Lev it on the Field: Breaking down Arizona’s game vs. Utah, other happenings in Pac-12

“Lev it on the Field” is back for Game 11. It’s the Star’s unique look at Arizona’s upcoming football matchup and other happenings around the Pac-12 (and Big 12) through the eyes of UA beat reporter-turned-columnist Michael Lev.

Jedd Fisch had the media corps in stitches when he outlined — or at least attempted to outline — who’d be walking for Arizona on Senior Day.

It’s much more complicated than it used to be.

Quarterback Jayden de Laura isn’t a senior in terms of athletic eligibility. But Saturday’s game against Utah could be his last at Arizona Stadium.

On a recent episode of the “HeadCoachU” podcast, UA coach Jedd Fisch made a passing reference to this being de Laura’s “final” season. De Laura is still figuring out his next move, I’m told.

Should he decide to transfer, the fourth-year junior would need to graduate sometime before next season to be immediately eligible. He isn’t on track to do so in December. Turning pro is another option, although de Laura’s stock isn’t exactly sky-high at the moment.

How will he be remembered by Arizona fans? Although frustrating to watch at times, de Laura played a critical role in the program’s turnaround. He gave the Wildcats legitimate QB play when they desperately needed it.

The offense carried the team to a 5-7 record in Fisch’s second season. De Laura was the star of Arizona’s upset win at UCLA — the turning-point result that fueled this year’s 7-3 breakthrough.

Even as he’s receded into the background after his ankle injury and Noah Fifita’s ascent, de Laura has been a supportive teammate. Fisch lauded de Laura for helping Fifita through a rough patch during last week’s win at Colorado.

I also have a hunch de Laura will make an on-field contribution at some point over the final few games. That’d be a fitting way to bow out.

Take that for data!

Kyle Whittingham’s staying power is truly remarkable.

No one has any patience anymore. Yet Whittingham is about to complete his 19th season as Utah’s head coach.

Whittingham and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy are the second-longest-tenured coaches in college football. Incredibly, they have an identical winning percentage of .676.

The longest-tenured coach is Kirk Ferentz, who’s been Iowa’s sideline leader since 1999.

(Rincon) Market report

Going up: The Pac-2

Oregon State and Washington State won their preliminary court battle to wrest control of Pac-12 assets, although the litigation is from over. They also reportedly have had deep discussions with the Mountain West Conference about a two-year football scheduling partnership that could lead to a merger. Although Arizona is one of the schools that could lose revenue if the courts rule in favor of OSU and WSU, we’re rooting for the underdogs in this fight.

Going down: QBs leaving early

Kansas dual-threat QB Jalon Daniels, who’s out for the season because of a back injury, announced he’s coming back for a fifth year. For most quarterbacks, the more you play in college, the better. Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. have thrived in their fifth and sixth years, respectively. So has ASU-turned-LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, another fifth-year guy. They’re the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy. The reigning winner, USC’s Caleb Williams, is in a different category. The projected No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft has nothing to gain by returning.

A question from my X

“With the portal opening on 12/5, do you see any surprise adds or transfers out?” — @Marcelo_M0908, via X/Twitter

First of all, there are always surprises. Did anyone see three UA starters ending up at USC?

Players transfer for myriad reasons. Coaching changes are one of them. I’d keep an eye on UCLA’s roster given Chip Kelly’s precarious position and Johnny Nansen’s recent stint with that program.

As far as departures, here are some players who could consider the portal: tailback Rayshon Luke, receiver AJ Jones, edge rusher Sterling Lane II and safety Isaiah Taylor.

Please note that this isn’t based on any reporting we’ve done. They’re just logical candidates based on the biggest factor that drives players to the portal — playing time.

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Threads

Arizona will wear its Military Appreciation uniforms Saturday. I haven’t seen them in person yet, but based on the pictures, I’d give them a B, maybe a B-plus. The jerseys are navy with gray and white camouflage numbers outlined in red. The sleeves also feature that camo print. Pics posted in August suggest the Wildcats will wear gray pants. Their mouthguards will feature the U.S. flag, which is a nice touch. What would push the overall look over the top? Silver helmets. The Dallas Cowboys’ Veterans Day helmet featuring red, white and blue stripes down the center is iconic.

What he said ...

“It’s expensive to run a football program. It’s certainly expensive when it comes down to your player retention, player acquisition, how you’re going to support your players through name, image and likeness. ... If you want to have a winning culture and a winning team, the supporters of the University of Arizona have to step up in that regard. It is the only way right now to get it to where it has to go.” — Fisch

What he meant ...

“I didn’t get into this business for the money. Making money shouldn’t be the primary objective for student-athletes either. But they deserve a piece of the pie. It’s only fair. And it’s the reality of the modern world. So if you can spare some dough, we’ll take cash, checks, credit cards or Venmo.”

The other side

Eric Walden, via The Salt Lake Tribune:

After every loss by the Utah football team, head coach Kyle Whittingham and the players selected to address the media postgame inevitably endeavor not to get too immediately specific about what went wrong, saying they’ll need to watch the tape first.

That apparently did no good in explaining how it was that the Utes went from putting up 28 points and 306 yards in the first half vs. Washington to zero points and 76 yards post-halftime in Saturday’s 35-28 loss in Seattle.

“There’s really no explanation for it,” Whittingham said at his weekly Monday morning news conference. “I’ve watched film three times and can’t tell you why.”

He said the Utes’ play-calling was basically the same.

He said the Huskies’ defensive scheme was basically the same.

He said the personnel on both sides was basically the same.

He said the weather in the cold and windy outdoor stadium was basically the same.

But the results could not have been more different.

Pick to click (aka #fadelev)

We’re playing with house money here, so let’s get bold: I’m taking Oregon State (minus-1 as of this writing) to knock off unbeaten Washington. As detailed last week, the Beavers are a beast on their home field (5-0). Reser Stadium will be an absolute madhouse for the final Pac-12 tussle against UW. And the Huskies haven’t been quite the same since they beat Oregon, messing around with ASU and Stanford before edging USC and Utah. They’ve been on the precipice of losing; they’ll fall off the edge Saturday in Corvallis. (season record: 8-2)

One last thing

When I started researching the Utah-Arizona series, I came to a disturbing realization:

The Wildcats haven’t won a game against the Utes since I joined the Arizona Daily Star in December 2015.

Just a month earlier, Arizona defeated Utah for the fourth straight time. So ... is it me?

Utah’s superiority at the line of scrimmage is probably a bigger factor. Or its coaching continuity. But it could also be the Lev Jinx.

It’s time to reverse the curse. It’s time to change the narrative. It’s time for a different outcome.

Arizona 20, Utah 17. Lev Jinx exorcised.