USC vs. Arizona: Wildcat Players of the Game

Three Wildcats who stood out in Arizona’s loss to USC

Injuries. Inexperience. Inconsistency. All of these go hand-in-hand and came to fruition on Saturday. The Arizona Wildcats did not look in sync all game and the scoreboard showed, lighting up 48-14 in favor of the USC Trojans at the end of the day.

There were a couple of good plays but not enough to keep Arizona afloat. Luckily for the ‘Cats, next week is a much-needed bye week.

Let’s take a look at some Wildcats who did stand out.

Offense: Matt Morin, TE/QB Hybrid

Game Stats: 4-for-8, 84 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Morin, who did play QB in high school, came in for freshman Khalil Tate on Arizona’s third possession in the second half. It was interesting to see a 235 pound tight end out there calling plays, but it actually wasn’t bad.

Morin did have his mistakes — one interception and a fumble on a wonky hand off — but overall he did alright. He throws a pretty decent ball and had a nice 51-yard bomb down the field to Cam Denson. Oh, and he threw that on the run. Morin also threw the only passing touchdown for the ‘Cats on the afternoon. He was able to move the offense down the field on multiple drives as well.

As an aside, Morin had more passing yards on Saturday (84) than Utah’s quarterback (Troy Williams, 42)

Defense: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, S

Game Stats: 11 tackles

There weren’t too many bright spots on defense, but DFF was one. He had himself a pretty solid game, all things considered.

Flannigan-Fowles’ tackling is something the defense desperately needs. He had a team-leading 11 tackles for the game and now leads Arizona with 43 for the season.

The true sophomore stepped up to stop the run on multiple occasions, including a fourth quarter goal line stand. It was too little too late, but a moral victory nonetheless.

Special Teams: The Whole Kit and Caboodle

I will say, the special teams coverage teams were the best they’ve looked all season. The longest return that was allowed was a 5-yard punt return by USC’s Deontay Burnett. As a matter of fact, Adoree’ Jackson was held to only three return yards for the whole game.

Josh Pollack’s punts were much better and so were his kickoffs. He did have one really strange shank-punt, but that did not hurt the ‘Cats in the least. He had a touchback on a kickoff as well after Arizona scored its first touchdown. Pollack had five punts for 223 yards and, get this, a long of 67 yards. He also had two punts inside the 20 and one touchback.

Honorable Mention

Zach Green, RB: Green, once again, did a pretty decent job with what he was asked to do. He did bust out some pretty good runs and we found out that he is a savage blocker. (Game Stats: 14 car, 46 yds, 0 TD)

Dane Cruikshank, CB: Yes he had a couple of miscues, but he went toe-to-toe with one of the best receivers in the nation and held his own for the most part. He is a first-year starter and a JUCO transfer. Think about that. He also had a nice touchdown-saving tackle in the fourth quarter that led to a goal line stand. (Game Stats: 8 tackles and 1 PBU)

Paul Magloire, LB: Magloire had himself another solid game. He made some really critical tackles and was one of the few defenders who swarmed the ball carrier on a consistent basis. He is now third on the team in tackles this season. (Game Stats: 6 tackles)

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