Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden has completed 67.4 percent of his 470 passes for 4,307 yards and 32 touchdowns. The 6-4, 224-pound junior has thrown only 13 interceptions. (US Presswire photo/Brendan Maloney)

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas and elsewhere have placed an over-under total of 66 points on Wednesday’s Alamo Bowl between Arizona and Oklahoma State.

For those oblivious to sports gambling, which is a good thing, that means they believe the high-powered offenses of Arizona and Oklahoma State will combine for 66 points. How will those points factor into the final score: Oklahoma State 36, Arizona 30? Arizona 34, Oklahoma State 32?

The Wildcats lost 33-0 last year against Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. What are the chances Oklahoma State doubles that with a 66-0 victory in San Antonio? About the same chance UA coach Mike Stoops remains calm and silent on the sideline an entire game?

Depending on what sportsbook you research, the Cowboys, leaders of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense (537.6 yards per game), are favored by 4.5 to 6 points. The Wildcats must contend with the No. 3 scoring team in the nation (44.9 points per game).

More reason to believe this will be a high-scoring affair:

• Arizona quarterback Nick Foles and receiver Juron Criner vs. Oklahoma State counterparts Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon is worth the admission alone.
• Blackmon, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior, has hauled in 102 passes for 1,655 yards while gaining unanimous All-America honors from The Associated Press. He’s scored 20 touchdowns, including an FBS-high 18 on receptions.
• Weeden has completed 67.4 percent of his 470 passes for 4,307 yards and 32 touchdowns. The 6-4, 224-pound junior has thrown only 13 interceptions.
• The 6-5, 245-pound Foles has completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,911 yards and 19 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. His reliable go-to guy Criner has 73 catches for 1,186 yards and 10 touchdowns.
• The total has gone over in five of Arizona’s last 6 games. The total has also gone over in eight of Oklahoma State’s 12 games.

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The Stanford Cardinal, an extension of its gritty head coach Jim Harbaugh, mixes smash-mouth football with some flair in its passing game.

Harbaugh’s team attempts to wear a team down with its potent running game, which opens opportunities for quarterback Andrew Luck. The best way for Arizona to answer the challenge is with its stout defense to date. The UA can score 40 points Saturday, but — believe it or not — that won’t matter if the Wildcats’ defense does not subdue Stanford’s high-scoring offense.

The UA’s defensive unit — perhaps the surprise story in the Pac-10 this year other than Jake Locker’s disappointing performance at Washington — ranks No. 10 nationally in total defense (286.9 yards per game) and No. 6 nationally in rush defense (88.4 yards per game).

Stanford running Stepfan Taylor has rushed for at least 100 yards in five consecutive games behind Stanford's veteran offensive line (US Presswire photo/Joe Nicholson)

Despite these rankings, Arizona's defense is still not entirely respected. An ESPN.com writer went so far as to write this week that Arizona's defense is overrated. The Wildcats have yet to face the Pac-10's four most potent scoring teams: Oregon (54.9 points a game), Stanford (42.4), USC (36.8) and ASU (32).

The Wildcats, however, held California (averaging 31.2 points a game) to only nine points on Sept. 25. Only three opponents have scored at least 20 points — Iowa, Oregon State and UCLA — this season. No team has eclipsed 30. Stanford's offense has scored at least 30 in every game.

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On this Halloween weekend, it will be interesting to see if Brooks Reed, with his long, wild blond hair flapping all over, can put a scare into UCLA’s unseasoned sophomore quarterback Richard Brehaut.

Making only his third start for the Bruins when UCLA hosts Arizona on Saturday, Brehaut will actually see Arizona’s two-headed monster — Reed and Ricky Elmore — and their 11.5 sacks a game combined, coming his way. Elmore leads the Pac-10 with seven sacks while Reed has compiled 4.5.

UCLA sophomore quarterback Richard Brehaut will make his third career start against Arizona on Saturday at the Rose Bowl (US Presswire photo/Kirby Lee)

Encouraging to Arizona coach Mike Stoops — and scarier for Brehaut — is the fact the Cats did not seem to skip a beat with talented freshman tackle Justin Washington out of the Washington game with a knee injury.

Sione Tuihalamaka and Lolomana Mikaele made the evening miserable for Washington quarterback Jake Locker last week in Arizona’s 44-14 convincing win. Tuihalamaka recorded a sack and a tackle for lost yardage. Mikaele added a tackle for loss and scooped up a fumble.

They routinely applied pressure to Locker up the middle more so than Elmore and Reed from the ends. If the defensive front can play like that against Locker, what chance does wet-behind-the-ears Brehaut have? The degree in which Reed, Elmore, Tuihalamaka and Mikaele can frustrate Brehaut is certainly a key to the game for Arizona. The Cats already have the young quarterback thinking.

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