Arizona game tough to forecast

[CougPatrol]

This weeks game is a very interesting matchup. 2 teams who bring the same strengths and weaknesses to the table, yet they're completely different in the way they do it.

My concerns.....

Arizona is one of the best rushing teams in the conference, trailing only Stanford and Oregon. The Ducks gashed us for over 400 yards in our game in Eugene, despite not having a passing game to speak of. That's concerning, and Arizona (depending on who plays QB for them) will feature a better passing attack than what we saw from the Ducks. Every conference team we've played, along with Rutgers, has moved the ball against us, so I can't see us holding Arizona under 30 points. Frankly, I hope we hold them under 40.

The good news.....

Arizona has been marginal at best on defense so far this year, and outside of Stanford, they haven't played anyone with a dynamic offense. In conference games this season, they rank 5th in pass defense, 9th in pass defense efficiency, last in interceptions, last in opponent 1st downs, 10th in opponent 3rd down conversions, 11th in opponent 4th down conversions, last in red zone defense, 8th in scoring defense, and 7th in total defense.

While we have already played road games against 2 of the better offensive teams in the league (Cal & Oregon), Arizona has played UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, and at Colorado. 3 of those teams have below average offenses, and none of them feature wide open passing attacks. Translation: I don't see Arizona holding us under 30 points, and I can see us frustrating them by picking them apart.

Prediction....

This is a tough one for me. I think both offenses should have a field day, but the fact that they're at home (on homecoming) and that they get their yards more reliably via the ground game, gives them the advantage. On the other hand, I think the intangibles favor us. We're a hungry, confident, and motivated team. Arizona has been riddled with injuries and has uncertainty at QB. If things don't go well for them early, I can see them going away from their game plan and forcing things. I like WSU in a shootout.

WSU 44
UA 38

 

[SaveFerris]

This weeks game is a very interesting matchup. 2 teams who bring the same strengths and weaknesses to the table, yet they're completely different in the way they do it.

My concerns.....

Arizona is one of the best rushing teams in the conference, trailing only Stanford and Oregon. The Ducks gashed us for over 400 yards in our game in Eugene, despite not having a passing game to speak of. That's concerning, and Arizona (depending on who plays QB for them) will feature a better passing attack than what we saw from the Ducks. Every conference team we've played, along with Rutgers, has moved the ball against us, so I can't see us holding Arizona under 30 points. Frankly, I hope we hold them under 40.

The good news.....

Arizona has been marginal at best on defense so far this year, and outside of Stanford, they haven't played anyone with a dynamic offense. In conference games this season, they rank 5th in pass defense, 9th in pass defense efficiency, last in interceptions, last in opponent 1st downs, 10th in opponent 3rd down conversions, 11th in opponent 4th down conversions, last in red zone defense, 8th in scoring defense, and 7th in total defense.

While we have already played road games against 2 of the better offensive teams in the league (Cal & Oregon), Arizona has played UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, and at Colorado. 3 of those teams have below average offenses, and none of them feature wide open passing attacks. Translation: I don't see Arizona holding us under 30 points, and I can see us frustrating them by picking them apart.

Prediction....

This is a tough one for me. I think both offenses should have a field day, but the fact that they're at home (on homecoming) and that they get their yards more reliably via the ground game, gives them the advantage. On the other hand, I think the intangibles favor us. We're a hungry, confident, and motivated team. Arizona has been riddled with injuries and has uncertainty at QB. If things don't go well for them early, I can see them going away from their game plan and forcing things. I like WSU in a shootout.

WSU 44
UA 38

The Oregon backs were pretty dynamic and we allowed a lot of big players from Freeman/Griffin. Too many big plays but we were able to come up with big stops as well. Just limit the 20+ yard gains (not to mention the ridiculous 35 yard run from Lockie) and we should score enough points to win this game.

Fast start like last week, Rich Rod blowing a gasket on the sideline, and Arizona going away from their ground game would be nice to see. Road games are tough and when they are in Tuscon @ 1pm even tougher. We stuck with Cal and should do the same or better against UA. Big game for us to get to 5 wins with 5 to play.

 

[MikeFingLeach]

Strength on weakness for both teams. However, I give an edge to our defense. AZ is banged up and struggle to defend the pass. If we can limit big runs and get stingy in the red zone, I can see WSU returning the favor from last year and blowing the doors off AZ.

Leach and Falk have to be licking their chops looking at AZ film.

 

[CougEd]

Strength on weakness for both teams. However, I give an edge to our defense. AZ is banged up and struggle to defend the pass. If we can limit big runs and get stingy in the red zone, I can see WSU returning the favor from last year and blowing the doors off AZ.

Leach and Falk have to be licking their chops looking at AZ film.

I am sure they may be licking their chops at Arizona film. The one concern is if they are running well between the 20's, they hold on to the ball our offense doesn't get the snaps it needs. It is a fascinating matchup

 

[SaveFerris]

I am sur ethey may be licking their chops at Arizona film. The one concern is if they are running well between the 20's, they hold on to the ball our offense doesn't get the snaps it needs. It is a fascinating matchup

If we get the ball first, get into an offensive rhythm, and are able to get a TD on the first drive like we have the last 2 weeks that should give us a lot of confidence and take the air out of the stadium. I like our chances if we can get out to a lead and hopefully take the next step of pouring it on into the 2nd half.

Should be a good game.

 

[SCglory]

This weeks game is a very interesting matchup. 2 teams who bring the same strengths and weaknesses to the table, yet they're completely different in the way they do it.

My concerns.....

Arizona is one of the best rushing teams in the conference, trailing only Stanford and Oregon. The Ducks gashed us for over 400 yards in our game in Eugene, despite not having a passing game to speak of. That's concerning, and Arizona (depending on who plays QB for them) will feature a better passing attack than what we saw from the Ducks. Every conference team we've played, along with Rutgers, has moved the ball against us, so I can't see us holding Arizona under 30 points. Frankly, I hope we hold them under 40.

The good news.....

Arizona has been marginal at best on defense so far this year, and outside of Stanford, they haven't played anyone with a dynamic offense. In conference games this season, they rank 5th in pass defense, 9th in pass defense efficiency, last in interceptions, last in opponent 1st downs, 10th in opponent 3rd down conversions, 11th in opponent 4th down conversions, last in red zone defense, 8th in scoring defense, and 7th in total defense.

While we have already played road games against 2 of the better offensive teams in the league (Cal & Oregon), Arizona has played UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, and at Colorado. 3 of those teams have below average offenses, and none of them feature wide open passing attacks. Translation: I don't see Arizona holding us under 30 points, and I can see us frustrating them by picking them apart.

Prediction....

This is a tough one for me. I think both offenses should have a field day, but the fact that they're at home (on homecoming) and that they get their yards more reliably via the ground game, gives them the advantage. On the other hand, I think the intangibles favor us. We're a hungry, confident, and motivated team. Arizona has been riddled with injuries and has uncertainty at QB. If things don't go well for them early, I can see them going away from their game plan and forcing things. I like WSU in a shootout.

WSU 44
UA 38

Seems reasonable to me, count me in on this prediction

 

[CrimsonWazzu]

I think we will do a pretty good job keeping them out of the endzone *enough* times(not entirely), and get into the endzone more times. That's really going to be the story for this game. We have VERY good balance right now on offense. The OL has been outstanding, and we've been able to run it pretty well in the red zone, keeping D's somewhat honest. How impressive was our defense late vs Oregon vs the run? They gashed us for some huge runs in the middle of the game, but during the clutch time they came up huge and shut them down. I think Arizona will give us a similar look offensively.

Arizona does not throw the ball well, neither of the QB's are "dangerous" with their arms. I think a good defensive gameplan will be to contain the run, between the 20's not get burned on huge plays, and then tighten down in the red zone. I know that's oversimplified, but the total yards gained is an irrelevant stat imo, it's about 3rd downs and red zone conversions. This is going to be a high scoring game. Our D is better than their D, our offense is at least as good, possibly better. I think we have the slight edge.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

The Oregon backs were pretty dynamic and we allowed a lot of big players from Freeman/Griffin. Too many big plays but we were able to come up with big stops as well. Just limit the 20+ yard gains (not to mention the ridiculous 35 yard run from Lockie) and we should score enough points to win this game.

Fast start like last week, Rich Rod blowing a gasket on the sideline, and Arizona going away from their ground game would be nice to see. Road games are tough and when they are in Tuscon @ 1pm even tougher. We stuck with Cal and should do the same or better against UA. Big game for us to get to 5 wins with 5 to play.

Road games are not tough for us. They are in fact preferable.

 

[405 Coug]

This is a tough game to predict, I say the winning team needs at least 45 points, and the Cougs need to hang onto the ball ( a problem at Cal) and need 3 take aways to win, it might be the only way we stop AZ. If you look at their stats against OSU, the one common opponent, they ran up more yards, and held the Beavs to 7 points. So it will take our best effort and no special teams miscues to win this thing. I can see why AZ is favored, just hope the Cougs "keep getting better each week" as the coaches say.

 

[froropmkr72]

This is a tough game to predict, I say the winning team needs at least 45 points, and the Cougs need to hang onto the ball ( a problem at Cal) and need 3 take aways to win, it might be the only way we stop AZ. If you look at their stats against OSU, the one common opponent, they ran up more yards, and held the Beavs to 7 points. So it will take our best effort and no special teams miscues to win this thing. I can see why AZ is favored, just hope the Cougs "keep getting better each week" as the coaches say.

One of these games is going to be a surprisingly low-scorer and this might be it. I'm looking for UA's defense to step up more, but still lose to THE WSU (not to be mistaken for Wright State University..who thinks they OWN it) ...........28-24

 

[chipdouglas]

Prior to 2015 this would have been an unexpected blowout loss. I'm hopeful that we have officially turned over a new leaf.

The teams I really worry about are those like Stanford. They can keep the chains moving, they tackle well, and they keep your offense off the field. Well-done, old-fashioned football can be a cure-all against offenses like ours. I'm hopeful for a competitive game there, but EXPECT one in Arizona.

 

[95coug]

This weeks game is a very interesting matchup. 2 teams who bring the same strengths and weaknesses to the table, yet they're completely different in the way they do it.

My concerns.....

Arizona is one of the best rushing teams in the conference, trailing only Stanford and Oregon. The Ducks gashed us for over 400 yards in our game in Eugene, despite not having a passing game to speak of. That's concerning, and Arizona (depending on who plays QB for them) will feature a better passing attack than what we saw from the Ducks. Every conference team we've played, along with Rutgers, has moved the ball against us, so I can't see us holding Arizona under 30 points. Frankly, I hope we hold them under 40.

The good news.....

Arizona has been marginal at best on defense so far this year, and outside of Stanford, they haven't played anyone with a dynamic offense. In conference games this season, they rank 5th in pass defense, 9th in pass defense efficiency, last in interceptions, last in opponent 1st downs, 10th in opponent 3rd down conversions, 11th in opponent 4th down conversions, last in red zone defense, 8th in scoring defense, and 7th in total defense.

While we have already played road games against 2 of the better offensive teams in the league (Cal & Oregon), Arizona has played UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, and at Colorado. 3 of those teams have below average offenses, and none of them feature wide open passing attacks. Translation: I don't see Arizona holding us under 30 points, and I can see us frustrating them by picking them apart.

Prediction....

This is a tough one for me. I think both offenses should have a field day, but the fact that they're at home (on homecoming) and that they get their yards more reliably via the ground game, gives them the advantage. On the other hand, I think the intangibles favor us. We're a hungry, confident, and motivated team. Arizona has been riddled with injuries and has uncertainty at QB. If things don't go well for them early, I can see them going away from their game plan and forcing things. I like WSU in a shootout.

WSU 44
UA 38

Yeah, tough call. I actually like our chances slightly better if Solomon starts at QB. The other kid is mobile, and we've proven repeatedly this season that we're not so good against QBs who can run.

The other problem is just the clash of offensive styles. If UA has success running the ball, they'll do it, and they'll dominate TOP. If they can run the ball and keep our offense off the field, our D will wear down (and our D has struggled late in most of our games), and UA can turn to the pass late to put it away. But then again....this lets our O stay relatively fresh into the 4th quarter, so it could turn into a shootout in the last 15 minutes. It wouldn't surprise me to see it at 24-21 at the end of 3, but end up being 42-38. Also wouldn't really surprise me to see 31-28. I'd just like to see us play a full game like we played the 1st half last week.

 

[95coug]

This weeks game is a very interesting matchup. 2 teams who bring the same strengths and weaknesses to the table, yet they're completely different in the way they do it.

My concerns.....

Arizona is one of the best rushing teams in the conference, trailing only Stanford and Oregon. The Ducks gashed us for over 400 yards in our game in Eugene, despite not having a passing game to speak of. That's concerning, and Arizona (depending on who plays QB for them) will feature a better passing attack than what we saw from the Ducks. Every conference team we've played, along with Rutgers, has moved the ball against us, so I can't see us holding Arizona under 30 points. Frankly, I hope we hold them under 40.

The good news.....

Arizona has been marginal at best on defense so far this year, and outside of Stanford, they haven't played anyone with a dynamic offense. In conference games this season, they rank 5th in pass defense, 9th in pass defense efficiency, last in interceptions, last in opponent 1st downs, 10th in opponent 3rd down conversions, 11th in opponent 4th down conversions, last in red zone defense, 8th in scoring defense, and 7th in total defense.

While we have already played road games against 2 of the better offensive teams in the league (Cal & Oregon), Arizona has played UCLA, at Stanford, Oregon State, and at Colorado. 3 of those teams have below average offenses, and none of them feature wide open passing attacks. Translation: I don't see Arizona holding us under 30 points, and I can see us frustrating them by picking them apart.

Prediction....

This is a tough one for me. I think both offenses should have a field day, but the fact that they're at home (on homecoming) and that they get their yards more reliably via the ground game, gives them the advantage. On the other hand, I think the intangibles favor us. We're a hungry, confident, and motivated team. Arizona has been riddled with injuries and has uncertainty at QB. If things don't go well for them early, I can see them going away from their game plan and forcing things. I like WSU in a shootout.

WSU 44
UA 38

Yeah, tough call. I actually like our chances slightly better if Solomon starts at QB. The other kid is mobile, and we've proven repeatedly this season that we're not so good against QBs who can run.

The other problem is just the clash of offensive styles. If UA has success running the ball, they'll do it, and they'll dominate TOP. If they can run the ball and keep our offense off the field, our D will wear down (and our D has struggled late in most of our games), and UA can turn to the pass late to put it away. But then again....this lets our O stay relatively fresh into the 4th quarter, so it could turn into a shootout in the last 15 minutes. It wouldn't surprise me to see it at 24-21 at the end of 3, but end up being 42-38. Also wouldn't really surprise me to see 31-28. I'd just like to see us play a full game like we played the 1st half last week.