Three things to watch: UA versus Washington

The Arizona Wildcats find themselves at a crossroads this week. If this program is going to take a leap into the top half of the Pac-10 and stay there, it needs to win games like Saturday’s match-up with the Washington Huskies (7:15 p.m., FSN-AZ).

The Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 Pac-10) are coming off a much-needed bye week as one of only three teams in Pac-10 yet to suffer an in-conference loss (Stanford and Oregon are the other two). Of course, the Wildcats have played only one conference opponent, but the 37-32 win at Oregon State was a strong way to kick off the Pac-10 slate.

If Arizona hopes to keep pace with the Pac-10 leaders, it needs to answer three crucial questions when it heads to Seattle to battle this resurgent Washington (2-3, 1-1) squad.

First: Can Nick Foles make it two for two?

The sophomore quarterback exceeded expectations in his first career start, leading the passing game with a surprising level of poise and confidence in Corvallis — not an easy place to play.

Foles might not be as athletic as fellow sophomore Matt Scott, but he’s much more accurate and possesses excellent touch on longer passes. Without Rob Gronkowski, the degree of difficulty is much higher, but Foles still went 25-34 for 254 yards and three touchdowns, while spreading the ball around to 10 different receivers.

While Oregon State’s defense has struggled in the consistency department this season, it’s performed much better than Washington’s defense. The Huskies rank No. 103 out of 120 FBS teams in total defense, giving up 409.4 yards per game.

Washington seemingly out-played Notre Dame last week in South Bend, but the defense was unable to come up with the key stops to prevent the Fighting Irish’s comeback win.

It’s never an easy task to win two straight road games in this conference, especially against a quality coach like Washington’s first-year head man Steve Sarkisian. However, if Foles played like he did two weeks ago, he should find even more success this Saturday.

Second: Can UA’s defense make plays on third down?

Washington has been nothing less than spectacular converting third downs, ranking first in the Pac-10 (sixth nationally) witha 54-percent conversion rate. Washington quarterback Jake Locker is simply devastating on third down, given his ability to make any throw on the field and pick up yards with his feet.

Mike Stoops calls Locker one of the best players in the nation, and that type of praise is warranted. Now that he’s back after missing most of 2008 with wrist problems and concussion issues, Locker has developed into the type of player who can win a game singlehandedly.

Arizona, on the other hand, has struggled a bit on third-down defense, giving up a first down 42 percent of the time (88th in the nation). That inability to stop long drives really hurt the Wildcats in the 27-17 loss at Iowa, and the Hawkeyes don’t have a playmaker quite like Locker.

Perhaps Trevin Wade and Arizona’s ball-hawking secondary can turn the ball over. Wade is second in the nation with four interceptions and his coach has already started comparing him to former UA All-American Antoine Cason.

Third: Can UA keep Locker off the field with its ground game?

The best way to limit Locker’s ability to change the game is to keep him on the sidelines. If Arizona’s surprisingly effective rushing attack (11th in the nation at 223 yards per game) can get rolling, the time-of-possession battle could swing in the Cats’ favor.

Nic Grigsby is expected to be back at close to 100 percent after suffering a sprained shoulder early in the Oregon State game. With the lightning-quick Grigsby, speedster Keola Antolin, and rugged Greg Nwoko, the Wildcats have a solid three-headed monster at tailback.

Washington has also had a difficult time stopping the run, giving up 178 yards per outing (101st nationally).

The Huskies have played a brutal early-season schedule and will be excited to be back home after two straight weeks on the road. Plus, Locker is the type of quarterback who can take over a game.

However, Arizona appears to be too well-rounded for this vulnerable Washington defense. If Foles shows the same poise we saw in Corvallis and the defense can force a couple of turnovers, the Wildcats should return home with a 2-0 record in Pac-10 play.

Prediction: Arizona 31, Washington 21.

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