 | 19.1
de Laura | 20 | 131 | 3 | 6.6 | 26.2
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
McMillan | 40 | 592 | 5 | 14.8 | 84.6
Cowing | 55 | 425 | 8 | 7.7 | 60.7
McLachlan | 23 | 290 | 2 | 12.6 | 41.4
Coleman | 20 | 289 | 1 | 14.5 | 41.3
Lemonious-Craig | 17 | 164 | 1 | 9.7 | 23.4
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Manu | 58 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0
Johnson | 38 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3
Flowe | 34 | .5 | 0 | 1 | 0
Maldonado | 34 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
Prysock | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
Head to Head
Arizona defensive lineman Taβitaβi Uiagalelei (46) swats away a field goal attempt by Northern Arizona place kicker Marcus Lye that the Wildcats recovered and returned for a touchdown in the third quarter of their win over the Lumberjacks at Arizona Stadium on Sept. 2.
75 Taliese Fuaga vs. 46 Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei
In his second year as a full-time starter, Fuaga, an All-Pac-12 Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2022, has become one of the top right tackles in the conference. According to Pro Football Focus, Fuaga is the highest-graded (91.2) run-blocking offensive lineman in college football with a minimum of 100 snaps. He hasn't allowed a sack or a quarterback hit all season, per PFF.Β
Uiagalelei is tied for fourth on the Wildcats in tackles for loss (3.5) and is Arizona's top rushing defender; that's according to PFF, which gave the second-year defensive lineman an 81 grade. Uiagalelei has played mostly defensive end this season, but has taken 34 snaps at defensive tackle and has given the Wildcats flexibility in their bolstered defensive line rotation. Uiagalelei has a chance to sack his cousin, DJ Uiagalelei, the starting quarterback for the Beavers.Β
28 Kitan Oladapo vs. 2 Jacob CowingΒ
Oladapo, a three-year starter for the Beavers, is a do-everything playmaker on defense, but is best as a downhill safety. Oladapo is the 10th-highest-graded pass-rushing defender (90.5) in college football among those to have played at least 200 snaps. Oladapo has 40 tackles, two stops for loss and one sack, but has six quarterback hurries, according to PFF. Seventeen of his tackles and all of his TFLs are from this month.Β
By this point last season, Cowing already had three 100-yard performances. So far this season, Cowing's highest mark was his 10-catch, 88-yard and record-setting four-touchdown performance in Arizona's triple-overtime loss to USC. Cowing currently leads the Pac-12 in receptions (55); he also led the conference in catches last season.Β Β
The matchup
When Oregon State has the ballΒ β¦Β
Oregon State is the only Power 5 team to have a perfect 25-for-25 scoring rate inside the red zone this season β 21 of them touchdowns (11 rushing, 10 passing). The Beavers have one of the best offensive lines, not just in the Pac-12 but in college footbal. OSU is propelled by a rushing attack, led by star running back Damien Martinez, that ranks fourth in the conference and averages 195.1 yards per game.Β
When Arizona has the ballΒ β¦
In the two games after quarterback Noah Fifita's first start with the Wildcats, Arizona has improved offensively in the first quarter and hasn't fallen behind. Following the one-touchdown loss to No. 7 Washington in Tucson, the Wildcats outscored No. 9 USC and No. 19 Washington State 20-6; the UA got outscored 31-7 in the first quarter in the first five games. Arizona produced over 500 yards of total offense in each of those games.Β
Prediction: Arizona 31, No. 11 Oregon State 28
Oddsmakers have learned their lessons picking Arizona has two-possession underdogs.Β Through seven games, Arizona is 6-1 against the spread this season, which is among the best in college football this season. The Wildcats are 3-0 against the spread at home this season. The Wildcats have consistently shown they're not a team that rolls over. Arizona conceivably could be 6-1 this season, with its only loss to the team in the driver's seat to represent the conference in the College Football Playoff (Washington). Arizona either wins or loses a heartbreaker. Coming off a bye and a 38-point win, the Wildcats have mojo. If Arizona can replicate its defensive performance from the Washington State game and keep the Beavers on their side of the field, the Wildcats should step closer to bowl eligibility.Β
Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch held a news conference on Thursday leading up to the UA's home showdown with No. 11 Oregon State on Saturday at Arizona Stadium. Video by Justin Spears / Arizona Daily Star
