Arizona football roundtable: What was the worst part of the Washington game?

There are so many things to choose from

After an awful performance from the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, there is not a lot to talk about, so let's just figure out what the worst thing about that game was.

Also, Chipotle.

1. What was the worst part?

Gabe Encinas: Actually being at the game, staying the entire time, and not being able to watch the Stanford/Washington State game, was pretty rough.

When it came to the product on the field, it has to be the offense. Sure, the Huskies have the worst offense in the Pac-12, but Arizona's defense is one of the worst in the nation, and it's now giving up 41 points a game in Pac-12 play.

But for supposedly having a high-powered offense, Arizona didn't have much going at all against Washington, who does have the best defense in the Pac-12. But come on, just three points, getting shut out for 57 minutes straight, not a good look.

Alec Sills-Trausch: Kind of along the same lines as Gabe, I'd say all UofA & Washington fans, and people still on a Halloween sugar high having to watch the game and needing something to bring them down.

But on a specific game basis, I think the worst part is this team doesn't have an identity. For the past four seasons (spanning Ka'Deem Carey and Nick Wilson last year) everyone knew we'd be able to pound the ball and rack up at least 100 yards a game, providing some relief to the quarterback. Now, we don't have as threatening a rushing attack and no team is worried about our passing.

I usually have some advice I can give about improving, but this team just seems to want the season to end, that it wouldn't make a difference.

David Potts: I'm with Gabe - the offense was the worst part. If you told me before the game that we'd give up 49 points, I'd shrug. That's obviously awful, but I'm used to seeing our defense get shredded. I am not used to seeing our offense completely unable to move the ball and put any points on the board. A team that can score but is inept defensively is frustrating, but can still be pretty entertaining. A team that can neither score nor defend is just depressing. And that's what we've got right now.

James Schlittenhart: The offense was obviously a mess. But I'm going to be the voice of dissent and say that the defense was easily the worst part of the loss, and I'm basing that on the fact that this is the norm and not the exception.

Since arriving as head coach, Rich Rod's offense has scored 10 points or less only three times (UCLA in 2012 and 2014, 2014 Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game). I have to cut them some slack. On some weekends, the offense isn't going to be able to put up 35+ points. And yet, even after the Washington fiasco, I have a decent level of confidence that Arizona is going to turn things around on offense in the coming weeks. In no way does that sentiment ring true for the defense. Every single week, that defense is a liability and puts the offense in do-or-die situations, and they've been doing so since 2012. Washington ranked 103rd in total offense, and they looked like a well-oiled machine against Arizona.

The worst part of this game wasn't that the offense decided to take the night off; it's that the Arizona defense played entirely true to form by giving up 49 points to one of the worst offenses in the league. Worse yet, Arizona is going to run this same defense on the field again. And again. And again.

Ivan Leonard: The worst part of the game had to have been the offense's complete inability to move the ball all game after scoring on the first drive. The defense has not been doing them any favors all season as they allowed Jake Browning to toss four touchdowns so we knew the passing game would be key with Nick Wilson out. Both quarterbacks turned the ball over, and neither could find a steady rhythm, still, this late into the season with the receivers, and they put up their worst offensive performance against Washington of all teams.

We thought Solomon would take a big step forward in his sophomore season and is instead getting benched more times than he has thrown touchdowns since returning from injury. After blowing their most winnable game remaining, they have to beat either USC, Utah, or ASU to be bowl-elgible and who would have thought of this scenario heading into the season?

Jason Bartel: We've covered the football parts of this, so I'm going personal with my answer. I was originally going up to Mill for Halloween to have a blast. This late game changed those plans, and ruined my Halloween. Thanks for nothing.

2. Wanna go to Chipotle?

(Editor's note: This is my dig at Washington for having poison Chipotles)

GE: Always down for Chipotle. It's a weekly, sometimes bi-weekly meal for me.
My order: Bowl, with tortilla on the side, double brown rice, double black beans, chicken, mild and medium salsa, sour cream, corn, cheese. Make a burrito with the tortilla on the side, save the bowl the next day.

AST: Fo-sho! Actually just had it last Friday night before hiking the Grand Canyon (shameless plug) so let's just have Donald Trump build a wall around the Pacific Northwest so we can keep eating our glorious "Mexican" food.

DP: Not in the Northwest I don't. Can we blame this loss on tainted carintas in Seattle? Given how lethargic the entire team looked on Saturday, maybe food poisoning is the culprit. To be safe, I'm going to stick to Cafe Rio for the next week or so while Chipotle cycles through the E. coli infected meats.

JS: Chipotle always seems to be in close proximity to a Panda Express. I'll walk with you to Chipotle, but will undoubtedly be lured in by the sweet, sweet cuisine of the far east. Plus, the orange sauce masks the E. Coli really well.

IL: What better way to enjoy authentic Mexican cusine than by going to Chipotle? I do not really get to enjoy the one on University because even in a city like Tucson, Chipotle is still always full when open.

JB: Ah Chipotle. Thank you for only sending poison meats to the ones in the Northwest where people don't actually know what Mexican food is.

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