Arizona Quarterbacks Seeking Help For UW

Dan White was 18-5 as a starter for Arizona, but the record is just 1-3 the last four games. That’s why Wildcats football coach Dick Tomey is contemplating a quarterback change tonight against No. 20 Washington.

“We’re just trying to move the ball,” Tomey said without giving any indication about whether White, a senior, or sophomore Brady Batten would start.

The two split time in the Wildcats’ 17-10 loss at UCLA last week. White made his 27th career start, but Batten guided the team to its only points in the fourth quarter.

Washington (3-0 Pac-10, 4-2 overall) has lost only to ranked teams Ohio State and Notre Dame. Arizona (1-2, 3-3) hasn’t beaten anyone but California since opening its season with victories over Pacific and Georgia Tech.

“It’s not that Brady has done a great job. But he has given us cause for reconsideration of what we’re doing,” Tomey said.

White completed only 3 of 17 passes against UCLA in the first and third quarters. Batten played the second and fourth.

The UCLA game marked Arizona’s first without productive wide receiver Richard Dice, whose knee injury in practice may prove seasonending. Dice had caught passes for five of Arizona’s 14 touchdowns.

“Everybody talks about our quarterback problems. But with the kind of protection we’ve had, and the drops (UA receivers dropped seven passes against UCLA), we have problems that don’t have anything to do with the quarterback. We need some playmakers,” Tomey said.

As for the Huskies, Washington’s Rashaan Shehee, filling in for injured Leon Neal, leads the team with 473 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

Arizona is No. 1 in the Pac-10 in total defense, and fourth against the run, led as always by defensive end sack specialist Tedy Bruschi. He has 45 sacks in 42 games.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m glad we haven’t played them the last two years,” said Washington coach Jim Lambright. UW hasn’t played Arizona since 1992 when it was upset by the Wildcats 16-3 in 1992.