Nick Foles ended his career with a conference career record 933 completions. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles said after the season-ending victory over Louisiana-Lafayette that he was due some “down time.”

It was a grueling season. He attempted (560) and completed (387) more passes than anyone in conference history. He finished hurt, playing through a rib injury. As a team captain, he had to help lead the team after coach Mike Stoops was fired at midseason.

But his down time won’t last long.

His father, Larry Foles, said Nick will sign with Athletes First and start formal training for the NFL Combine on Jan. 3 at the Velocity Performance Center in Irvine, Calif.

Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller, Washington quarterback Jake Locker, and Boise State receiver Austin Pettis were among the agency’s clients last season as they prepared for the draft.

Athletes First is led by one of the guys who gets described as an “NFL super agent” — David Dunn.

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Nick Foles acknowledges the crowd as he leaves Arizona Stadium for the final time. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Game over, college career over, Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles turned to the crowd and waved. He made his way to the stadium steps behind the bench, finding his dad. They hugged.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet that my career here at Arizona is over,” Foles said a couple of minutes later, “but this is the way to go out — with a victory.”

Foles and the Wildcats ended the season with a 45-37 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette at Arizona Stadium on Saturday night, finishing with a 4-8 record. The final game was classic Foles.

He set another passing record — a school and conference record 560 pass attempts for a season. He tied Willie Tuitama’s school records for touchdown passes in a season (28) and for a career (67). He became the 10th player in conference history to reach 10,000 career passing yards.

None of that was the story.

That Foles went out a winner had nothing to do with the final score. It didn’t have anything to do with records.

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Nick Foles was 6-for-6 on the drive that got Arizona back in the game in the fourth quarter at Arizona State. Photo by Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

There was 12:25 left in the game. Arizona trailed Arizona State 27-17. The Wildcats, after an illegal block penalty on the kick return, were pushed back to their 6-yard-line, pushed to the brink.

Time was running out at Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona had scored only once in its past eight possessions. The last chance to feel something good about the season was slipping away.

“Maybe in some other games during the course of the season, if we were down 10 at his point in the game, I’m not sure we believed we could win the game,” said UA quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo. “We still believed we could win the game here.”

But it was now or ever.

A short drive, or a three-and-out, likely would set up ASU on a short field, potentially in position for a game-clinching score. The Cats had to hit the accelerator.

“Arizona State had a bead on us pretty good,” Scelfo said.

“We wanted to increase the tempo and kind of take them out of their comfort zone. Probably should have done it earlier, but that’s hindsight.”

What followed was a 94-yard drive in which Arizona played fast, quarterback Nick Foles was accurate and decisive, and receiver Gino Crump made one spectacular play.

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Nick Foles walks gingerly off the field with 6:10 to play against ASU. Photo by Jennifer Hilderbrand-US PRESSWIRE

The status of Arizona Wildcats senior quarterback Nick Foles was still uncertain as the team finished practice Wednesday night.

Foles suffered a rib contusion late in last week’s game against Arizona State, having to leave with 6:10 to play. He did not return.

“He’s not bad,” interim coach said Tim Kish said of Foles.

“I don’t think he’s 100 percent right now. But he’s throwing the ball better today and he’ll throw a little bit more tomorrow. We’re prepared either way. Hopefully, he can get in there a little bit on Saturday, maybe a lot of bit.”

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Nick Foles walks gingerly off the field with 6:10 to play against ASU. Photo by Jennifer Hilderbrand-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles suffered a rib contusion in the fourth quarter of the Arizona State, but interim coach Tim Kish sounded optimistic that the senior would be able to play in the final game of his UA career.

“Certainly, we’re encouraged by what we found out so far about him medically,” Kish said Monday morning after Foles had been examined and tests came back negative.

“It’s nothing serious. Sore? Yeah. Will we monitor him? Yes. But he wants to play.”

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Nick Foles is No. 1 on several UA passing lists. Photo by Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

Arizona Wildcats senior quarterback Nick Foles has set several school season and career passing records, but it’s unclear if he can add to any of those totals.

Foles left against Arizona State with 6:10 to go in the game Saturday night, suffering from what he described as probably a muscle injury to his lower back or side.

Bryson Beirne replaced Foles, who did not return to the game, the first extended time he’s missed this season because of injury.

“I don’t think it will be anything serious, so I’ll be good,” Foles said after the 31-27 win over the Sun Devils.

But he soon conceded that his muscles were “tightening up pretty bad.”

“I can’t really twist and speaking loudly kind of triggers it,” he said.

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Arizona quarterback Nick Foles will be trying to solve an ASU defense that has mostly held him in check in the past two seasons. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Five Sun Devils to watch

It only takes one play to be a rivalry hero for a lifetime.

Some in the Arizona-ASU duels have been stars who only added to their legend — Chuck Cecil, John Jefferson, Max Zendejas, Byron Evans.

Others had shining moments impossible to forget: James Debow’s goal-line stuff of ASU running back Channing Williams in 1986, Kevin Galbreath’s 51-yard touchdown run for a 7-6 ASU win in 1992, Brian Holland’s 92-yard touchdown reception in 1982.

Who is it going to be this season?

Anyone?

Here’s a look at five Arizona players who can make a difference Saturday night at Sun Devil Stadium.

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Nick Foles threw two costly interceptions against Utah. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Saturday night; Nick Foles couldn’t sleep. Arizona had lost at home, 34-21 to Utah. Foles had thrown two costly interceptions, one in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

He just couldn’t sleep, those interceptions dancing through his head.

No sense staying in bed, dwelling on that. He got up and trudged to the football offices at McKale Center, where he watched the game film at 3 a.m. through the wee, small hours.

“I took notes on everything that went on. That’s what you have to do,” Foles said.

“It hurts. It was the worst feeling. I don’t think I ate much at all. I had to watch it. I wanted to see what was going on. …

“When you don’t want to do something like that, you really have to do it to get it over with. After I watched that I felt better, and I re-watched it on Monday.”

Foles, a senior and a veteran of 30 career starts, has three more games left in his Arizona career. As it winds down, there is a sense that Foles is pressing, trying to do too much to erase some of the frustration of a 2-7 season in which coach Mike Stoops got fired halfway through.

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This stellar TD catch earned David Douglas some time on SportsCenter all night. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

A failed fake field goal at the end of Arizona’s first drive was curious for timing and its execution.

The Wildcats tried to pull it off on fourth-and-12 from the Utah after a delay of game. That’s a long way to go for a fake field goal.

What’s more, a week earlier, interim head coach Tim Kish talked about how important he thought it was to come away with three points on the team’s opening drive at Washington. John Bonano kicked a 36-yard field goal on fourth-and-2.

This time, Kish went for a fake, needing 12 yards, at nearly the identical spot on the field.

If anything, getting three points was more important against Utah than Washington because the Utes have the better defense.

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Utah blocks a punt from Kyle Dugandzic in the first quarter. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

There will be no bowl for the Arizona Wildcats, no going out in a blaze of glory for senior quarterback Nick Foles.

The fourth quarter of the season is all that remains for the Wildcats, adrift with a 2-7 record after a 34-21 home loss to Utah on Saturday at Arizona Stadium.

By the end of the game, judging by the number of fans in the stadium, you would have thought it was a spring scrimmage.

Judging by the mistakes on special teams, dropped passes, missed throws, busted coverages and number of penalties … well, you would have thought it was a spring scrimmage.

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