#22 Arizona (5-4) loses to UCLA (7-2): 66-10 at the Rose Bowl. The Wildcats are now 0-3 in away games.
Ouch. We all thought the bloodbath was over after Arizona encountered the wrath of Oregon, however, UCLA proved us wrong this weekend. Although Arizona was able to get 10 points on the board, the spread was still bigger than the points put up by the Ducks in week 4. The 66-10 stomp in the Rose Bowl was something that not very many Arizona fans were prepared for.
Arizona was hard pressed to have any kind of ball movement against UCLA’s defense. For the entire game, Arizona had merely half of the first downs UCLA achieved and even less than half of the Bruins’ total yards. The Cats struggled to keep the Bruins at bay, allowing a touchdown in the first 2 minutes of the first quarter; the rest of the game generally followed the same suit. By the time the first half was over, the Bruins had racked up an incredible 42 points to the Wildcats meager 3. The second half brought out a more relaxed UCLA and possibly a more tenacious Arizona. 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter, Arizona was able to drive down the field and give Ka’Deem Carey another touchdown, his 13th of the season. The game finally came to a close with UCLA recovering a fumble from Richard Morrison and returning it for 38 yards. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the game was everything that was on the line. The winner of this match up would also have the best shot at the top spot in the Pac-12 south . Because of this loss, Arizona is likely out of contention for a Rose Bowl appearance; Arizona could still have a chance if they won out, UCLA loses out, and ASU has an upset against USC (don’t hold your breath). Conversely, UCLA mainly needs to win out the season and the Pac-12 Championship game in order to earn the right to play in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 14 years. Arizona has never been to the Rose Bowl.
Much to the surprise of neurologists everywhere, Matt Scott played against the Bruins. After Scott’s collision followed by a bout of vomiting on the field, many were sure Scott would be sat with a concussion. And after the Wildcat performance, maybe he should have been benched. Matt Scott attempted a mere 25 passes, completing only 15 of those. Averaging 5 yards per attempt, Scott was removed from the game after an injury in the 3rd quarter. According to head coach Rich Rodriguez, “Matt hit his head on somebody’s thigh and got dizzy.” This becomes the second game in a row in which Scott has received a head injury. While football is known to be a rough sport, there’s no denying it, news is emerging of retired NFL stars suffering from migraines, brain damage, and even increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Whether or not Matt Scott (or any player for that matter) has a future in the NFL, the players have to have some sort of protection from future incidents such as this. Many officials are beginning to see the effects of hard hits on players and are taking the matter more seriously. For instance, the Washington Redskins were fined $20,000 for saying Robert Griffin III was simply shaken up by what was eventually diagnosed as a concussion. Because matters such as this are so serious, it is a relief to see officials taking the side of players needs as opposed to the wants of coaches.
With Arizona Homecoming next weekend, Wildcat fans across the country can only hope for some major improvements this week in preparation what should be a blowout win against Colorado (1-8).
From the heart of Wildcat Country, Bear Down.
