Arizona, No. 12 Utah Square Off in Salt Lake City

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Arizona Wildcats (3-5, 1-4) hit the road for the first of two ranked road matchups when they take on the No. 12 Utah Utes on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

This weekend's game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks with Ted Robinson (PxP) and Yogi Roth (Analyst) on the call.

Arizona's red hot offense continues to climb the charts, with the Wildcats passing offense now moving into the top three nationally after another monster performance last weekend.

The Cats will look to get back in the win column against the Utes on Saturday at the site of their most recent Top 25 road win.

A complete preview of the Wildcats Top 25 road test can be found below.
ARIZONA NOTES & NUMBERS

• The Arizona Wildcats kick off a two-game road swing with a matchup against the No. 12 Utah Utes in Salt Lake City.
• Saturday's contest at Rice-Eccles Stadium will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks with Ted Robinson (PxP) and Yogi Roth (Analyst) on the call.
• This marks the 47th all-time matchup between Arizona and Utah, a series the Utes hold a 25-19-2 record in. The Wildcats have dropped each of their last five games to the Utes and last won in Salt Lake City in 2014 (42-10).
• Arizona faces their second straight (of potentially three consecutive) AP Top 25 opponents. The Wildcats are 47-126-1 all-time against the AP Top 25, including a record of 14-63-1 on the road. The Cats last Top 25 road victory was against No. 20 Utah in 2014 (42-10).
• The Wildcats passing offense currently ranks third among all FBS programs, averaging 340.1 yards per game. At the individual level, quarterback Jayden de Laura's 331.8 yards/game average is currently fourth best in the nation. Wide receivers Jacob Cowing (102.1) and Dorian Singer (93.3) are both among the top 15 players nationally in receiving yards per game.
• Wide receiver Dorian Singer was recently added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award. Singer currently sports 48 receptions for 746 yards and five touchdowns. This award honors the top receiver in the nation at any position.
• Tight end Tanner McLachlan's 25 receptions this year are the fifth most by a tight end in a single season in program history. He is two receptions shy of tying Mark Keel in 1981 for fourth place.

3rd — The Arizona Wildcats boasts the 3rd ranked passing offense in the nation averaging 340.1 yards per game and 32.2 points per game (47th) and are 20th nationally in total offense (474.9).

40 — WR Jacob Cowing has recorded 40 consecutive games with at least one reception, the second-longest active streak among all FBS players.

4th — QB Jayden de Laura is 4th in the nation in passing yards per game (331.8) and second in the Pac-12 (1st; Michael Pennix Jr., UW – 366.8). 

900+ — Arizona is on pace to have two wide receivers (Cowing, Singer) with 900+ receiving yards, a feat accomplished only twice before in program history (also: 1998, 2002).

3 — The Wildcats have seen 21 400-yard passing performances in program history, three of which belong to QB Jayden de Laura this year.
 

VERSUS UTAH: This is the 47th all-time meeting between Utah and Arizona. The Wildcats trail the all-time series 19-25-2 with a 9-12 record in Salt Lake City, Utah. Arizona has dropped the last five games against Utah including a 39-28 loss last season in Tucson. The last victory for the Wildcats in Salt Lake City was 42-10 on Nov. 22, 2014. In that game, freshman running back Nick Wilson had a career game rushing 20 times for 218 yards and three touchdowns as the 15th ranked Wildcats ran past the Utes by 32 points. Samajie Grant led the Wildcats in receiving with four receptions for 88 yards. Tra'Mayne Bondurant recorded 10 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception that he returned for 39 yards in the win. Arizona has lost its last two matchups with Utah in Salt Lake City. The longest win streak by Arizona in the all-time series was six games from 1968 to 1983.

ABOUT LAST WEEKEND: Caleb Williams threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns, and No. 10 Southern California scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to outlast Arizona 45-37 on Saturday night. The Trojans (7-1, 5-1 Pac-12) had an extra week to shake off their first loss of the season, an emotional 43-42 setback at No. 14 Utah. USC fought off some early missed opportunities - one caused by the officials - against Arizona, racking up 621 total yards to match its best start since 2008. The Trojans have won 10 straight against Arizona. The Wildcats (3-5, 1-4) nearly kept up with USC offensively, finishing with 543 total yards. Defensively, they struggled with missed tackles and allowed USC to convert 11 of 17 on third down. Jayden de Laura threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns to Dorian Singer, the last a 5-yarder that cut USC's led to 45-37 with 1:26 left. USC recovered the onside kick to seal the victory. Singer had a spectacular 23-yard touchdown catch from de Laura, fending off a defender to snare it one-handed, and Tyler Loop kicked three field goals. Williams had a pair of first-half touchdown passes, but the Trojans also missed on some good scoring opportunities. USC settled for a field goal on its first drive and Denis Lynch missed badly on a 56-yard attempt after Williams' 30-yd TD pass to Terrell Bynum was called back by a holding penalty. USC appeared to be in a good position for more points just before halftime when Williams hit Rice on a 33-yard pass to Arizona's 10. Instead, the officials started the clock before spotting the ball and Williams couldn't spike it before time ran out, leaving USC coach Lincoln Riley incensed. Williams found Tahj Washington on a 3-yard touchdown to open the third quarter, then found him again on a 47-yard score as he was being hit to put USC up 31-16. Arizona rallied, closing to 31-29 on de Laura's 19-yard TD pass and Michael Wiley's 10-yard TD run on an option. Southern California finally stretched the lead after that. Williams hit Kyle Ford on a 5-yard touchdown to open the fourth quarter and Travis Dye leaped in for a 2-yard TD run to make it 45-29.

TIGHT END U: Redshirt junior tight end Tanner McLachlan is 16th among tight ends nationally in receiving yards (339), 11th in yards per catch (13.6), and 14th in yards per game (42.4) among the nation's tight ends. McLachlan has caught 25 passes, which is tied for 18th nationally at the position. His 25 receptions this year are the fifth most in a single season in program history, surpassing Steve Fleming who caught 23 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns in 2004. 

TOP OFFENSE: The Arizona Wildcats have been outstanding offensively this season. Currently, the Wildcats are No. 3 in the nation in passing offense with an average of 340.1 yards per game. Arizona is 20th in total offense (474.9) and averages 32.2 points per game, which is 47th in the nation. Arizona is 8th in the nation in first downs gained on offense (216). The Wildcats are 31st nationally in 3rd down conversion percentage (45.6%). Quarterback Jayden de Laura is 5th in the nation in passing yards (2,654), total offense (346.6), and tied for 6th nationally in passing touchdowns (22).

TRUE FRESHMAN: True Freshman wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is second among Arizona true freshman wide outs with 532 receiving yards, since 1996. McMillan trails Nate Phillips who recorded 696 receiving yards during the 2013 season. He leads the nation's true freshman in yards, yards per game (67.1), and is tied for first in TD receptions. 

THE NATION'S BEST AT WIDE OUT: Junior wide receiver Jacob Cowing has tied a career-high seven touchdown catches in his first eight games with Arizona. He is two TD grabs away from moving into the top-10 in single-season touchdown receptions. Cowing is currently tied for 16th for a single season in program history. With three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter, Cowing eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark for his collegiate career while catching his seventh touchdown of the season. He sits with 3,412-career yards after making seven receptions for 70 yards against USC. He recorded seven receptions for 94 yards at Washington on Oct. 15. Cowing surpassed the Arizona wideout with the most career yards Bobby Wade (3,351) from 1999-2002. 

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS: Sophomore safety DJ Warnell Jr. made his first start at Washington and recorded a career-high 11 tackles (7 solo, 4 assist) including 0.5 tackles for loss to lead the Wildcats defense. Junior safety Jaxen Turner made a career-high 13 tackles (8 solo, 5 assists) against Oregon on Oct. 8. It marked the second time in his collegiate career that he finished a game with 10-plus tackles (first; 10 vs. UCLA, 10/9/21). Turner is third on the team with 37.0 total tackles. He has one of the Wildcats' two total interceptions. Linebacker Jerry Roberts reached double-digit tackles (10) against Mississippi State to achieve the feat in a second consecutive game. Roberts previously had one double digit tackle game in his career at Arizona (Utah 2021). Roberts is fifth in the Pac-12 with 7.7 tackles per game and is third in overall tackles (49.0). Senior defensive lineman Hunter Echols forced a fumble for the first time in his career and has set a new career high with 36.0 total tackles this season (18 solo, 18 assists). Senior Jalen Harris is on his way to surpassing his career-high 44 tackles from 2021. Harris has 37.0 tackles (16 solo, 21 assists) through eight games, averaging 4.625 tackles per game with 1.5 sacks.

THE STREAK CONTINUES: Junior wide receiver Jacob Cowing extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 40, which is the second-longest such streak in the nation (1st; 41, Chris Autman-Bell, WR, Minnesota). Through eight games, Cowing is 8th in the nation with 817 receiving yards. He is also tied for 12th nationally in touchdown receptions with seven. Cowing recorded a career-high 180 receiving yards in his most recent outing against Colorado and he has caught a touchdown in five of seven games played this season. He made seven receptions for 133 yards at Cal, marking the second-most receiving yards in a single game this season. He has surpassed last year's top scoring threat through the air, running back Michael Wiley, who tallied four receiving TDs in 11 games played. He is three touchdown catches shy of breaking into the Arizona all-time top-10 and five off the single-season record of 11 touchdown catches held by six players. Cowing caught a touchdown with 4:53 remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Wildcats in front of North Dakota State 31-28, marking his third straight game with a reception (5 rec., 55 yards) and the first Wildcat player with touchdown catches in three straight games since Michael Wiley caught a touchdown in each of the final three games of the 2021 season. Cowing had a breakout game during his debut with Arizona. He made eight catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns to help the Wildcats to a season-opening 38-20 win at San Diego State. The junior from Maricopa, Cowing was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, Biletnikoff Award Watch List, East-West Shrine Bowl 1000, preseason Second-Team All-Pac-12, and the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List. Cowing played three seasons at UTEP prior to transferring to Arizona. He led the Miners in receiving yards all three years, including a 2021 campaign in which he finished with 69 receptions for 1,354 yards and seven touchdowns. Cowing earned First Team All-Conference USA honors in 2021 and Second Team recognition in 2020. He finished the 2021 season ranked ninth nationally among all FBS players in receiving yards (1,354). For his career at UTEP, he hauled in 141 receptions, 2,595 yards and 13 touchdowns.

WILDCATS IN THE NFL: The Wildcats are once again well represented in the National Football League this year with 10 former letterwinners active across the league. One of Arizona's most prestigious alumnus, tight end Rob Gronkowski, retired following the 2021 season after winning the fourth Super Bowl of his career. Gronk was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, and was selected to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Over 11 seasons with New England and Tampa Bay, Gronkowski recorded 9,286 yards (5th all time) and 92 touchdowns (3rd all time). Quarterback Nick Foles is in his 11th NFL season after rewriting the Wildcats record books during his time in Tucson. For a complete list of former Wildcats in the NFL, see the comprehensive chart below.

 
Current Wildcats on NFL Rosters

CATS NFL STATS: 

• Patriots' kicker Nick Folk has made 10-of-12 field goal attempts this season with a long of 50 yards. 
• Texans DL Roy Lopez has played in six games and made 11 tackles (5 solo, 6 assists) with two TFL. 
• Giants running back Gary Brightwell has played in seven games and made eight kickoff returns for 177 yards. 
• Jets safety Will Parks has played in five games and made two tackles, both solo. 
• 49ers linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles has appeared in seven games and made 11 total tackles (8 solo, 3 assists), with one sack.