Arizona Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon is “day-to-day” after suffering a concussion in Saturday’s win over No. 10 Utah, coach Rich Rodriguez said Monday.
Solomon still must be cleared by Arizona’s training staff if he hopes to play against rival Arizona State this weekend.
“He felt good yesterday,” Rodriguez said. “The trainers were optimistic yesterday, and today we don’t practice.”
The UA has filed a formal complaint with the Pac-12 office over the hit that knocked Solomon out, athletic director Greg Byrne confirmed Monday.
Arizona had the ball with 9 minutes remaining when Solomon took off running. He slid feet-first and was hit by the Utes’ Jason Fanaika. No targeting penalty was called, even though Fanaika appeared to hit Solomon helmet-to-helmet. Backup Jerrard Randall took over, and orchestrated a double-overtime touchdown drive that gave Arizona a 37-30 win.
The Pac-12 is expected to respond to the UA in the next few days.
The injury derailed what might have been Solomon’s best game of the season. The sophomore completed 17 of 27 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 86 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries before he was forced form the game.
“We have pictures of” the hit, Rodriguez said. “The league is going to review it. I don’t know what they will do about it. It’s too late now.”
Solomon wasn’t the only Wildcat injured Saturday. Linebacker Jake Matthews will have season-ending surgery this week after injuring his foot in the second half.
Matthews, an Ironwood Ridge product, started eight of the Wildcats’ 10 games, including four of the last six at middle linebacker. His 47 tackles rank sixth on the team, and his two quarterback hurries are tied for first.
“He was playing pretty well, and then the injury came,” Rodriguez said of Matthews. “He’ll be out in the spring, but he should be good to go next fall.”
No curtains for Cats
Arizona is aware of Arizona State’s reputation for stealing signals, but won’t follow Oregon and Washington’s lead by using large curtains on the sideline, Rodriguez said.
“We’ll have a different plan or special plan for that reason,” Rodriguez said. “They’re going to try to get your signals, and they’re going to have multiple guys trying to get your signals.”
The coach joked Monday that he might start a side-business selling curtains to teams looking to protect themselves from signal-stealers. Arizona State made headlines last month, when Utah players accused coach Todd Graham’s team of stealing signs in a 34-18 Utes win.
Graham copped to stealing signals, but said — and Rodriguez, for the record, agrees — that the gamesmanship is part of football. That didn’t stop other coaches from weighing in: Washington State’s Mike Leach suggested the Pac-12 probe the Sun Devils. Oregon’s Mark Helfrich and Washington’s Chris Petersen used 8-foot sheets to keep the home sideline from their staffers, who use hand signals to call plays from the sidelines.
Arizona will work on an alternate plan all week, Rodriguez said.
“When you know a team and that’s part of their plan, you better make sure you have a plan, too, to counter that,” he said. “Offense has two distinct advantages: You know where you’re going and when you’re going. You don’t want them to know one of those two advantages, right?”
Rivalry talk
Arizona’s players chose their words carefully Monday, in part to avoid becoming bulletin-board material during rivalry week. But it’s clear by what they said — and didn’t say — how important Saturday’s game in Tempe is.
The Wildcats (6-5 overall, 3-5 Pac-12) can keep the Territorial Cup with its second consecutive win over the Sun Devils, all while improving their bowl positioning. ASU (5-5, 3-4) must win one of its final two games just to be eligible for the postseason; the Devils wrap up their regular season with a Nov. 28 game at Cal.
The rivalry is “pretty self-explanatory,” UA nose tackle Sani Fuimaono said.
“Everybody in the whole state knows it’s the most important game of the season,” he said.
UA receiver David Richards said he keeps tabs on ASU through his high school teammate, running back Demario Richard.
“I’m pretty sure that this week, we won’t talk,” he said.
Extra points
- Linebacker
- Paul Magloire
- lost a tooth during Saturday’s game, but stayed in to make a handful of defensive stands — none bigger than the game-winner in double overtime.
- Arizona State will be without its top defensive player Saturday, Graham announced Monday. Senior safety
- Jordan Sim
- one
- , the nation’s leader in tackles per game, injured his right knee against Washington and is done for the year.
Simone will stay involved with the team over the coming weeks, Graham said.
“His leadership is still very vital to us, and he’ll still play a very key role as we move forward,” Graham told reporters. “But my heart goes out to him. That’s a tough deal.”
