Star reporter Michael Lev breaks down key matchups, strategy and starters for both Arizona and Utah, and offers a prediction for the teams' game Friday night.
Shun Brown (6) took a 75-yard reception to the house on the first play from scrimmage when the Wildcats were in Salt Lake City in 2016.
Mike Christy / 51ºÚÁÏÍø '16Who:ÌýArizona Wildcats (3-3, 2-1) at Utah Utes (3-2, 1-2)
Where:ÌýRice-Eccles Stadium
When:Ìý7 p.m. Friday
Watch:ÌýESPN
Listen:Ìý1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Follow:ÌýÌýon Twitter /ÌýÌýon Facebook
Friekh hasn’t been 100 percent since the Oregon State game because of an injury to his lower right leg. Kevin Sumlin went so far as to say Friekh has been a “game-day decision†the past two weeks. Can he hold up on a short week against a top end?
Anae leads the Utes with four sacks. He ranks second on the team with 5.5 total TFLs. He also has three pass breakups and a forced fumble. Anae, who recently switched from left to right end, had four tackles and a sack in last year’s meeting.
Fields again is playing at a high level. His 45 tackles rank second on the team behind buddy Colin Schooler’s 66. Fields was the second man in on Arizona’s critical fourth-down stop in last week’s win over Cal at Arizona Stadium.
Moss has scored nearly half of Utah’s touchdowns, and ranks third in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game (109.8). A cousin of former NFL players Santana and Sinorice Moss, Zack ranks 12th on Utah’s career rushing list.
Receiver Cedric Peterson (18) and Khalil Tate (14) will look to get going against a difficult Utah defense.
Mike Christy / 51ºÚÁÏÍøCan the Wildcats find a way to move the ball against the No. 1 defense in the Pac-12? It won’t be easy. As receiver Cedric Peterson said, “We have to be on our A-game.†That wasn’t the case last week vs. Cal, when the offense didn’t score after the first quarter. QB Khalil Tate has been running the ball more of late and must continue to do so to loosen Utah’s front.
Tyler Huntley was off to a hot start against Arizona in the teams' last meeting, but hasn't been as sharp in 2018.
Ben Margot / AP PhotoThe Utes rank in the bottom half of the league in most major offensive categories. They’re at their best when Moss is running downhill; limiting him will be the UA defense’s primary objective. Look for the Wildcats to load up the box and dare QB Tyler Huntley to beat them with his arm. Huntley was off to a great start in last year’s meeting (8-9-98-1-0) before getting hurt and missing the final two-plus quarters.
Utah players celebrate an interception in the dying moments of a win over Arizona in Tucson in 2017.
Kelly Presnell / 51ºÚÁÏÍø '17This rivalry seldom goes according to script. The Wildcats upset the 10th-ranked Utes in 2015. Last year Arizona turned the ball over five times yet lost by only six points. The Wildcats will need to turn the tables to win this time. They’re going to have to make something happen on defense and/or special teams. Problem is, that’s Utah’s game. Add in home field, and this might be Arizona’s toughest test to date.
Offense
WR 18 Cedric Peterson 5-11 193 Jr.
SLOT 6 Shun Brown 5-10 188 Sr.
LT 58 Layth Friekh 6-5 297 Sr.
RT 76 Cody Creason 6-4 294 Jr.
C 50 Josh McCauley 6-3 292 So.
RG 54 Bryson Cain 6-4306So.
RT 78 Donovan Laie 6-4 318 Fr.
SLOT 9 Tony Ellison 5-11 189 Sr.
WR 19 Shawn Poindexter 6-5 218 Sr.
RB 21 J.J. Taylor 5-6 184 So.
QB 14 Khalil Tate 6-2 215 Jr.
Defense
DE 52 PJ Johnson 6-4 335 Jr.
NT 99 Dereck Boles 6-2 306 Sr.
DT 91 Finton Connolly 6-5 301 Jr.
STUD 14 Kylan Wilborn 6-2 248 So.
MLB 7 Colin Schooler 6-0 236 So.
WLB 1 Tony Fields II 6-1 230 So.
SPUR 19 Scottie Young Jr. 5-11 195 So.
BANDIT 3 Jarrius Wallace 6-1 180 So.
BC 2 Lorenzo Burns 5-10 181 So.
FC 8 Tim Hough 5-11 195 Sr.
FS 6 D. Flannigan-Fowles 6-2 209 Sr.
Utah's Zack Moss has six touchdowns in five games this season.
Ben Margot / AP PhotoOffense
XWR 8 Siaosi Mariner 6-2 193 Jr.
EWR 18 Britain Covey 5-8 170 So.
LT 70 Jackson Barton 6-7 313 Sr.
LG 55 Nick Ford 6-5 315 Fr.
C 69 Lo Falemaka 6-5 295 Sr.
RG 79 Jordan Agasiva 6-3 320 Sr.
RT 77 Darrin Paulo 6-5 313 Jr.
TE 44 Jake Jackson 6-3 245 Jr.
ZWR 7 Demari Simpkins 5-10 176 Jr.
QB 1 Tyler Huntley 6-1 200 Jr.
RB 2 Zack Moss 5-10 215 Jr.
Defense
LE 92 Maxs Tupai 6-1 242 So.
LT 49 Pita Tonga 6-1 301 So.
RT 99 Leki Fotu 6-5 323 Jr.
RE 6 Bradlee Anae 6-3 254 Jr.
MLB 30 Cody Barton 6-2 230 Sr.
RLB 22 Chase Hansen 6-3 230 Sr.
FS 15 Corrion Ballard 6-3 200 Sr.
SS 13 Marquise Blair 6-2 195 Sr.
LC 1 Jaylon Johnson 6-0 190 So.
RC 23 Julian Blackmon 6-1 190 Jr.
NB 28 Javelin Guidry 5-9 190 So.
Passing
Tate 94-174-5 Cmp-Att-Int, 1,412 Yds, 11 TDs, 75 Lg
Rodriguez 6-7-0 Cmp-Att-Int, 49 Yds, 0 TD, 16 Lg
Rushing
Taylor 6 Games, 104 Car., 600 Yds, 3 TDs, 5.8 Avg
Brightwell 6 Games, 55 Car., 303 Yds, 2 TDs, 5.5 Avg
Tate 6 Games, 44 Car., 109 Yds, 2 TDs, 2.5 Avg
Marsical 6 Games, 11 Car., 68 Yds, 1 TD, 6.2 Avg
Smith 2 Games, 15 Car., 62 Yds, 1 TD, 4.1 Avg
Brown 6 Games, 2 Car., 40 Yds, 0 TDs, 20 Avg
Receiving
Poindexter 6 Games, 21 Rec., 407 Yds, 2 TDs, 19.3 Avg
Brown 6 Games, 27 Rec., 342 Yds, 3 TDs, 12.6 Avg
Ellison 6 Games, 17 Rec., 311 Yds, 3 TDs, 18.2 Avg
Defense
Schooler 66 Tk, 1 Sk, 1 Int, 1 FR
Fields 45 Tk, 0 Sk, 0 Int, 0 FR
Wallace 36 Tk, 0 Sk, 1 Int, 0 FR
Flannigan-Fowles 24 Tk, 0 Sk, 0 Int, 0 FR
Burns 22 Tk, 0 Sk, 0 Int, 0 FR
Passing
Huntley 94-150-2 Cmp-Att-Int, 1,020 Yds, 5 TDs, 57 Lg
Shelley 2-2-0 Cmp-Att-Int, 40 Yds, 0 TDs, 40 Lg
Rushing
Moss 5 Games, 95 Car., 549 Yds, 6 TDs, 5.8 Avg
Huntley 5 Games, 64 Car., 143 Yds, 2 TDs, 2.2 Avg
Shyne 5 Games, 18 Car., 71 Yds, 0 TDs, 3.9 Avg
Shelley 1 Game, 2 Car., 49 Yds, 0 TDs, 24.5 Avg
Covey 5 Games, 6 Car., 47 Yds, 0 TDs, 7.8 Avg
Green 3 Games, 31 Car., 90 Yds, 6.3 Avg
Receiving
Covey 5 Games, 33 Rec., 354 Yds, 0 TDs, 10.7 Avg
Nocua 5 Games, 13 Rec., 146 Yds, 1 TDs, 11.2 Avg
Dixon 5 Games, 4 Rec., 128 Yds, 0 TDs, 32 Avg
Defense
Hansen 43 Tk, 3 Sk, 1 Int, 1 FR
Barton 37 Tk, 0 Sk, 0 Int, 0 FR
Thompson 22 Tk, 1 Sk, 0 Int, 0 FR
Johnson 20 Tk, 0 Sk, 1 Int, 0 FR
Ballard 18 Tk, 0 Sk, 1 Int, 1 FR
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