2 Minute Drill: WSU’s keys to victory on Saturday against Arizona

Don’t take your eyes off …

Arizona quarterback Brandon Dawkins is arguably the Pac-12’s most explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands. He has run the ball for 20 or more yards nine separate times – more than any other Pac-12 player regardless of position – despite having missed two games due to injury.

When WSU has the ball …

Expect a heavy dose of dinks and dunks down the field. The Wildcats have a poor pass defense, but have been pretty good at defending intermediate to deep passes downfield. The WSU offense is all about taking what the defense gives it, and in this game that means Luke Falk making a bunch of short range passes to get the Cougars within scoring range.

When Arizona has the ball …

Force the Wildcats into key downs. When UA moves the ball, it does so in big chunks. The Wildcats have been abysmal on third down, converting just 35.5 percent of the time. As long as the Cougars are able to force UA to move the ball at a moderate pace, eventually the Wildcats will fail to convert.

Did you know?

During his time as the WSU head coach, Mike Leach has never beaten the Wildcats at home and never lost to them on the road.