Is Arizona a legitimate Pac-12 contender? The Wildcats have looked good so far this season, and will face another solid test Saturday against Nevada, hosting the Wolf Pack in a late-night contest.
How to watch Nevada vs. Arizona: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds, more
Will the Wildcats grab a second blowout win over a Mountain West opponent, or can the Wolf Pack grab another victory over a Pac-12 school?
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The Wildcats opened the season with a 58-13 thrashing of UNLV, then followed that up with an impressive 26-23 road win over a very good (and experienced) UTSA team. Freshman quarterback Anu Solomon has shown few growing pains after being thrown into the starting role, averaging 8.63 yards per pass attempt with five touchdowns against zero interceptions. Freshman Nick Wilson and senior Terris Jones-Grigsby have formed one of the nation's most fearsome rushing duos of the early season, while Cayleb Jones, Samajie Grant and Austin Hill have all showcased their playmaking abilities at wide receiver.
Nevada opened the season with a 28-19 win over FCS Southern Utah, and surprised many with a fairly commanding 24-13 victory against Washington State the week after. The Wolf Pack were able to limit one explosive Pac-12 offense -- can they do it again? Nevada’s defense has three interceptions through two games, and a freshman quarterback could add to that total.
How to witness
TV: 11 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Online streaming: Pac-12 Live
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. Both are 2-0 on the season. Arizona holds the all-time lead in the series 2-1-1.
Vegas: Arizona opened as a 16.5-point favorite. The line is now up to 18. The over/under is 63 points.
Weather forecast: 79 degrees, partly cloudy.
Two things at stake
Arizona sits at 2-0, but still finds itself outside of the Top 25 rankings. With wins over Nevada this week and Cal next week, the Wildcats would likely find themselves ranked ahead of their huge matchup against Oregon.
Nevada already beat one Pac-12 team this season. Grabbing another one against a very good Arizona team would rapidly increase its Mountain West stock.
One big matchup
Nick Wilson vs. Brock Hekking. Wilson, a true freshman out of Fresno, has looked like a perfect fit in Rich Rodriguez's scheme so far this season. In two games, he's rushed 37 times for 278 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.51 yards per carry and breaking a number of big plays. At 5'10 and 199 pounds, he's not necessarily a big presence in the backfield, but he's got speed and moves to spare.
Hekking is one of the best end rushers in the Mountain West Conference and has a fantastic platinum blond mullet. The 6’4, 255-pound senior recorded 13.5 tackles for a loss last season, and will be a key factor in the Wolf Pack’s attempt to stop Wilson, Solomon and the explosive Arizona offense.
Further reading
For more on Nevada and the rest of the Mountain West conference, check out Mountain West Connection. For full coverage of Arizona, head over to AZ Desert Swarm.
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