Noah Fifita keeps Arizona’s offense moving, but the Wildcats’ biggest question heading into Saturday’s trip to Washington State is whether they’ll have their top wideout back in the lineup.
Tucson Star reporter Justin Spears said on Cougs on the Couch that Giovanni Richardson remains week to week after leaving the BYU game with a lower extremity injury and missing Arizona’s 42-17 win over Northern Illinois. Richardson had already piled up 14 catches in just five quarters before the injury, and Spears said Arizona has gotten no real update on his status.
"He's still week to week, they had zero updates on Gio and his whole situation." Spears said Monday.
"He suffered a lower extremity injury which was a very hockey term for them to use. I would imagine he might go this week but Arizona needs him for the long haul and he's a dynamic playmaker.
"He led Arizona in receiving yards going into last weekend. Even though he missed the final three quarters against BYU, he still ended up leading Arizona and receiving for that game. Regarding Gio's status, no idea if he plays this weekend."
If Richardson can’t go, Arizona still has options. Spears pointed to Tre Spivey, a 6-4, 215-pound target with size and catch-point ability, and Isaiah Mizell, the speedy second-year receiver from Orlando who can stretch the field and take the top off a defense.
Fifita didn’t need Richardson to light up the box score against Northern Illinois. He hit 31 of 34 passes for 325 yards and spread the ball to 11 different Wildcats, a sign Arizona’s passing game can keep humming even if the receiver room looks different on Saturday.
The run game, though, has been a problem. Spears said Arizona sits last in the Big 12 in rushing offense by a wide margin, with a 40-yard gap between the Wildcats and the next team in the standings. Brent Brennan addressed it this week with a blunt assessment: "Yeah we're aggressively attacking that because it's unacceptable where it's at right now."
Saturday also brings an unusual scheduling wrinkle. It will be the first time since 1979 that Washington State hosts Arizona in Pullman in September, and the first September meeting between the teams since 2007. Most of the series has traditionally landed in October or November.
From Arizona’s side, there’s also a little extra edge to this one. Spears said Brennan has personal ties to WSU defensive coordinator Trent Bray dating back to their Oregon State days, and he described the matchup as a major test for Arizona. He also warned the Wildcats to be careful with WSU’s punt returners after what Duquesne showed them.
Spears believes Fifita has grown into a more dangerous quarterback, especially with more designed runs and run-pass option work under Seth Douge. Still, he said the quarterback’s 5-8 frame keeps the national conversation from going where it might if he were taller.
"If this guy was Nick Foles' height or the height of a lot of his quarterback counterparts in the Big 12, we would be talking about him as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. We would be talking about him maybe being the No. 1 overall pick, but we don't because he's 5-8."
As for the game itself, Spears picked Arizona to win but Washington State to cover, calling it "a trap game of all trap games" before the Wildcats fully dive into Big 12 play. His final score: Arizona 30, Washington State 20. He expects the game to stay tight into the fourth quarter before Arizona potentially lands a late knockout score.
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WSU Faces An Early Test Against A Coach Who Knows Pullman Well
Arizonas Brent Brennan enters the matchup with Washington State carrying more than a typical opponents scouting report. The Wildcats coach has known Cougars defensive coordinator Trent Bray for a long time, and their shared history stretches back through past coaching stops together. That familiarity adds a personal layer to a game that already figures to tell Arizona plenty about where Washington State stands early in the season.
Brennan also made clear he has spent time studying what Washington State wants to do on offense, with particular attention on the running game and the way the Cougars build their attack. From Arizonas side, the challenge is straightforward: prepare for a scheme Brennan knows will demand discipline, especially against a team that can lean on the ground game to set the tone. For Washington State, it is another early chance to show its identity against a coach who understands the personnel and the place as well as anyone. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces Three Washington State Threats That Could Decide Pullman
Brent Brennan knows the trip to Pullman rarely comes with easy answers, and Arizonas third-year coach pointed to the usual road-game variables as the Wildcats prepare to face Washington State. The Cougars bring a few especially tricky matchup pieces into the game, starting with Woods, whose running style can turn a routine carry into a long gain and force a defense to stay alert for the explosive play.
Pinnick has also given Washington State a steadier presence at quarterback, giving the Cougars a more complete look on offense, while Thomas adds value in more than one phase with his work on defense and in punt returns. For Arizona, the challenge is not just slowing one threat but accounting for all three without letting the game tilt in Pullmans favor. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces A Real Test In The Matchups That Could Decide Saturday
Brent Brennan and Trent Bray know each other well enough to make Saturdays meeting feel a little different than a typical Pac-12-style chess match, but the real interest for Washington State fans is in how Arizona handles the pressure points that have defined this matchup study all week. The Wildcats are trying to sort through offensive line adjustments while also protecting their quarterback against a defense that is expected to bring heat, and those questions usually tell you plenty about how a game will unfold.
Arizona also has to figure out its own approach at quarterback, because the Cougars are going to have answers of their own on the other side of the ball. The matchup breakdown points to a game shaped less by big-picture narratives than by a few critical snaps up front, where protection, pressure and decision-making could decide which team leaves with the edge. [Read more 🡒]