I don’t think I can ever remember a season where the PAC-12 had so many top-notch QB’s. I mean Caleb Williams and Cameron Rising were amazing in that USC/Utah game but Michael Penix-Jr scored just as many TD’s for Washington in the Huskies 49-39 win against Arizona in addition to throwing for more yards than either one—a school record 516 yards, 4 TD’s in the air and 1 more while rushing 3 times for 13 yards while Arizona’s Jayden de-Laura connected on 75% of his passes for 400 yards and 4 TD’s as well. Sophomore WR Rome Odunze blistered the Wildcats with 9 receptions for 169 yards (18+ yards per reception) and bookend TD’s to a Penix-Jr 8 yard TD run in the 3rd Qtr where the Huskies erupted for 21 points to go out in front 42-24. Freshman WR Tetairoa McMillan had his own stellar day catching the ball for Arizona’s de-Laura while pulling in 7 receptions for 132 yards and 2 TD’s.
It was a close game up through the 2nd Qtr with the score tied at seven a piece after the 1st Qtr and Washington only up by a TD at the break 21-14. But they got that lead by scoring a TD with just 11 seconds left in the 2nd Qtr and since they had won the toss and deferred they were going to get the ball right after the half-a definite advantage and chance to really extend the lead which they did in just two plays under a minute starting the 3rd Qtr to go out in front 28-14. With Arizona scoring the first four times they got the ball in the 2nd half, including three TD’s and a field goal, Washington would have been caught if not for their back-to-back-to-back TD’s to start the 2nd half.
Down 42-24 going into the 4th Arizona scored on a Jayden de-Laura 20 yard TD pass to Tanner McLachlan to get within 11 at 42-31 and then again on their next drive, after a missed field goal by the Huskies, on another de-Laura TD pass—this time to Tetairoa McMillan and a two-point conversion to get within three at 42-39. But Washington came back on a 75 yard, 8 play drive and Cameron Davis 19 yard TD run to go up 49-39 where it stayed after Arizona missed a 41 yard field goal with 1:23 left in the game.
One thing you can say about this Arizona team under Head Coach Jedd Fisch, who took over for Sumlin who was fired mid-season last year, they are no longer throwing in the towel, even though as the AP pointed out in their Takeaway for Arizona; “No sacks, no turnovers forced. De Laura . . . in two games at Husky Stadium (one as a Cougar), is 52 for 66 passing (78.8 percent) for 645 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions [and] . . . though he played a spirited game, the Wildcats showed they need more than the sophomore quarterback to compete. Other than those four-down stops, they made very few defensive plays.” The box score bears that out as Washington was certainly more disruptive on the defensive side of the ball recording 52 tackles, 4 sacks, and 5 tackles for loss.
Sitting at 3-4 with USC in two weeks, then Utah, UCLA, Washington State and Arizona State left to play it’s clear the Wildcats will be fortunate to finish the season at 4-8. But coming off a 1-11 2021 season it’s progress, and if Jedd Fisch can be as successful recruiting next year as he was this year (1st in the PAC-12) he can do for Arizona what Jonathan Smith has done at Oregon State. Washington hits the road to take on Cal next Saturday needing just one more win to become bowl eligible.