Two prolific offenses will be on display in this one as the Washington State Cougars (4-2) take on the Arizona Wildcats (5-2). The country’s fifth-leading passer, Luke Falk (2,371 yards, 21 TDs), will be featured in this game for Washington State. Having won four of their last five, Washington State is looking to add to their success this week. The game will air Saturday, Oct 24 at 4:00 p.m. ET on PACN.
In last week’s matchup, Arizona defeated Colorado 38-31. Jared Baker had a huge game running the ball in the victory, rushing 23 times for 207 yards and two TDs. Nate Phillips also had a great game with 106 receiving yards on six catches. Washington State was victorious in last week’s performance as well, winning big over Oregon State 52-31. Dom Williams had a great game for the Cougars, pulling in 11 receptions for 158 yards and two TDs. Luke Falk had a great game as well, adding 407 yards and six TDs through the air.
This week’s matchup between the Wildcats and Cougars has even odds and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable currently.
Sitting at 5-2 Straight Up (SU) and 4-3 Against The Spread (ATS), the Wildcats will look to improve heading into Week 8. A focal point of Arizona’s offense is the running game, which ranks seventh in the country with 299 rushing yards per game. During their last five games, the Wildcats have improved their pass coverage, giving up an average of 249.6 passing yards. In the first quarter, Arizona is tough to stop, putting up 10.3 points in the first 15 minutes.
Over on the other sideline, the Cougars head into Week 8 with records of 4-2 for both ATS and SU. Chances are Washington State will continue to rely on its passing attack, where its 398.5 passing yards per game ranks fourth in the nation. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Wildcats to keep up with Washington State’s defense in a few areas. The Wildcats are matching up with Washington State’s defense at an inopportune time. Over the last five games, Washington State’s opponents have only averaged 237.8 yards through the air. The Wildcats will have to stay focused in the second quarter against Washington State. The Cougars usually finish off the first half with dominance, averaging 13.2 points during the second quarter. The Cougars may have no trouble keeping Arizona’s offense off the field. This season, the Wildcats have had an average time of possession of 27:09 per game, ranking them 114th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Arizona, ATS Winner – Arizona
Notes
Arizona is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Arizona’s last 8 games.
Arizona is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home.
Arizona is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona’s last 6 games at home.
Arizona is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington State.
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington State.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games when playing at home against Washington State.
Washington State is 3-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Arizona is 4-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
The Washington State defense has forced an average of 2.2 turnovers over its last five games. Arizona is an even 2-2 SU this season when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Arizona is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its seventh-ranked rushing attack will face the 109th-ranked run defense of Washington State, while its 83rd-ranked run defense will look to contain the 126th-ranked rushing game of the Cougars.
