Ka’Deem Carey runs the ball in the first quarter. Photo by Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona got a feel-good victory to end its 2013 season, routing Boston College 42-19 in the AdvoCare V100 Bowl in Shreveport, La., on Tuesday.
The Wildcats finish 8-5 for the second consecutive season under coach Rich Rodriguez, following up on last year’s come-from-behind miracle in the New Mexico Bowl with a postgame that was never in doubt after the opening possession of the second half.
Arizona led 21-6 at halftime and then scored on its first three drives after the break to take complete control. Ka’Deem Carey rushed 27 times for 169 yards, and Nate Phillips had 193 yards in receptions to set a record for the bowl (formerly known as the Independence).
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Andre Williams gets his first rushing touchdown of the game with 12 minutes to go. A two-point conversion fails, so it’s 42-12 Arizona.
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Trey Griffey does it again, catching another TD pass on third-and-goal from the 3. He and Nate Phillips are making big bowl statements. Arizona up 42-6.
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Ka’Deem Carey goes over 100 yards for the 16th consecutive game. The fourth quarter will be all icing. Arizona leads 35-6.
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The Wildcats are pouring it on with a 14-yard rushing touchdown from B.J. Denker.
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Proud moment for me: ESPN then references me by name for this feature I wrote on Denker in September, when he talked about not even being good enough for his Pop Warner team.
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Ka’Deem Carey has set the Arizona career record for all-purpose yards, surpassing WR/RET Dennis Northcutt, who had 5,392 yards from 1996 to 1999.
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Arizona gets the ball back, up 28-6. This is about to turn into Ka’Deem Carey time.
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On opening possession of second half, B.J. Denker overthrows Nate Phillips along the sideline for a sure TD. Denker makes up for it with a 23-yard pass to Phillips on fourth-and-7 from the BC 33. And then Ka’Deem Carey scores on a 5-yard run with 12:11 to go in the third quarter.
Arizona is up 28-6.
Carey adds to his school records: 52 total TDs, 48 rushing TDs.
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All-America RB halftime update: Ka’Deem Carey has 12 carries for 47 yards, with a touchdown and a fumble. Andre Williams has 18 carries, also for 47 yards. (Carey, however, doesn’t have to come out on passing downs, like Williams does. Really, there’s no doubt that Carey is the most complete back in the nation.)
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This game is well-suited to B.J. Denker’s comfort level, as he gets to play with a lead against a team that doesn’t supply a lot of pressure. Denker is making good decisions and good throws, completing 8 of 12 for 145 yards as Arizona leads 21-6 at halftime.
The Wildcats’ defense is stopping Andre Williams at the line of scrimmage and coming up with big plays (two interceptions, two sacks).
“Our defense is really playing hard,” coach Rich Rodriguez said in a halftime interview on ESPN, adding that his defense needs to get some three-and-outs. “We’re doing a good job getting off blocks. We’re tackling really well. We’re being real physical. That is going to be key for us.”
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Redshirt freshman WR Trey Griffey scores his first career touchdown, high-pointing a throw into the end zone to reach over defenders for a 26-yard score. Proud papa, Ken Griffey Jr., is on the sidelines taking pictures.
Arizona leads 21-6 with 30 seconds to go in the half. UA’s receiving corps next season is going to be ridiculous.
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Arizona’s defense comes to the rescue after Nate Phillips’ turnovers. BC quarterback Chase Rettig tries to hit a quick pass to the sideline on third down, but safety Will Parks anticipates the throw and cuts in front of the intended target for an interception. He then races 69 yards for a touchdown.
Arizona leads 14-6 with 4:16 to go in the second quarter.
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Nate Phillips make a huge mistake on a punt return, trying to slide and smother a bouncing punt to his left. Bad decision. He should have just let the ball roll another 10 yards or so because he can’t handle the bounce, and Boston College recovers with 5:39 to go in the half.
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Andre Williams limps off the field after his 15th carry, with about six minutes to go in the half.
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This won’t count in his stats, but Nate Phillips draws a 15-yard pass interference penalty to keep a UA drive alive. … It doesn’t amount to much, as the Cats eventually have to punt.
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The running back battle has yet to develop, but both quarterbacks are having good games. Boston College’s Chase Rettig, often working with sets with one or none wideouts, has done a nice job of keeping the chains moving, helping BC dominate time of possession. The Cats are rotating a lot of players through their defense; will they get worn out late in the game?
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Sophomore LB/DE Keoni Bush-Loo, who is wearing a new number today (No. 36) comes up with a 12-yard sack that forces Boston College into a 41-yard field goal attempt. Nate Freese makes it with 8:51 left to cut the lead to 7-6 with 8:45 to go before halftime. This, I believe, is the fourth uniform number for Bush-Loo in his brief UA career.
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It’s been a season of inconsistency for Arizona punter Drew Riggleman. Punting from the UA 48, with a chance to pin Boston College, he skies a punt of 22 yards that is so short the ESPN cameras miss it while panning ahead to where the ball should have landed.
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Through one quarter, the nation’s top two running backs have a combined 15 carries for 55 yards. Arizona leads 7-3.
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Arizona’s defensive front is holding up very well through the first quarter, holding Andre Williams to 23 yards on 10 carries. Boston College is being efficient through the air, though, and puts up a 32-yard field goal with 1:11 to go in the opening period. Nate Freese is now 19 of 19 on field goals this season, so the Cats don’t want to see this turn into a battle of kickers.
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Arizona showing more than just Ka’Deem Carey. The Wildcats put together a 92-yard drive in basically the blink of an eye, needing only four plays, including passes of 57 and 23 yards to Nate Phillips. Ka’Deem Carey powers in from 2 yards for the touchdown, and Arizona leads 7-0 with 7:51 to go in the first quarter.
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So far, Arizona doing a nice job of hitting Andre Williams at the line of scrimmage before he gets up to speed. He has 6 yards on five carries through two possessions.
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Ka’Deem Carey is not usually a fumbler, but he gives the turnover right back by losing the ball after breaking a run right up the middle. Big opportunity missed for the Wildcats, who would have been in scoring position. (Give Carey 15 yards on the rush.)
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Jared Tevis said the key was to make BC pass on third down (see note below). He was right. Tevis picks off a tipped pass from Chase Rettig on third-and-12 on Boston College’s first possession to set up Arizona near midfield.
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Arizona gets what it wants — Boston College in third-and-6 — but the Eagles convert on a pass to Alex Amidon, who is pretty much the only BC receiver of note.
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Boston College won the toss and will receive … so, here we go.
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Arizona didn’t play Stanford this season, so Boston College will have to do.
The Eagles don’t have the overall offensive skill of the Pac-12 champion — and they don’t match the Cardinal’s physical style up front on defense — but this is a power team the likes of which the Wildcats haven’t seen this season.
As Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said, this will be “big-boy” football for an undersized UA defense.
“They’re very similar to Stanford in the way that they attack people,” said Arizona defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel.
“They’ve very good at attacking both sides of the line of scrimmage, and they have a good play-action game. I think they found their stride in the last four, five, six weeks of the season by getting into those big sets and pounding people, and putting people in conflict with the play-action game.”
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The theme of the game is Boston College’s Andre Williams vs. Arizona’s Ka’Deem Careem. The nation’s No. 1 rusher (175.2 yards per game) vs. the nation’s No. 2 rusher (156.0).
Carey, who met Williams at the Home Depot College Football Awards show in Orlando after the season, said they put a friendly wager on the outcome of the bowl game.
Carey didn’t specify but said, “Right after the game, you’ll probably see it.”
Will Carey say anything after the game about his future? He hasn’t dropped many public hints about whether or not he will enter the NFL Draft.
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Williams, at 6-foot and 227 pounds, is a big back who is a great fit for Boston College’s power schemes.
“I don’t know if we’ve seen anyone like him,” Casteel said.
“He’s a big, strong kid with good speed. He squares his shoulders and puts out a punishment on guys, especially when he gets through the line of scrimmage. If you don’t get to him to slow him down, he’s a bull coming through there.”
Arizona is 71st nationally in rushing defense, allowing 169.8 yards per game.
“He’s a big kid and he keeps his legs moving,” Arizona safety Jared Tevis said of Williams. “We’re going to have to gang-tackle him and get around the ball and keep smacking him all game.”
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With the focus on the running backs, what about the quarterbacks?
Arizona’s B.J. Denker is looking to go out as a winner, trying to atone for a lousy performance in the regular-season finale at ASU. Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig, also a senior, is more of a caretaker than a playmaker for the Eagles.
He has completed 146 of 237 passes for 1,804 yards, with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions.
“The key is getting him into third-down situations where he has to throw the ball,” Tevis said.
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Ken Griffey Jr on the field in Shreveport today. How 'bout that?
— Dave Druda (@DaveDruda) December 31, 2013
Arizona redshirt freshman receiver Trey Griffey has 11 receptions for 129 yards in the past three games.
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PREDICTION: If the turnover-free B.J. Denker shows up, Arizona will be fine, because Ka’Deem Carey will get his yards. He always does.
The focus then shifts to the Arizona defense, which doesn’t appear to have a favorable matchup against a powerful team such as Boston College. Question is whether the Eagles have enough around running back Andre Williams to distract the Cats’ attention. Just a hunch, but I think the defense comes up (moderately) big while Carey hits 180-plus yards.
Arizona 34, Boston College 27.
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