After winning 4 straight to get to a 4-1 mark through their first 5 games, the Arizona Wildcats have now lost 4 in a row ahead of their visit to the Pacific Northwest to take on a red-hot Oregon Ducks squad that is closing in on the CFP top 4 later tonight.
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Arizona was knocking on the door of the top 25 a month ago, but that early-season surge seems eons ago at this point. The main culprit in the Wildcats' four-game losing skid has been an incredibly leaky defense. In losses to Washington, USC, Stanford, and Oregon State the defense surrendered 51, 41, 41, and 56 points respectively. By all accounts, Oregon has a better offense than any of the four listed above, meaning Zona's swiss D could be in for another long night.
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One note to keep in mind however, is how this game went last year. Oregon finished the year 9-4 and Arizona limped to a 5-7 disappointing finish, but the Wildcats absolutely dominated the Ducks in surprising fashion - shredding Oregon's defense all night long in a 44-15 rout. That win is by far the most impressive for the Wildcats since Kevin Sumlin took over in Tuscon before last season.
Dynamic Arizona QB Khalil Tate threw for 189 yards and 3 scores in that one despite being limited by a nagging ankle injury. It's been another injury-plagued season for Tate this year as he has just 12 TDs against 8 INTs through the air and 3 scores on the ground. Tate has struggled over the 4-game losing streak, and Sumlin has not named his starter, instead waiting until kickoff to name his signal-caller for tonight's showdown.
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There's a good chance Oregon won't get caught looking ahead as I'm sure head coach Mario Cristobal has reminded the Ducks about last year's pummeling in Tuscon. By all accounts Oregon is much-improved on both sides of the ball from a year ago and come in red-hot fresh off last week's 56-24 blowout of USC at the Coliseum. If it wasn't for a late blown lead in the opener against Auburn, the Ducks very well would be a top 3-4 team at the moment.
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Oregon QB Justin Herbert has not disappointed thus far in his Senior campaign, completing 200 of 288 passes, for over 2,300 yards with 24 TD passes to just 2 INTs. Herbert could be in-line for another monster game tonight against the Wildcats reeling D.
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PREDICTION:
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It is tough to envision a scenario where the Wildcats pull off an epic upset like last year. These teams are both trending in opposite directions. Arizona will score some points, but the defense has a ton to straighten out, and I don't think this is the week where they get it figured out. Herbert & co. have no problem scoring. I'm not sure about the 28-point spread, but I like the Ducks to win comfortably.
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Final Score: OREGON 45 ARIZONA 24
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