What to watch for when Arizona football visits Washington State
Though Arizona has already played a conference game, Saturday’s trip to Washington State feels like the end of the warmup portion of the 2026 season. Starting next week the rest of the opponents are in Big 12 play. The Wildcats (2-1) are seeking their fourth consecutive 3-1 start, which last happened during Rich Rodriguez’s first […]
When Arizona's football team travels to Washington State for their upcoming game, there are several key factors to watch. First and foremost, the run game is a critical area for improvement. The Wildcats have struggled in this department this season, averaging only 123.3 yards per game, which is the lowest in the Big 12. Offensive coordinator Seth Doege has acknowledged that the run game needs to be better and has emphasized his role in improving it.
Quarterbacks have taken nine sacks, resulting in 61 yards of lost yardage, but even without those sacks, the team's average yardage and yards per carry remain below expected levels.
On the other side of the ball, Washington State has highly depended on the run game in their first three games, but they have relied heavily on passing plays as well. However, this imbalance is due to their trailing most of their losses. The trio of Pinnick, Vorhees, and Woods have combined for 530 yards on 79 non-sack carries, with both Pinnick and Vorhees scoring twice.
Defensively, Washington State has struggled to stop the run, especially against NIU, where they were gashed for multiple big runs before the Wildcats took control of the game. Stopping the run will be crucial for Arizona.
Another aspect of the game to watch is the Wildcats' third down conversions. They are allowing third down conversions at a 39% rate, which is a significant increase from last season's 34.1%. Specifically, they have struggled on third downs when facing seventh or more yards, allowing 11 conversions in those situations. Last season, Arizona only yielded a first down 17 times on a 3rd and 7 or more, indicating their defensive coordinator's focus on this area.
With 31 takeaways and a turnover margin of +18 last season, forcing turnovers remains a critical component of their defense. The Wildcats have lost the turnover battle in all three of their games so far, which is a significant concern moving forward as they face a former Pac-12 opponent, Washington State.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
