The Arizona Wildcats have defeated the Oregon Ducks before and they hope to repeat the success. Arizona got one of the big upset wins of the season when they beat Oregon back earlier in the season. They did not stop Heisman candidate Marcus Mariota from making plays, but simply got him off-balanced just enough to win the game. The Wildcats have been one of the surprises of the season and now they look to keep up with the success as Arizona and Oregon face off in the Pac 12 championship game.
In the October 2 loss, Mariota still threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for just one yard on nine attempts. That was the difference maker. Mariota currently owns the Pac 12 record with 48 total touchdowns, 36 passing and 11 rushing. He has thrown for 3,470 yards with just two interceptions while also being the team's second-leading rusher with 636 yards on the year. He is putting together a record-setting season as he competes for a Heisman trophy and the chance to be take first in the NFL Draft.
However, the Ducks are playing for more than just personal accolades for their quarterback. The team is looking to secure the Pac 12 title and move on to the College Football Playoffs where they currently sit in at No. 3. Arizona is the team that could get in their way. The Wildcats have the Duck's number. The routed the team 41-16 last year at home while beating them again this season. Scooby Wright sacked Mariota with 2:11 left to play, getting the strip which led to the Arizona win. If the Wildcats can keep up their winning ways against Oregon, they have a chance to get the Ducks out of the playoffs.
While Arizona's defense gets a lot of praise, their offense has looked solid all year. Anu Solomon is leading the way at quarterback, throwing for 3,424 yards and 27 touchdowns. Leading rusher Nick Wilson has put up 1,263 yards while averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Arizona could become the 4th team in the AP Poll era to beat multiple Top-3 opponents away from home before the bowl season begins.
