Arizona Visits Boulder for Clash with Colorado

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona Wildcats (0-5, 0-2) hit the road for a Pac-12 matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes (1-4, 0-2) this Saturday afternoon at Folsom Field in Boulder. Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m. MST with a television broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.

Arizona is 4-0 against Colorado in Boulder since the Buffaloes joines the Pac-12 in 2012. They aim to maintain that perfect Pac-12-era Folsom Field record and grab their first victory of the season this weekend.

A complete game preview is below.
ARIZONA NOTES & NUMBERS

• Arizona will face Colorado on the road on Saturday to get to the halfway point of the regular season.
• The Wildcats are 8-15 all-time against the Buffaloes and 5-6 all-time in Boulder. Arizona has found extensive recent success against Colorado, having won seven of nine matchups since 2012.
• Saturday's game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. MST (1:30 local time) on the Pac-12 Network. Ted Robinson and Yogi Roth will be on the call.
• Arizona allows an average of just 154 passing yards per game, which is second in the Pac-12 and fifth in the nation. Last time out against UCLA, the Bruins had just 82 passing yards on 8-for-19 passing for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. UCLA had just three passing yards in the first half last weekend.
• Through five games, Stanley Berryhill III has a team-high 40 receptions for an average of eight per game, which is second in the Pac-12 and seventh in the nation. His 79.4 yards per game is the second-most in the Pac-12.
• Anthony Pandy had a career-high 13 tackles vs. UCLA and leads the team with 42 tackles this season. His 8.4 tackles per game is the fourth-most in the Pac-12.
• Arizona has converted 69% of the time on fourth downs this season, the second-best rate in the Pac-12.
• The Wildcats have held three of their first five opponents under 400 yards of offense. Across the 2019 and 2020 seasons, spanning 17 games, Arizona held their opponents under 400 yards just one time. In those three games, Arizona has outgained their opponent.

69% — Arizona 9-13 on fourth down this season after converting two of their three attempts vs. UCLA. Arizona's 69% conversion rate on fourth down is the second-best in the Pac-12.

34 — Offensive lineman Donovan Laie has started the first 34 games of his career. Only eight other offensive linemen have started 30 or more consecutive games since Arizona began tracking game-by-game starters in 1993.

40 — Stanley Berryhill III has 40 catches in the first five games of the season and is on pace for 96 catches, which would be a school record.

100 — For the first time since 2008, the Wildcats have held their opponent to under 100 passing yards twice this season after UCLA had 82 last game.

154 — Arizona allows just 154 passing yards per game, the second-fewest in the Pac-12 and the fifth-fewest in the nation.
 

WRAPPING UP SATURDAY: Anthony Pandy and Jaxen Turner set career highs in total tackles with 13 and 10, respectively … Boobie Curry set a career high with six catches on six targets … Arizona opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal from freshman Tyler Loop in the 1st quarter. It marked the first time the Wildcats led a Pac-12 opponent since going up 13-0 on Colorado in 2020 … Jamarye Joiner threw his first career touchdown pass to Michael Wiley at the end of the first half on a double pass … The Wildcats allowed eight passing yards in the first half and 82 for the entire game, marking the first time Arizona has held an opponent under 100 yards passing since limiting Colorado to 92 in 2019. It was the fewest passing yards allowed since limiting The Citadel to 21 in 2010 … Arizona converted on all three field goals with two from Lucas Havrisik and one from Tyler Loop … Mo Diallo finished the game with half a sack and 1.5 TFLs … Kenny Hebert forced his first fumble as a Wildcat and Treshaun Hayward recovered his first fumble as a Wildcat … Treydan Stukes broke up a pass in the back of the endzone in the fourth quarter, giving him a team-high three PBUs this season … Jordan McCloud was very effective before leaving the game due to injury as he was 21-for-30 for 182 yards and a 121 QB rating.

VERSUS COLORADO: Arizona is 8-15 all-time vs. Colorado, but is 7-3 since the Buffs joined the Pac-12 … The Wildcats have won the last four contests vs. Colorado in Boulder … Arizona has won three of the last four overall games vs. the Buffaloes … Last season, Colorado beat Arizona 24-13 in Tucson … Arizona took a 13-0 lead in the first half but surrendered 24-straight points … Michael Wiley and Gary Brightwell each ran for over 100 yards, with Wiley leading the way with 126 yards on just nine carries … Will Plummer started the game at QB and passed for 154 yards … BJ Casteel had three catches for 71 yards, including a 42-yard reception … Anthony Pandy had a terrific game on the defensive side of the ball as he had eight tackles, half for a loss and picked off two passes … Isaiah Mays also chipped in seven tackles, one for a loss and forced a fumble.

ON PACE FOR GREATNESS: Nearly halfway into the regular season, Berryhill is on pace to catch 96 passes for 953 yards, which would surpass his total receptions and yards from his first three seasons at Arizona combined (56 catches for 733 yards). Should Berryhill stay on this pace, which isn't out of the realm of possibility considering he averages over 12 targets per game, he would challenge Bobby Wade's single-season reception record of 93 catches.
 
FBS Receptions per Game Leaders

Pac-12 Receptions per Game Leaders

Pac-12 Receiving Yards per Game Leaders

MR. YAC: Stanley Berryhill III has been outstanding for the Wildcats through five games thus far. A team-captain and one of the recipients of the No. 1 jersey, Berryhill leads Arizona with 40 receptions and 397 yards, both career highs for one season. Where the Tucson native does his most damage is after the ball is in his hands, hence the name Mr. YAC. Through five games, 232 of Berryhill's 397 yards have been after the catch and also has two games with at least 70 YAC.

THE PANDY MAN CAN: Senior linebacker Anthony Pandy is back for his fifth year as a Wildcat and has a large leadership role under first year head coach Jedd Fisch as he was named a team captain. Pandy leads the Arizona defense in tackles with 42 and is fourth in the Pac-12 with an average of 8.4 per game. Pandy had a career-high 13 tackles vs. UCLA, his second double-digit tackling performance of the season and third of his career. His 13 tackles was the most of any Pac-12 player this past week.
 
Pac-12 Tackles per Game Leaders

HEY TRE: Linebacker Treshaun Hayward comes to Arizona with already boasting a very successful career. The 2019 MAC Defensive Player of the Year played 39 games for Western Michigan and totaled 229 tackles, 16 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. Hayward was flat out dominant in 2019 as he was named an All-American by Sporting News and Phil Steele. The Ypsilanti, Mich. native finished the season with a conference-high 142 tackles and added in 10.5 TFLs. His 142 tackles was the third-most in the country and was one of five players to post 130+ tackles and 10+ TFLs. Through five games at Arizona, Hayward has the second-most tackles on the team with 34 and is also second on the team with 2.5 TFLs. He recovered his first fumble as a Wildcat in the third quarter of the UCLA game and is 10th in the Pac-12 with 6.8 tackles per game.

CONVERTING UNDER PRESSURE: After converting two of their three fourth-down attempts vs. UCLA, the Wildcats are now 9-13 (69%) on fourth down this season, the second-best conversion rate in the Pac-12. Additionally, Arizona's nine fourth-down conversions are the most in the Pac-12 and the 10th-most in the nation. Arizona has gone for it on fourth down at least once in every game this season and have converted at least twice in three different instances.
 
Arizona 4th Down Conversions by Game

• Who Converted
  • Stanley Berryhill III reception (2)
  • Gunner Cruz rush (2)
  • Jordan McCloud rush (2)
  • Michael Wiley rush (1)
  • Drake Anderson reception (1)
  • Drake Anderson rush (1)

NO FLY ZONE: Arizona has been exceptional defending the pass this season as they allow just 154 yards through the air per game, the second-fewest in the Pac-12 and the fifth-fewest in the nation. Against UCLA, the Bruins had just 82 passing yards for the game and threw for just three yards in the first half. 82 passing yards allowed is the fewest Arizona has allowed since limiting The Citadel to 21 in 2010 and it is the first time the Wildcats held an FBS opponent to under 100 yards passing since Colorado had 92 in 2020. Additionally, Arizona has held their opponent to under 100 passing yards twice this season, making it the first time since 2008 that the Wildcats have done so.
 
Last 5 Games Allowing Under 100 Yds Passing

SPREADING THE LOVE: Jamarye Joiner became the fourth player this season to throw a TD pass after he found Michael Wiley in the back of the endzone at the end of the first half on a double pass. For the first time since 2016, Arizona has four or more players with at least one touchdown pass.

• QB Jordan McCloud – 2 TD
• QB Gunner Cruz – 2 TD
• QB Will Plummer – 2 TD
• WR Jamarye Joiner – 1 TD

WINNING THE YARDAGE BATTLE: Despite Arizona being 0-5 on the season, the Wildcat have outgained their opponents three times and have held those three opponents to under 400 yards in each of those games. How does that compare? Arizona had outgained their opponent three times in the previous 14 games entering the 2021 season. Against NAU in week two, Arizona held the Lumberjacks to 240 yards, the fewest since 2018 when Oregon State only had 238 yards in week four.
 
Game-by-Game Total Offense Comparison

DO THE SAFETY DANCE: With a sack by Mo Diallo in the third quarter, Arizona became the first defense in the country with two safeties on the season. The previous safety came in the season opener against BYU as Rashie Hodge Jr. and Trevon Mason combined to bring down the BYU running back. Arizona had a two-safety season back in 2019, but prior to this year, Arizona defenses have forced only six safeties in the previous 15 seasons combined.

Arizona Safeties Since 2006 Season

• Sept. 25, 2021 – vs. Oregon (Mo Diallo)
• Sept. 4, 2021 – vs. BYU (Rashie Hodge Jr. & Trevon Mason)
• Sept. 7, 2019 – vs. NAU (Team)
• Nov. 23, 2019 – vs. Utah (Colin Schooler)
• Oct. 12, 2018 – vs. Utah (PJ Johnson)
• Nov. 2, 2013 – vs. Cal (Jared Tevis & Scooby Wright III)
• Nov. 26, 2010 – vs. Oregon (Team)
• Sept. 26, 2009 – vs. Oregon State (Earl Mitchell & D'Aundre Reed)

APPLYING PRESSURE: Through five games, Arizona has 27 tackles for a loss for an average of 5.4 per game, which is fifth in the Pac-12. Kyon Barrs, who leads the way for Arizona with four tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks, is one of 15 players on the defensive side of the ball to be involved in a tackle for a loss.

KICKIN' KYLE: Sophomore punter Kyle Ostendorp has been terrific to begin the 2021 campaign. He opened the season vs. BYU with a trio of punts downed inside the 20, one of which pinned the Cougars at, their own 1-yard line, which eventually resulted in a safety. Against San Diego State in week two, he had an average of 52 yards per punt on 10 kicks, including a career-high 71-yard punt, which is the longest punt by an Arizona punter since Keenyn Crier's 84-yard punt back in 2007. Through five games, Ostendorp averages 46.1 yards per punt on 28 kicks. He has 10 punts of 50 yards or more and has downed seven inside the 20. His 10 50+ yard punts is the second-most in the Pac-12.

WOLMA NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALIST: Senior tight end Bryce Wolma was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy on Wednesday morning, as announced by the National Football Foundation. The Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Wolma, who graduated in the spring of 2021 with a degree in business management, finished undergrad with a GPA of 3.49 and has been studying Entrepreneurship as his postgrad study. The Saline, Mich. native caught his first touchdown pass of the season last week at Oregon on an 11-yard pass from Jordan McCloud. Wolma has five catches for 36 yards this season and has 47 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns for his career.

WILDCATS IN THE NFL: As of week one, the Wildcats are once again well represented in the National Football League with nine former letterwinners active across the league. One of Arizona's most prestigious alums, tight end Rob Gronkowski, returned from retirement in 2020 to rejoin his longtime quarterback Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over 10 seasons in New England and Tampa Bay, Gronkowski has hauled in 8,668 yards and 88 touchdowns. Quarterback Nick Foles is in his 10th NFL season after rewriting the Wildcats record books during his time in Tucson. The most recent Wildcats to make the transition to the NFL are running back Gary Brightwell (New York Giants) and defensive end Roy Lopez (Houton Texans). For a complete list of former Wildcats in the NFL, see the comprehensive chart below.

 
Current Wildcats on NFL Rosters