For the first month of their charmed season, the Arizona Wildcats’ second-ranked defense double-dog dared its opponents to throw.
Tonight, they were beaten by a Katz.Â
Oregon State’s quarterback Ryan Katz completed 30 of 42 passes for 393 yards and two touchdowns as the Beavers dispatched the No. 9 ranked Wildcats 29-27 in front of 56,034 Arizona Stadium.  Arizona scored a touchdown with 1 minute 52 seconds remaining to cut the Beavers' lead to two points, but was unable to recover the ensuing onside kick.Â
Katz led a Beavers offense that racked up 490 total yards despite playing the entire second half without star receiver James Rodgers. Rodgers, the older of OSU’s famed Rodgers brothers, appeared to injure knee ligaments as he caught what would have been a second-quarter touchdown; adding insult to his injury, Rodgers’ catch was nullified because of an illegal player downfield penalty.
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The injury limited Katz, but not by much. The Beavers’ first-year starter responded to every challenge the Wildcats posed. Every time Arizona got close to tying or taking a lead, the Beavers (3-2, 2-0) separated themselves with long drive and a score.
Keola Antolin’s 33-yard touchdown run cut Oregon State’s lead to four points just seven plays into the third quarter, but OSU stretched its lead back to 10 points with Katz’s 1-yard touchdown run.
Arizona made it a three-point game late in the third quarter, when Nicolas Grigsby  caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from guarterback Nick Foles. But the Beavers battled back with a 10-play, 80-yard drive to ice the game, Jacquizz Rodgers plunged in a 1-yard score with 5:46 remaining to cap it.
The back-and-forth game was an offensive bonanza from the start.
Oregon State drove 68 yards in eight plays on the game’s first drive, silencing the sellout crowd  and putting the Wildcats behind. The Beavers drove inside Arizona territory before Katz hit James Rodgers for a 33-yard score; Rodgers shook UA cornerback Trevin Wade on a double-move, then cruised into the end zone by himself.
Arizona rallied back on its second drive of the game, going 57 yards in just three plays.
With 7:34 remaining in the quarter, the Wildcats ran arguably their most impressive play of the year.  Foles faked a dive up the middle to Antolin and reverse to Bug Wright, then threw deep to Juron Criner. The Wildcats’ star receiver made a headlong catch at the 1 and slid on his belly into the end zone.
Criner was stellar in the first half, catching six passes for 128 yards and a score. He finished with 163 receiving yards on 11 catches.
The Wildcats (4-1, 1-1) will travel to Pullman, Wash., next week to take on Washington State before returning to Arizona Stadium for a homecoming showdown with Washington.
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
OREGON STATE: James Rodgers 33 pass from Ryan Katz (Justin Kahut kick), 11:41. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:19. Oregon State 7, Arizona 0
ARIZONA: Juron Criner 45 pass from Nick Foles (Alex Zendejas kick), 7:34. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 1:02. Oregon State 7, Arizona 7
OREGON STATE: Â Kahut 23 FG, 1:26. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 6:00. Oregon State 10, Arizona 7
SECOND QUARTER
OREGON STATE: Markus Wheaton 48 yard pass from Katz (Kahut kick), 9:21. Drive: 7 Â plays, 80 yards, 3:11. Oregon State 17, Arizona 7
THIRD QUARTER
ARIZONA: Keola Antolin 33 run (kick blocked), 12:54. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:00. Â Oregon State 17, Arizona 13
OREGON STATE: Katz 1 run (kick missed), 6:58. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:48. Oregon State 23, Arizona 13
ARIZONA: Nicolas Grigsby 41 pass from Foles (Zendejas kick), 3:20. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:32. Oregon State 23, Arizona 20
FOURTH QUARTER
OREGON STATE; Jacquizz Rodgers 1 run (kick missed), 5:46. Drive 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:51. Oregon State 29, Arizona 20
ARIZONA: Antolin 12 pass from Foles (Zendejas kick), 1:52. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:54. Oregon State 29, Arizona 27
