First look

Time: 2 p.m. (PDT) Saturday. TV: None

The records: WSU (1-8, 0-6 in Pac-10); Arizona (5-3; 3-2)

Last games: Arizona lost to USC, 17-10, Oct. 25

WSU lost to Stanford, 58-0, last week

Last time: Arizona defeated WSU, 48-20, in Tucson last season.

The line: Arizona by 38

What it means for WSU

This is the last explosive offense on the Cougars’ schedule this season – the final three opponents average 17.6 points per game – so expect the Cougars to struggle to improve on their nation-worst 49.2 points given up per game. But putting up a fight against the potent Arizona offense (36.6 points per game) would go a long way toward placating the Cougar faithful, stung by the blowout losses in Pac-10 play.

What it means for Arizona

The Wildcats are one win from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since Mike Stoops took over in Tucson. That would go a long way toward placating the Arizona faithful, stung the past few years by the Wildcats’ inability to get over that hump – not to mention the recent retirement of basketball legend Lute Olson.

Key matchup

Arizona punt returner Mike Thomas vs. WSU punt coverage team.

WSU punter Reid Forrest didn’t boom the ball in the rain at Stanford – averaging just 37.8 yards on his six punts – but his direction was good. It’s that accuracy, and maybe because it gets a lot of practice (Forrest’s 6.75 punts per game is the most of any punter in the NCAA statistics), that has allowed the Cougar punt coverage team to do well this season, with a net average of 40.7 yards on Forrest’s punts. However, the explosive Thomas is 12th in the nation in punt returns, averaging 13.4 yards a try. The Wildcats are fourth in the country in the statistic and have returned two punts for touchdowns. Arizona uses such good special team play to kick start its offense.

Vince Grippi, staff writer