Super Bowl-winning head coach Bruce Arians famously said, “No risk it, no biscuit.”
Through two weeks of Arizona’s season, Jayden de Laura leads the nation in two statistical categories; however, it’s not anything the UA quarterback can pound his chest over.
De Laura is tied with Hawaii’s Brayden Schager for the most interceptions thrown (five) after he threw four — three of them on Arizona’s first three possessions to start the game — in the Wildcats’ overtime loss to Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday. The week prior, de Laura had an interception in addition to a fumble against Northern Arizona. He’s thrown 10 interceptions in the last four games going back to last season.
The second not-so-ideal stat for de Laura is a Pro Football Focus specialty: TWP (turnover-worthy plays), meaning passes that have a high chance of getting intercepted or runs with a high risk of fumbling. De Laura is tied with New Mexico State’s Diego Pavia for the most TWP plays (seven) this season, according to PFF.
Last season, de Laura was tied for fourth in FBS in TWP plays (24) — worst in the Pac-12 — and is on pace for 42 this season. In his last season at Washington State in 2021? Tops in the Pac-12 with 16. In the eyes of PFF, de Laura is a TWP-producing machine.
Then again, de Laura did complete 32 of 46 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Tetairoa McMillan in the back of the end zone to tie the game in the fourth quarter, and led the Wildcats in rushing yards on the road in a rowdy environment at Mississippi State.
That’s de Laura. He’s exciting, he sometimes makes the oh-no plays, but he’s productive. He’s, well, a fake-spiking gunslinger. And Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch doesn’t mind that.
“We used to say with Brett Favre that he would throw you a few of them and if you catch them, it’s probably good for you. And if you don’t catch them, it’s probably good for them,” Fisch said during his news conference on Monday. “I think there’s an aggressive mentality, there’s a mindset. Jayden understands that you can’t turn the ball over, but I didn’t see any of those throws he made being careless or reckless.
“As a matter of fact, I thought the first interception was a really good play by their defense. We needed to get (McMillan) further over, but he stopped short, so we didn’t motion him and we were supposed to. The second interception, thought that was good job by their defender. And their third interception was a great job by their safety. And the fourth one, we could’ve had a better route, but the ball ended up popping up in the air when you probably could’ve scrambled.”
Since the avalanche of Arizona’s five turnovers was in the first quarter, Arizona “had no concern that we were going to be able to continue to fight, which we did,” Fisch said.
“I think after that, (de Laura) had three touchdowns — two in the air, one on the ground, threw for over 300 yards, and had probably one of the better quarterback performances against Mississippi State’s defense according to their head coach.”
Despite a 14-0 hole on the road as a result of de Laura’s interceptions, Fisch said he “didn’t feel any flinch from” his quarterback.
“Maybe a year ago, I would have. Maybe there would’ve been a little bit of a different attitude, because I think it’s more about trust with Jayden more than anything else,” Fisch said. “If he believes that you believe in him, he’s not going to let you down and he’s going to be in a spot where he’s going to be able to go out there and play. And that’s what I expected from him.
Fisch later added: “To go out there and make the plays that he made, to make the scrambles he made, the throw to T-Mac in the end zone for the touchdown to tie it up, all of those plays were big-time ball plays that came from a big-time player.”
De Laura is always willing to risk it for the biscuit.
Flowe breaks out
Led by running back Joquavious Marks, Mississippi State established the run early and had 88 rushing yards in the first quarter. After that? Fifty-seven yards in three quarters to finish with 145 rushing yards.
A key contributor to Arizona keeping MSU’s rushing attack at bay was “Mike” linebacker Justin Flowe having 12 tackles — the most since his second season at Oregon in 2021 — in 27 snaps. Flowe was a consistent run-stopper and an effective linebacker against MSU’s 12 personnel sets with two tight ends.
“That’s an enormous amount of production. ... So we’re going to have to play Justin more,” Fisch said on Monday. “We’re going to continue to watch his development grow. He’s becoming more comfortable in the system.
Fisch said Flowe “brings an energy to the game, to the defense,” and he “would expect to see more of him as we go and really build off his performance Saturday night.”
Mississippi State running back Jo’Quavious Marks runs past Arizona defensive back Martell Irby on Saturday. Irby left the game in the second quarter, but not for medical reasons.
Irby leaving game ‘not for medical reasons’
Arizona nickelback Martell Irby, who started in place of the injured Treydan Stukes on Saturday, was on pace to have a career game with six tackles, three stops for loss and a forced fumble in the red zone on the opening drive until he was removed in the second quarter and replaced with safety DJ Warnell, who had three tackles and the third-best tackling grade (76.9) for the game by PFF.
Fisch Irby is “healthy, good to go,” but his exit on Saturday was “not for medical reasons,” Fisch said.
“In terms of the way they were lining up and some of the athletes that we have, we wanted to put DJ Warnell out there. But Martell is fine. ... I think Irby made some great plays on the field. I just think there’s times we make substitutions like we do at all spots. What we needed to do at that time during the game, we felt like we wanted to give DJ some opportunity, and DJ did a really good job in that spot ... Irby brings a certain juice to the game. ... We need to see some consistent play out of everybody down in and down out.”
Fisch said he expects freshman right guard Raymond Pulido to make his Arizona debut “if all things go well on the medical front.”
The 6-6, 335-pound Pulido was recently injured from an on-campus bike accident two days before the Wildcats’ season opener. When Pulido was out, the Wildcats started redshirt senior Sam Langi at guard against NAU, then moved Jonah Savaiinaea from tackle to guard and had 6-8, 325-pound Joseph Borjon make his first-career start at right tackle at Mississippi State.
Said Fisch: “As of today, my expectation is that Pulido, (cornerback Dylan) Wyatt, Stukes ... those three should all be clear to play on Saturday, if they don’t have setbacks on Tuesday and Thursday’s practice.”
VIDEO: Jedd Fisch, speaks Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, on Jayden de Laura’s interceptions against Mississippi State and the Arizona quarterback's Brett Favre-esque aggressiveness. Video by Justin Spears/Arizona Daily Star
