With teams that like to throw first and run second in Wednesday’s Alamo Bowl, expect a long game at the Alamodome.

If Oklahoma State balances the run with the pass expect a longer day for Arizona. Chances are, given the performance of both teams this season, the Cowboys have a much better chance to establish a running game.

Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter must be contained by Arizona's defense for the Wildcats to have a chance tonight in the Alamo Bowl (US Presswire photo/Brett Davis)

That can spell trouble because Arizona was cruising to a 7-1 record before Stanford, USC and Oregon ran for a combined 811 rushing yards against the Wildcats. The UA’s other nine opponents ran for only 829, an average of 92.1 rushing yards per game.

Oklahoma State, led by senior running back Kendall Hunter, has rushed for 2,195 yards overall with 25 rushing touchdowns. Hunter accounts for 1,516 of those yards on 216 carries and he has scored 16 touchdowns. By contrast, Arizona has rushed for only 1,622 yards with 20 touchdowns.

Keola Antolin leads the Wildcats with 667 yards on 142 carries. Hunter had 700 yards rushing by the fifth game of the season.

The bottom line: Oklahoma State will likely get its rushing yardage. The key will be limiting big plays (for example, third-down conversions or a demoralizing long touchdown run).

Arizona could have been more of a threat to No. 1 Oregon in Eugene had it not been for Josh Huff‘s 85-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Stanford wore down the Cats by converting 9 of 14 third-down plays. The Cardinal’s offensive line shoved aside Arizona’s defensive front as Stepfan Taylor rushed for four touchdowns. The UA allowed only two rushing touchdowns — both against Oregon State in another loss — in its six games before facing Stanford.

USC’s Marc Tyler and his offensive line is arguably the most physically gift and imposing unit the UA faced this year. The Trojans’ line was too much for Arizona to handle. That was exposed especially in the second half. Tyler had 10 of his 31 carries in the fourth quarter when USC went for the knockout punch.

ASU beat Arizona because the Wildcats self-destructed with two blocked extra-point tries by Alex Zendejas, and at least five dropped potential interceptions. ASU’s defense also limited the Cats to five successful third-down conversions in 17 attempts.

The Sun Devils were also afforded 92 offensive plays in the double-overtime game. Any team given 92 tries to advance the ball has a good chance of winning.

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Arizona quarterback Nick Foles threw a career-high 440 yards in last week’s game against Oregon State, but running back Nic Grigsby had a season-low 22 yards on only five carries.

The imbalance is one reason why Arizona lost its first game and dropped from No. 9 in the AP poll to No. 17.

The Wildcats’ early deficit — 10 points in the second quarter — sealed Grigsby’s fate as did his mild hip-flexor injury (although the hip looked fine late in the third quarter when he took a swing pass from Foles 41 yards to the end zone). Keola Antolin was a more effective runner in the game, however, gaining 70 yards on eight carries. Combined, Antolin and Grisby did not reach 100 yards.

Grigsby’s stats are alarming because he is projected to only gain 658 yards this season. He is averaging only 54.8 yards rushing per game.

Playing Washington State could be just what Grigsby needs to get on track. The Cougars rank last in the NCAA in rushing yards allowed. Opponents have rushed for 154.7 yards per game, including 6.5 yards per carry. If Grigsby does not gain at least 100 yards rushing against the struggling Cougars, he may not reach that mark rest of the season.

Safeties making it safe? Arizona’s passing defense, especially against deep routes and mid-range passes over the middle, was exposed by Oregon State’s Ryan Katz. Another test comes against Washington State quarterback Jeff Tuel, a former Tucson resident who is becoming more effective by the game.

The Cougars’ passing game is one of the best in the Pac-10, averaging 252 yards per game, which ranks No. 33 in the country. Against Oregon’s athletic defense, Tuel was impressive, passing for 245 yards while completing 25 of 40 passes.

Arizona safeties Joseph Perkins and Anthony Wilcox will be challenged to make the right reads, a part of the game they struggled in against Katz. Former UA and NFL offensive lineman Glenn Parker, the color commentator for Versus (which will also telecast Saturday’s game) said the safeties and linebackers (on those mid-range plays) left the cornerback “on an island too much.”

Islands are colder in the Paloose. Cornerbacks Robert Golden and Trevin Wade could use the help.

For Crier-ing out loud. My colleague Anthony Gimino, who is always on top of things, stole my thunder with senior punter Keenyn Crier being a key to the game for the Wildcats.

To repeat what Gimino wrote Thursday: Arizona is last in the Pac-10 — and 103rd out of 120 teams in the nation — in net punting, averaging 33.1 yards per attempt.

“A lot of it has to do with we don’t do a good job of pinning opponents when we have a chance to pooch kick,” UA special teams coach Jeff Hammerschmidt told Gimino. “We have to do a better job of that.”

Crier, who has steadily declined after a stellar freshman season, failed three times to pin the Beavers deep in their territory. That can’t happen on the road against a team like Washington State, which needs any form of momentum that it can get. Pinning them down, literally, will keep the Cougars subdued.