Bear Down Wildcats

Game #8 vs Washington State Cougars Discussion Thread

Sat, Oct 24, Homecoming, Tucson, AZ, 1:00 p.m., Pac-12 Network

Hope the secondary can do anything against wsu. Gonna bomb it all over us

ASUHATER! wrote:Hope the secondary can do anything against wsu. Gonna bomb it all over us

It not going to be like last year where be made the big change on defense of going more 2-4-5 where we shut down their passing for a bit.

This game is going to be more of embarrasses defense of effort of stopping the passing game. WSU is nojoke.

Early opening line has us favored by -8.5

Some stats coming into the game
Wsu gives up 417 yards a game to our 426 and 29.2 points a game to our 30.6. Their rush defense is one of the worst in the country though. Overall the defenses are basically equal. Our offense is obviously much more balanced but wsu is more deadly than us through the air. Basically I think this comes down to the home field advantage and turnovers because both teams will score pretty easily on each other.

I took a look at their defensive stats. They are not good against the run at all. They allow five yards a carry and if you take out the Wyoming game (Wyoming is bad, really bad) then that goes up even further. They get to the opposing QB not much more than the Cats do. But even with only 15 sacks on the season, they have over 50 TFLs. They've got six picks this year and they've only thrown four. What will be interesting is to see if the defense has any better luck against this kind of offense, because WSU isn't a running team per se. Instead, they throw a lot of dink and dunk short passes. They'll throw the occasional bomb but they typically throw short. This is going to play to the safeties as much as the cornerbacks and I'll be curious to see what Casteel breaks out this week.

To me, this game is survive and advance. Doesn't matter if you won pretty or ugly, won by blowout or win by nail biter. Win this and they're 6-2 going to UW with an outside shot of Turituri and Scooby coming back. If they win this then the UW game becomes a reset button for the season. If the LBs come back and are effective at UW, then they'll be going into the last part of the season with rested LBs and lots of options on offense.

ASUHATER! wrote:Early opening line has us favored by -8.5

Some stats coming into the game
Wsu gives up 417 yards a game to our 426 and 29.2 points a game to our 30.6. Their rush defense is one of the worst in the country though. Overall the defenses are basically equal. Our offense is obviously much more balanced but wsu is more deadly than us through the air. Basically I think this comes down to the home field advantage and turnovers because both teams will score pretty easily on each other.

Last time we had home advantage we lost 24-17.

Talks of a WSU win and they possibly get gameday

Line is down to -7 already.

azgreg wrote:Line is down to -7 already.

I don't read anything into that. First line to come out is the opening line. Other spots open later and could drive it up and down. Not a reflection on the betting yet.

It was never bet down to 7.5, the Wynn set it there. That first line is a sugested opening by the oddsmakers. Wynn obviously feels there will be a lot of betting pressure on Wazzu based upon there recent play and results.

Going to be a fun game where you have to like the over. They won't stop our run and we will struggle in coverage. Last team with the ball might win

It was never bet down to 7.5, the Wynn set it there. That first line is a sugested opening by the oddsmakers. Wynn obviously feels there will be a lot of betting pressure on Wazzu based upon there recent play and results.

Going to be a fun game where you have to like the over. They won't stop our run and we will struggle in coverage. Last team with the ball might win

I think even the pirate won't fall for that and knows that Anu will start and play until otherwise pulled due to injury or ineffectiveness.

Randall is just a game changer when needed. With WSU and the Air Raid you know they are going to put a bunch of points on the board and UA can't risk any turnovers if Randall airs it out.

But they do still have to prepare for Randall in case Anu is pulled, so the Cats do have that going for them.

Anu is in a funk, but I think that's RR just lighting a fire under his ass. Needs to get his ish together, but unless Randall magically learned how to throw under control and accurately than I doubt it. I think his leash will be quite a bit shorter.

Merkin wrote:But they do still have to prepare for Randall in case Anu is pulled, so the Cats do have that going for them.

I love being in a spot where 22/37 283 yards and two tds is a funk for a qb

Taking out Anu at the end of the 3rd is one of the most surprising, and impressive, things yet from RR. We were dead in the water, and the QB switch changed absolutely everything. One of my biggest questions about RR's offense is why his second string QB's seem almost incapable of running the offense. Randall is different. He changes the offense. He's not just a running QB who can throw a little bit. He must be one of the top 5 fastest QB's in the nation! If he gets a seem, if someone misses an assignment, he is in the endzone.

Look at what happened to Colorado. We went from dead in the water to unstoppable. 97 and 94 yard TD drives???

I asked the question a month ago if RR might sub in Randall in situations where we need to run out the clock. Going forward, after what Randall showed in Boulder, I would love to see him get more series throughout the game, just to throw a few curveballs at the defense. The change destroyed Colorado, because a defense can only prepare so many ways to defend RR's offense.

We shall see, but the young man is a special, unique talent.

Go Cats!!

ASUHATER! wrote:I love being in a spot where 22/37 283 yards and two tds is a funk for a qb

Well it's clear you didn't watch the game (like you admitted in the game thread). Other than 4 or 5 passes (a couple of which were to wide open receivers) he didn't look sharp and lead us to 8 straight scoreless drives. It was clear watching him that he wasn't right.

Anu was pretty much right on the first quarter. Should have been 14-0 but Grant dropped a perfect TD pass.

He just never seemed the same after the ball was "stripped" from him when he was on the ground and appeared to receive some contact when down.

Randall really redeemed himself against CU. It's gotta help his confidence level going forward.

Mix him in every 2 or 3 series' and it really complicates the defensive prep and personnel packages.

Free Jerrard!!

Merkin wrote:Anu was pretty much right on the first quarter. Should have been 14-0 but Grant dropped a perfect TD pass.

He just never seemed the same after the ball was "stripped" from him when he was on the ground and appeared to receive some contact when down.

He did take a pretty solid helmet to helmet shot, but that said, he was nails on the wheel route.

Merkin wrote:Anu was pretty much right on the first quarter. Should have been 14-0 but Grant dropped a perfect TD pass.

He just never seemed the same after the ball was "stripped" from him when he was on the ground and appeared to receive some contact when down.

If you recorded it the camera pans in on Anu for a close up shot shortly after the hit and his eyes are not right.

Have to wonder if we get either Turituri or Scooby back this week. RR said in prep for OSU they could be back in a couple weeks.

Our 2 best pass rushers vs Wazzu. Fingers crossed for at least one of the two

Catstatic wrote:
We shall see, but the young man is a special, unique talent.

Go Cats!!

Yes he is...to bad kittens die every time he throws the ball

A team the 3-3-5 was built for.

I give Anu a pass for the time after the hit. He was not right. I loved what RR did to put JR in to change things up. RR didn't wait till it was too late and too much pressure for JR to perform. Been wanting RR to do that for some time now. Hope he keeps it up. Anu, if healthy, is our #1A. I think JR should be treated like our #1B rather than a #2. This game is gonna be tough but I will always take a great running game over a great passing game.

Since everyone would be concern about next week game against WSU. Even thou this is another must win to be bowl eligible. Why don't we rewatch their game against Oregon state. http://noonkick.com/2015-oregon-state-a ... ton-state/" target="_blank

azcat49 wrote:Have to wonder if we get either Turituri or Scooby back this week. RR said in prep for OSU they could be back in a couple weeks.

Our 2 best pass rushers vs Wazzu. Fingers crossed for at least one of the two

I kind of doubt it, but this is without any inside info. My feeling is that they're back for UW, or USC at the latest. If Arizona beats Wazzu, then this season gets a lot more interesting considering that they'll be close to full strength with the stretch run coming.

Just watched the sports on KOLD and Randall might start, this per RichRod. He just threw it out there during his press conference today. They also showed Kern's interview after the game and said Randall did a great job after Anu got hurt. Did Kern know something that was not reported? Anu did not look right after the hit and who really knows if he plays this week.

Cool.

Irish27 wrote:Just watched the sports on KOLD and Randall might start, this per RichRod. He just threw it out there during his press conference today. They also showed Kern's interview after the game and said Randall did a great job after Anu got hurt. Did Kern know something that was not reported? Anu did not look right after the hit and who really knows if he plays this week.

Even if Randall start that will make the game a lot harder for WSU to actually prepared for him instead of Anu. I didn't even heard about anu being hurt against Colorado. You want to keep all your option open not throw it out their for WSU to be ready for it. Sound like a trap game now.

Guess we will have to wait until Thursday's injury report to see what is up with Anu.

Merkin wrote:Guess we will have to wait until Thursday's injury report to see what is up with Anu.

I have the feeling we won't know the starter untill the first drive no matter what the injury report states. Doesn't RR know we have RAP to prepare for?

[quote="ASUHATER!"]I love being in a spot where 22/37 283 yards and two tds is a funk for a qb[/quote

1st drive: 1/4 for 44 yards. Stalled when he missed on 3 consecutive passes.
2nd drive: no passes
3rd drive: 4/5 75 yards and a TD

That was the good part.

From that point to when he was pulled it was dink and dunk to about midfield and then flame out. He gained only five yards per attempt with a lost fumble and a 3&out that started on the Buff 22. The running game stalled too.

Eight possessions, zero points. The offense was shit for two quarters and the Cats trailed Colorado.

Sage&Silver wrote:1st drive: 1/4 for 44 yards. Stalled when he missed on 3 consecutive passes.

In all fairness, Samanjie Grant dropped a perfectly thrown TD pass so he really didn't miss on that one.

Merkin wrote:

Sage&Silver wrote:1st drive: 1/4 for 44 yards. Stalled when he missed on 3 consecutive passes.

In all fairness, Samanjie Grant dropped a perfectly thrown TD pass so he really didn't miss on that one.

I think that was a really big deal. You drop a dime like that and the receiver butterfingers it, leaving four points on the field. That's not a good tone setter and 21-7 would have been a different story from 17-7.

Weather forecast looks gorgeous for Saturday. 81° and clear at kickoff.

The line went up to 7.5 (from 7 down from the suggested 8.5)...so there is that.

Game notes.

https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/3985810.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30700&" target="_blank

azgreg wrote:Game notes.

https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/3985810.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30700&" target="_blank

Not bad for a scrub.

Jerrard Randall has 534 rushing
yards, which is 4th-most in single
season history for UA quarterbacks.

Merkin wrote:

azgreg wrote:Game notes.

https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/3985810.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30700&" target="_blank

Not bad for a scrub.

Jerrard Randall has 534 rushing
yards, which is 4th-most in single
season history for UA quarterbacks.

Here's another one.
My guess is he has a shit ton fewer snaps than those guys.

azgreg wrote:Here's another one.

My guess is he has a shit ton fewer snaps than those guys.

JR's rushing parity with keenan reynolds really stands out. does navy even have a pass offense?

dirtbags wrote:

azgreg wrote:Here's another one.

My guess is he has a shit ton fewer snaps than those guys.

JR's rushing parity with keenan reynolds really stands out. does navy even have a pass offense?

Not much of one.

17 of 34 for 287 yards 2 td's and 1 int

That's for the season, not 1 game.

What's kind of funny is that it's not out of the realm of possibility that Randall could break Denker's record for rushing yards by a Arizona QB... as a backup.

azpenguin wrote:What's kind of funny is that it's not out of the realm of possibility that Randall could break Denker's record for rushing yards by a Arizona QB... as a backup.

Denker was shy of reaching a 1000 yard season as a first year starter, I don't think Randall going to catch him.

I'd infer Anu was the starter, then I'd start Anu for the first series, and then I'd put Randall in for the rest of the game. WSU's defense is crap against the run, so get them preparing for Anu all week then stick in Randall and let us run over, around and through them all day.

Great. . . we got the Ted Miller "Kiss O'Death". (as did UCLA. . .) http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id ... losangeles" target="_blank

expecting a shootout in the old pueblo on saturday. i'm not very confident that our defense will be able to penetrate wsu's oline and pressure falk, but like our chances on the ground vs. the cougs. we really need a healthy nick wilson for this game.

in the end, special teams may be the difference-maker. wazzu's ST is their achilles' heel, and the game could be won or lost based on the field position and scoring opportunities we create on ST.

dirtbags wrote:expecting a shootout in the old pueblo on saturday. i'm not very confident that our defense will be able to penetrate wsu's oline and pressure falk, but like our chances on the ground vs. the cougs. we really need a healthy nick wilson for this game.

in the end, special teams may be the difference-maker. wazzu's ST is their achilles' heel, and the game could be won or lost based on the field position and scoring opportunities we create on ST.

You're hanging our hat on our special teams? Good lord.