Northern Arizona last beat the Arizona Wildcats in 1932. The winners scored seven points, the losers six.
Imagine explaining the box score from Saturday’s game to Depression-era Wildcat stars William Walter Davies and Bud Kelly.
Where would you even start?
The UA posted video-game numbers? That wouldn’t work.
The Wildcats raced ahead like a Porsche? Nope.
They melted your high-definition TV screen? Nah.
The UA set a record for points and yards in Saturday’s 77-13 win over the visiting northerners at Arizona Stadium, ensuring that it will open the Pac-12 season against UCLA next week with a sparkling 3-0 record.
The numbers were, well, almost indescribable.
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Much of the Wildcats’ 792 total yards came with backups in the game and a surefire win already decided. The Wildcats’ leading rusher was a backup quarterback, Jerrard Randall, who ran the ball just three times. Four separate UA signal-callers scored on quarterback sneaks. The team’s leading receiver, David Richards, didn’t touch the ball in the second half.
“The guys corrected some things and played pretty well the last three quarters,” UA coach Rich Rodriguez said.
The numbers “will be nice to talk about for a day, but after tomorrow’s film — other than corrections — we’ll be moving on for sure,” Rodriguez said.
The offensive numbers impressed, sure. But the night’s biggest play came from a cornerback.
Da’Vonte Neal intercepted NAU quarterback Case Cookus in the second quarter, sparking a 35-point outburst that finished one shy of the UA’s all-time record for points in a quarter.
Anu Solomon found receiver Samajie Grant for an 8-yard touchdown pass to give the UA a 14-6 lead 41 seconds into the frame. After a UA defensive stop, Solomon connected with Richards for a 27-yard touchdown pass.
Neal’s interception of Cookus, right after NAU’s quarterback underthrew his receiver for what would have been a big gain — if not a touchdown — flipped the momentum in the Wildcats’ favor. Nick Wilson rushed three consecutive times for 52 yards and a score following the turnover, giving the Wildcats a 28-13 lead. Solomon then found Richards for his second score. Solomon completed 25 of 35 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns.
Wilson punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left before halftime, and the rout was on. Most of Arizona’s starters watched as backup quarterbacks Randall (149 rushing yards, two touchdowns) and Brandon Dawkins (74 rushing yards one TD) added to their highlight reels. Even fourth-stringer Zach Werlinger — whose nickname is Wer-ginger — scored, punching in an 11-yard run with 5:45 left.
A walkover win over a Division I FCS program won’t register nationally, and will likely be forgotten by the time UCLA visits next week for a nationally televised game. But it was important for two reasons: First, it cemented Randall as a viable option should the grind of 12 games in 12 weeks lead to a Solomon injury. Randall, an LSU transfer, showed off his athleticism and an increasing knowledge of the UA’s offense. He even played a little wide receiver.
“Jerrard’s pretty explosive,” Rodriguez said. “He’s more and more comfortable each week.”
Secondly, Saturday’s blowout showed the Wildcats’ injury woes may be behind them. Wide receivers Cayleb Jones and Grant limped off the field with injuries, but the Wildcats were mostly spared any other significant problems. For a team that lost its first-, second- and third–string middle linebackers in the past month, that’s good news.
All-American linebacker Scooby Wright watched Saturday’s game from the sidelines in a team-issued sweatsuit. Gone was the cane that he used after being forced from the team’s opener with a torn lateral meniscus.
The junior underwent surgery to repair it 15 days ago. He began running last week, and could be closer to resuming football activities.
On Saturday, Wright was merely a spectator. He was certainly entertained.
“It’s really going to help us next week,” Richards said.
