TUCSON, Ariz. -- Nick Wilson vows he's ready. Now, can the Arizona freshman "wow" again?
In his first three games Wilson appeared Ka'Deem Carey-like as he rushed with a runner's ease. Another chance to get back there comes Saturday in Arizona's homecoming game vs. Colorado.
Wilson is over the ankle injury that sidelined him for a complete game and parts of others. Because of it, Arizona's ground game suffered. Terris Jones-Grigsby, the Week 1 starter returned and Jared Baker filled in, but still, Arizona's one-two punch of air-and-ground attack was stilted.
Can Wilson return to the rusher who ran for 449 yards in the first three games -- UNLV, UTSA, Nevada -- or be the guy who rushed for 128 vs. Oregon, Washington State and UCLA?
Wilson says he's fine and "everything feels good so far. Like any type of injury you're going to have to push through it and tolerate it enough. You get used to it."
Like he said, now "it's trying to get back to where I was. It was a little frustrating not being where I was after such a (good) start. But because I feel like I'm closer to 100 percent I feel things will be rolling pretty soon."
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said the running game should return to form. But consistency is key. He said the team pressed to perform and the running backs contributed to that as well as everyone else.
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Arizona Stadium, Tucson
TV: Pac-12 Network (Kevin Calabro, Glenn Parker)
WHAT TO WATCH
Can Scooby continue to shine?: It was thought this would be a pretty good season for Wright, who came on the scene last year as a player with potential. Well, he's surpassed all expectations and has been All-American-like at linebacker. He leads the team in tackles with an unbelievable 97. Can his motor keep going? The prediction is yes, oh heck yes.
Arizona's passing game: Just when there were questions about Arizona's running game (and there still are) the passing game turned in a dud last week. A lot of drops and off-target passes left people scratching their heads. If Arizona can't pass it looks bad offensively. It did last week, but this week it should be better with so many receivers vowing to show last week was a fluke.
Skowron troubles: A miss in a crucial spot is one thing, a second miss in what would seem to be an easy spot is another. Casey Skowron is struggling and that's not a good thing when doubt comes into the kicking game. Rodriguez is concerned. Skowron needs to give the coach peace of mind in moving forward.
KEY PLAYERS
Cayleb Jones, WR, Arizona: He's been Arizona's most consistent wide receiver. He has 50 catches for 716 yards and seven touchdowns. He'll have to shake loose for a big play or two (his signature) after Arizona was limited through the air last week.
Anu Solomon, QB, Arizona: After shining for more than half the season, the redshirt quarterback had a dud of a game vs. UCLA. Not all was his fault. Receivers dropped passes, um, that well weren't all great passes. He needs to return to form and perhaps run a little more with the ball.
Sefo Lufau, QB, Colorado: Yes, another good quarterback Arizona must face. He owns the record for TD passes (25) and completions (274) in a season. He has at least one TD in 17 games, good for the fourth longest streak in the nation.
INJURY REPORT
Arizona -- Probable: WR Austin Hill (concussion), OL Mickey Baucus (knee); Questionable: DB Jarvis McCall (shoulder).
Colorado -- Questionable: WR D.D. Goodson (ankle); Doubtful: OT Jeremy Irwin (ankle); Probable: SS Terrell Smith (concussion)
OUTLOOK
There will be a lot of passing in this one, but one thing is clear: Arizona needs to establish its running game again. It hasn't been effective since the early part of the season and has to regain the form. Whether it's senior Terris Jones-Grigsby or Nick Wilson one of them will have to step up. Arizona's passing game went through a hiccup last week. It won't happen again this one.
PREDICTION
Arizona 43, Colorado 27
"They had a couple of mistakes we hadn't made all season," Rodriguez said. "The backs are pretty conscientious so hopefully we will get it better this week."
Now, would be a good time. Colorado gives up 197 rushing yards per game, ranking last in the Pac-12 Conference. Still, it's in the Pac-12 where Arizona's running game has been all but ineffective after the first three non-conference games. Rodriguez said the step up in competition hasn't been the problem.
"Oregon was pretty good," Rodriguez said, referring to his team's 208 yards vs. the Ducks. "(Nick) was hurt and wasn't 100 percent. If he (isn't) getting as many yards I don't think that's necessarily because he wasn't as good or the competition was good. It was a matter of circumstances."
Rodriguez was clear to point out when a back has big numbers -- even a big run or two -- it's a by-product of other things going well, too. It means the team is throwing the ball well or blocking better. Against UCLA, the Wildcats had "none of that."
Senior left tackle Mickey Baucus is listed as probable after suffering a knee injury last week.
"It's just that we've been going back to old habits back in the spring where we're not pressing the 'A' gap," Jones-Grigsby said, referring to running up the middle. "We need to get back to our roots, back to what we learned, the basics of the belly.
"We're making the cut too fast, basically."
It's what Arizona running backs coach Calvin Magee calls "taking the cheese" in finding a hole "and we try to take it and it closes, instead of pressing the 'A' gap and letting the linebackers flow and then make the cut."
He added: "We watched a few films of Colorado with Ka'Deem, and he does it perfectly. We're going to keep looking at that and study what we have to do. We've been really off these past few weeks. Nick has been staying in the training room, working on his ankle. Nick is going to bounce back; we both have to with four games left."
Wilson again feels like he's ready, but "you never know (what will happen) until it happens."
Rodriguez was a bit tough on his team after last week's loss to UCLA.
He pointed out the team couldn't run, pass, catch passes, well, do much of anything. He was on them pretty good, saying the team pressed too much in a game that was heavy in heat and pressure.
But upon further review, he also realized as poorly as the team played it was still ahead at halftime, 7-3. He realized that in saying the team "didn't have whole lot of busted mental assignments but did get beat physically" when it came to the offensive line.
That hadn't happened much this season.
Overall, bad games happen. How many for Rodriguez? "They've happened more times than I can recall," he said earlier this week. "I was really upset at halftime but then I looked back and said (to himself) we were ahead. I guess I shouldn't have been that mad."
In retrospect, he said had Arizona finished a drive (one where a field goal attempt was blocked with a couple of minutes left), it would have been in striking distance.
"I had to sit back -- and I told the guys -- maybe I ranted too much," he said. "We're still competing. I just want our guys to execute better."
-- Colorado has lost five consecutive games, but two of them have come in double overtime. Three losses have come by a total of 11 points. It took UCA into overtime. Colorado has lost 17 consecutive games to ranked opponents.
-- Arizona is 56-35-5 in homecoming games, including a 56-31 win over Colorado two years ago.
-- Arizona's Drew Riggleman has been as consistent as any player on the team. He's averaging 47.2 yards per punt, just 0.3 yards shy of the school record set by Danny Baugher in 2005.
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VIDEO: Jake Fischer joins Sports Guys Steve Rivera, Anthony Gimino and Matt Moreno to preview Saturday's game.
