Offense: RB Ka’Deem Carey (Jr.)
While Arizona lines up in the shotgun for a vast majority of its plays, the Wildcats field a running offense through and through, leaning on a junior work horse who has averaged 180 yards per game in his last 11 contests. With 1,929 yards on the ground last year, Carey boasted the fifth-highest single season rushing total in Pac-12 history. Sitting almost 900 yards short of his 2012 total with only four scheduled games left and averaging 0.7 less yards per carry, Carey would require an all-universe closing effort to match his sophomore performance. Nonetheless, he leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards per game with 153.1, more than six yards more than the next most prolific rusher.
The dip in efficiency that Carey’s numbers took mean nothing to Mora. Carey impresses Mora more with each opportunity the coach sees the Wildcat play.
“He’s a guy that gets better every time you watch him play. He was great last year. He’s better this year. Next year, he’ll be great at the next level.”
Defense: LB Jake Fischer (Sr.)
Even at less than full strength, Arizona linebacker Jake Fischer is a force to be reckoned with.
One of the most prolific defensive players in the Pac-12 last season with 119 total tackles, Fischer missed Arizona’s game against Cal last week with a knee injury. He is listed as probable for Saturday night.
In his place, freshman middle linebacker Scooby Wright took over the team’s duties at middle linebacker and played relatively well, dropping Cal’s offense behind the line of scrimmage three times and recording a safety.
Still, without Fischer, the Wildcats struggled at times, allowing 419 yards of total offense to one of the Pac-12’s worst teams. They also allowed more points, 28, in a single game since their most recent loss, to USC, in October. In his last game before sustaining the injury, a 44-20 win over Colorado, Fischer had seven tackles.
Even with the Bruins dismantling the Wildcats’ defense in a 66-10 win in 2012, Fischer recorded eight tackles.
Compiled by Emilio Ronquillo and Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.