Matt Scott warms up before the game against South Carolina State. Photo by Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE
Arizona beat South Carolina State 56-0 on Saturday, earning its first shutout since the 2008 season opener and extending its winning streak to five games, dating to last year.
The 3-0 Wildcats set school records with 43 first downs and 102 plays from scrimmage. Arizona’s 689 yards were two off the school mark for a game.
“They’ve been eager to learn and that makes them fun to coach,” Rich Rodriguez said of his Wildcats. “It gives us a chance.”
For 24th-ranked Arizona, it is all leading to a big game next Saturday at unbeaten Oregon.
“Next week is huge,” Rdoriguez said. “We know that; everybody knows that.”
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I’m headed down to the field. Will wrap this up later on TucsonCitizen.com.
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Jared Baker, a redshirt freshman, sees the field for the first time and now has a touchdown to his credit — a 4-yarder that pushes the lead to 56-0 with 5:58 left. Lots of obscure players on the field now, including sophomore Ademola Adeniran. See?
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B.J. Denker’s first TD pass at Arizona is too easy. Sean Willet is basically uncovered as he comes off line on the right side, and Denker delivers for a 17-yard touchdown and a 49-0 lead with 10:42 to go.
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B.J. Denker working with the second unit, including an all-backup offensive line that includes right guard Jowyn Ward, who recently has been moved from the defensive line.
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With 14:49 left in the game, QB B.J. Denker makes his Arizona debut. The Cats are 42-0.
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Lots of subs in for defense, including linebacker Hank Hobson, who missed the first two games because of injury. He was a projected started. True freshman DBs getting their feet wet, too: William Parks, Jamar Allah, Wayne Capers Jr.
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Second-string RB Daniel Jenkins makes it 42-0 for Arizona, scoring on a 5-yard run with 1:46 to go in the third quarter. Jenkins runs into a pile at about the 3, but pushes the pack into the end zone for the score. We won’t see Ka’Deem Carey any more tonight; he ends with 71 yards on 15 carries.
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South Carolina managed to cross the 50-yard line for the first time but still has to punt. Arizona up 35-0 with 6:00 to go in the third quarter.
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True freshman LB Dakota Conwell making his season debut, subbing for Jake Fischer. RichRod needs to develop depth.
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I wonder if that will be it for Matt Scott tonight. He leads Arizona on an 81-yard drive early in the second half to give the Cats a 35-0 lead. He was 5 of 5 for 73 yards on the drive, capped by a 27-yarder to Dan Buckner.
Is it time for B.J. Denker?
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SCSU punts on the first possession of the second half. Too early to think about this? The Arizona Wildcats’ last shutout was Aug. 31, 2008, in a 70-0 win over Idaho.
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Declining attendance for the second consecutive week (to be expected tonight because of the lower-division opponent): 43.919.
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Arizona, which leads 28-0 at halftime, has 21 first downs. South Carolina State has four.
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Matt Scott caps a superb first half with a 10-yard scramble for a touchdown to make it 28-0 for Arizona with 1:40 to go before the break. He has passed for 175 yards and run for 61.
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Richard Morrison, who has a lost fumble tonight, muffs a punt catch but quickly recovers.
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Jonathan McKnight comes up with his second interception in two weeks, leaping to pick off a deep pass over the middle from South Carolina State quarterback Richard Cue. Cue was under pressure and didn’t get enough zip on the pass.
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Matt Scott has 208 yards of total offense midway through the second quarter.
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Ka’Deem Carey on his way to another 100-yard night, scoring on a 7-yard run for a 21-0 lead with 7:13 to go in the half. He has 13 carries for 71 yards.
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Taimi Tutogi had only three touches on offense through two games, and it seems like South Carolina State forgot about him.
Matt Scott, off a play fake, quickly hit Tutogi alone in the end zone for a 14-yard score for a 14-0 lead with 12:38 to go in the second quarter. Tutogi slipped right off the edge of the line and when unchecked past the defense.
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End of first quarter. Arizona leads 7-0; the Wildcats have hurt themselves with a turnover and a missed 25-yard field goal. On the injury front, sophomore DE Dan Pettinato has made his season debut, giving coach Rich Rodriguez another option up front.
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John Bonano joins a host of bad kicking around the Pac-12 today. He misses a 25-yard field goal from the left hashmark, pushing it wide right. That is his third miss this season from 25 yards or in.
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The only thing that can stop the Arizona offense tonight is Arizona — and that’s what happens on UA second possession. As Richard Morrison jukes for extra yards after a catch, SCSU pokes the ball loose and recovers at its 45-yard line.
That’s his second lost fumble of the season.
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It’s the same starting defensive front as last week, with Sione Tuihalamaka at nose guard, flanked by ends Dominique Austin and Reggie Gilbert. Redshirt freshman walk-on Sir Thomas Jackson makes his third consecutive start at linebacker, and is in on the first two tackles.
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Matt Scott comes out hot, going 6 of 6 on the opening drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Richard Morrison. He also rushed twice for 11 yards on the 75-yard drive, including an 8-yard on a read-option keep on third-and-2 from the UA 33.
Arizona up 7-0 with 12:01 to play in the first quarter.
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Some stats to chew on before the game: In his past four starts — including two in 2010 vs. Washington and UCLA — Matt Scott has thrown for 1,259 yards and rushed for 265. He has completed 69 percent of his passes, with seven touchdown throws and two interceptions.
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Press box seat chart lists spots for scouts from the New York Giants and New England Patriots.
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Arizona will be trying to improve to 3-0 this season and extend its winning streak to five games, dating to the end of last season. The Wildcats haven’t won five in a row since ending the 1998 season on a seven-game winning streak.
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Arizona has played a lower-division team in seven of the past eight seasons, winning them all. Starting with the most recent game, the margin of victory has been 31 points, 46, 17, 21, 18, 19 and 18 points.
Comfortable wins, to be sure, but only one real full-blown rout — a 52-6 win over The Citadel two seasons ago. Arizona didn’t put away NAU last season until late in the third quarter.
Arizona hopes to get at least that much time tonight to breathe easy and have a chance to build experience for backup players.
The Bulldogs are another fast-paced team for the Arizona defense to deal with, but South Carolina State has a different style than Toledo and Oklahoma State.
“They kind of revert back to more old-school football — they like to run it a lot, use their tight ends and fullback, stuff like that,” said UA junior linebacker Jake Fischer. “We’re actually looking forward to playing a team like that.”
SCSU has rushed the ball 88 times, with 57 pass attempts, through two games. The Bulldogs opened with a 33-6 victory at Georgia State but followed 27-14 home loss to Bethune-Cookman.
Quarterback Richard Cue has completed 27 of 57 passes for 369 yards, with three touchdowns and four interceptions. He is also the team’s second-leading rusher with 107 yards on 20 carries. Running back Jalen Simmons has 31 attempts for 109 yards.
I’m thinking UA starts quickly and then cruises a bit in the second half: Arizona 51, South Carolina State 17.
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Some pregame reading:
Arizona-South Carolina State: Five things to watch
Is this the week? Backup QB B.J. Denker eager for his debut
Greg Hansen’s Mr. Football column
Javier Morales previews some of the pro potential in the game