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The Arizona Wildcats have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Utah Utes and are hoping to record their first win since Nov. 14 of 2015. Arizona and Utah will face off in a Pac-12 battle at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes should still be riding high after a victory, while the Wildcats will be looking to regain their footing.
Arizona came up short against the USC Trojans on Saturday, falling 45-37. The losing side was boosted by QB Jayden de Laura, who passed for three TDs and 380 yards on 43 attempts in addition to picking up 54 yards on the ground.
Special teams collected 11 points for Arizona. K Tyler Loop delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
Meanwhile, Utah didn't have too much breathing room in their game with the Washington State Cougars on Thursday, but they still walked away with a 21-17 victory. Utah QB Bryson Barnes was slinging it as he passed for one TD and 175 yards on 27 attempts in addition to picking up 51 yards on the ground.
The Utes' defense was a presence as well, as it got past the Cougars' offensive line to sack the quarterback four times for a total loss of 21 yards. Leading the way was DE Van Fillinger and his two sacks. Fillinger now has 5.5 sacks through eight games.
The Wildcats are the clear underdogs, so they're hoping it's the size of the fight that determines this one. However, those who like betting on the underdog should be happy to hear that they are 4-2 against the spread when expected to lose.
Arizona's defeat took them down to 3-5 while Utah's win pulled them up to 6-2. Allowing an average of 37.38 points per game, Arizona hasn't exactly asserted themselves on the defensive end. We'll see if they can patch up the holes in their defense before their upcoming matchup.
