STANFORD, Calif. – Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin understands the heightened level of interest in his quarterback situation, but he's more concerned about the big picture. After losing back-to-back games to Washington and USC by a combined 51 points, the Wildcats look to get untracked Saturday against host Stanford, which is in danger of missing a bowl game for the first time in 11 years.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Arizona -1
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Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate threw for 47 yards and was sacked six times in last Saturday's 41-14 loss to Utah, but the senior remains the starter over freshman Grant Gunnell, who took over in the third quarter and passed for 196 yards and two touchdowns. "The first thing I'm hoping to get a response is out of our team," Sumlin told reporters. "That's where we are. It's more than the quarterback. We had protection issues, we had some route issues, some blown assignments. It's more than just the quarterbacks that need to be addressed." Quarterback has also been a hot topic at Stanford, where Jack West became Stanford's third different starting signal-caller of the season in a 34-16 loss to UCLA on Oct. 17. The sophomore was sacked seven times and hopes for a better result Saturday when he is expected to make his second straight start Saturday in place of K.J. Costello (thumb) and backup Davis Mills (calf).
ABOUT ARIZONA (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12)
The Wildcats rank 13th in the country in total offense at 491.6 yards per game and have received a welcome boost from running back Nathan Tilford, who has 21 carries for 166 yards and three touchdowns over his last four games. Wide receiver Brian Casteel had five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns at USC, giving the Wildcats their first 100-yard receiving game of the season. Linebackers Tony Fields II and Colin Schooler have a combined 111 tackles to lead the defense, which has allowed 62 points in the second half in the past two games.
ABOUT STANFORD (3-4, 2-3)
The injury-depleted Cardinal have seen a total of 16 players make their first career starts this season – including four on the offensive line. The Cardinal offense revolves around fifth-year running back Cameron Scarlett, who ran for a career-high 151 yards on 33 carries in a 10-point win over Washington before rushing 13 times for 34 yards against UCLA. The Cardinal struggled against the run versus UCLA but received another strong outing from junior cornerback Paulson Adebo, who has made 27 tackles with two interceptions.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Stanford has won the last five meetings against Arizona and holds a 16-14 edge in the all-time series.
2. Arizona has not intercepted a pass in their last three contests after recording nine in their first four games.
3. Stanford is 74-7 when leading at halftime under head coach David Shaw.
PREDICTION: Arizona 31, Stanford 17