TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona's Rich Rodriguez, in 12 previous seasons as a head coach at the FBS level, has never had a team that passed more than it ran the ball.
Until now.
The Wildcats have 313 rushes and 367 passes, and freshman quarterback Anu Solomon twice has done what no other quarterback in school history was able to do -- throw 70 passes in a game.
Because of Solomon's passing-oriented skill set, the quarterback run game has not been a big part of Rodriguez's zone-read attack, part of the reason the entire running game is suffering in Pac-12 play.
Arizona ran for only 80 yards on 31 carries in a 17-7 loss at UCLA last Saturday. Solomon was sacked three times for a loss of 22 yards. Otherwise, he had seven carries for 30 yards, often on scrambles. Solomon, while making a quick read after the snap, doesn't much pull the ball from the tailback and keep it himself on the run.
"He scrambled pretty well," Rodriguez said Monday about the UCLA game.
"I think he's elusive enough. He's not going to win foot races and out-run people, but he's athletic enough to get some positive things. ... There were a couple of reads when he could have pulled it, but there were also a couple where he could have given it. That's going to happen in the course of a game right now."
Arizona rushed for 805 yards on 130 carries in three non-conference games, extending its streak of having a 100-yard rusher to 20 consecutive games. Then, the reality of a post-Ka'Deem Carey world set in. Running backs Terris Jones-Grigsby and Nick Wilson have been banged up at various times, and Solomon isn't helping on the ground.
The Cats have gone from averaging 6.2 yards per carry against inferior non-conference competition to averaging 3.4 yards per game (183 for 629) in conference play.
Minus sacks, Solomon has only 62 rushes in eight games, and he has not made the defense fear his running game, which is integral to getting the full effect of the zone-read offense.
"I wouldn't say he's dynamic by no means, but he's efficient," quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said in a recent interview about Solomon's ability as a runner.
"One thing he has to continue to work on is to press the defense after a pull read. Too many times, we're pulling the ball and half-assing it out there and not really stressing the defense. Which means that now you are one-dimensional, because you're just throwing the ball. You want him to have the ability to attack the defense with his legs and distribute the ball as well."
Before arriving at Arizona, Rodriguez ran the ball two-thirds of the time during his stints at West Virginia and Michigan. He'll do whatever he has to do to get first downs and score points, so the run-pass split isn't a big deal; the inefficiency of the running game is.
"There are so many things we can do better," he said.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Arizona senior free safety Jourdon Grandon was ejected in the first half of the UCLA game for targeting in what seemed to be a close judgment call by the officials.
"Targeting is sometimes equated as head-to-head, but the rule is 'launching or using the crown of your helmet.' And his head was down," Rodriguez said of Grandon's hit. "Our guys have been told not to use the crown of the helmet in any situation.
"I don't think it was vicious intent or anything of that nature, but if you look at the letter of law -- was the crown of the helmet used in a tackle? -- it was."
Rodriguez added that he doesn't always see that kind of hit be penalized, but he did not argue about it Monday. Neither did he take issue with a hit that knocked out wide receiver Austin Hill early in the second half after he took a big hit from Tahaan Goodman on an incomplete pass. Hill did not return.
"What I could on the film, it didn't look like helmet to helmet," Rodriguez said, adding that he didn't think Goodman launched into Hill, either. "It looked like a clean hit. ... I didn't have any problem with it."
Hill's status for Saturday's home game against Colorado won't be clarified until the team issues its injury report Thursday afternoon.
"Austin was feeling pretty good yesterday, so that's all I'm going to say about that," Rodriguez said.
SCOOBY AWARDS
Sophomore linebacker Scooby Wright was chosen the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for the second consecutive week. Wright had a career-high 19 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and three sacks.
"He's been our most consistent football player, period," Rodriguez said. "I've probably said that in every game. Scooby plays with a passion and plays like he wants to prove himself. I think because of his attitude, we keep getting better.
"I mean, I'm in the weight room at 6:30 this morning working out, and there's Scooby Wright in there working out by himself. He doesn't have to be there, but that's Scooby being Scooby."
Wright had 15.5 tackles for loss in five conference games, and his season total of 18.5 is the most at Arizona since Tedy Bruschi had 19.5 in 1995. Wright's 12 sacks -- half of which have come in the past two games -- are the most by a Wildcat since Bruschi had 14.5, also in 1995.
Wright is the only player in the nation to rank among the top 20 in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles. The Maxwell Football Club announced Monday that Wright is one of 20 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's best defensive player.
QUICK HITS
--Arizona's home game against Washington on Nov. 15 will kick off at 1:30 p.m. MT on FOX, the Pac-12 announced Monday.
--Rodriguez blamed a "very poor job of protecting" for a 26-yard field goal that UCLA's Ishmael Adams blocked with a rush off the edge with two minutes left in the game.
--Drew Riggleman ranks second nationally in punting, averaging 47.2 yards per attempt. He trails Idaho's Austin Rehkow, who is at 48.5 yards per punt.
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