Arizona football facing Pac-12's top offenses, with Washington up next
The Arizona Wildcats are in the midst of facing the top five offenses in the Pac-12. Three have a common thread born from the freedom of movement that’s now allowed in college football.
Oregon, Washington and USC all have transfer quarterbacks who have reunited with play callers they’ve worked with in the past.
The Ducks’ Bo Nix — who totaled 335 yards and scored three touchdowns in Oregon’s 49-22 victory over Arizona last week — is again working with Kenny Dillingham, who helped Nix earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors at Auburn in 2019.
The Huskies’ Michael Penix Jr. — who will lead Washington against the UA on Saturday in Seattle — began his career at Indiana, where current UW coach Kalen DeBoer served as the offensive coordinator and QB coach in 2019. Penix threw for 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns in six games as a redshirt freshman that year.
The Trojans’ Caleb Williams — who will lead USC into Tucson on Oct. 29 following the Wildcats’ bye next week — spent his freshman year at Oklahoma playing for Lincoln Riley, who’s now the coach at USC.
All three quarterbacks are thriving at their new schools. Just from watching film, UA defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen can see the connection those QBs have with their play callers.
“There’s no doubt,” Nansen said Tuesday. “You can see the check-with-me (audibles), they know exactly where they’re going with the plays. It’s easier to operate the game from that standpoint – the relationship between the coach and the quarterback to make sure everybody’s on the same page.”
Penix ranks second nationally with 2,044 passing yards, trailing only Mississippi State’s Will Rogers, whom Arizona faced in Week 2. Nix ranks 15th in completion rate (70.4%) and is tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns (eight). Williams has an elite 14-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Penix isn’t as much of a threat to run as Nix, but the Washington and Oregon offenses share a trait that could prove troublesome for Arizona’s struggling defense.
Nansen said the Ducks’ extensive use of shifts and motion led to defensive players being out of position or unsure of their assignments. The Huskies use similar tactics.
Cornerback Treydan Stukes explained why that type of movement can be so taxing for a defense.
“When there’s a lot of movement and pullers, gaps change,” Stukes said. “You have to be ready to adjust on the fly. The game is fast. That’s why it’s difficult to always find the exact gap you’re supposed to be in.”
Regarding Penix, who has a 16-4 TD-INT ratio and a 64.8% completion rate, Stukes said: “He’s got a pretty strong arm. He’s a good decision-maker. He’s not reckless. And then obviously being left-handed ... it makes it a little different in all your preparations.”
Penix is the second-left handed quarterback Arizona will have faced in three weeks. The Wildcats limited Colorado’s Owen McCown to 14 of 30 passing.
McCown, a true freshman, was making his second career start. Penix has started 23 games, including 12 under DeBoer.
Defensive tweaks
The Wildcats are making some personnel changes on defense after surrendering 580-plus yards against Oregon and Cal in a three-week span.
Freshman Jacob Manu is now listed as the starter at “Will” linebacker. Nansen said DJ Warnell Jr. would work exclusively at the “Star” defensive back position this week after playing safety earlier in the season.
Manu has played at least 21 snaps in each of the past four games, according to Pro Football Focus. He made one start, against North Dakota State, in a three-linebacker alignment.
Redshirt freshman Kolbe Cage, a converted safety, has started the first six games at Will ’backer. Cage has 24 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery but is Arizona’s lowest-rated defender per PFF’s grading system.
Manu, who enrolled in June, kept making an impression on the coaches during practice. He began the season on the scout team.
“Every time I watched practice, he was all over the place,” Nansen said. “He has a knack for the football.”
Like Cage (6-1, 215), Manu is undersized. He’s generously listed at 5-11, 220. Nansen said that doesn’t matter because of Manu’s instincts and aggressiveness.
“He was drilling our linemen (despite) giving up a hundred pounds,” offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll said. “He’s a stud. I’m excited to see him play.”
Warnell, a third-year sophomore who transferred from UCLA in the offseason, spent spring practice competing at the Star spot. Nansen and his staff decided to go with Gunner Maldonado there, moving Warnell to safety, where he served as a backup.
But Maldonado has struggled. He has allowed a team-high 23 receptions on 27 targets, per PFF. He also has a missed-tackle rate of 34.8%, the highest among UA regulars. (Cage is second at 25.7%.)
Warnell has a team-high four tackles on special teams, and he has played well in spot duty on defense.
Having played so many positions — including backup “Sam” linebacker in the 4-3 look — Warnell has a “good feel” for the defensive scheme, Nansen said. The Star position requires both coverage and run-stuffing ability. It appears Warnell will be given every opportunity to show he has those skills.
Two other transfers, linebackers Malik Reed and Anthony Solomon, have yet to play a snap on defense. Both got extensive looks during offseason practices. Reed even started the 2021 finale at Arizona State.
Asked why Reed and Solomon haven’t played, Nansen said: “I gotta make sure they understand their assignments. The best guys are gonna play in this program. You can’t just put guys in there. They gotta earn their spots.”
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona football facing Pac-12's top offenses, with Washington up next
