We know the Arizona Wildcats aren’t playing good defense; we also know that scoring is up — in some cases significantly — throughout the Pac-12.
Michael Lev The Arizona defense hasn’t played well of late, and the forecast isn’t favorable: Upcoming opponents USC, Utah and UCLA all average more than 40 points per game.
People are also reading… Fisch’s words weren’t so much a concession as an acknowledgement: Offenses have struck back in the Pac-12. Scoring is up. If you can’t keep up, you’ll probably lose. The Pac-12 is a different story. Collectively, Pac-12 teams are averaging 5.4 more points per game. Eight of the 12 teams have a higher scoring average this year than last year. Cal is about even . Only Arizona State , Washington State and Colorado are scoring noticeably fewer points.
Five Pac-12 schools rank in the top 50 in scoring defense : Washington State, Cal, USC, Utah and UCLA. But that’s mainly a byproduct of beating up on out-of-conference opponents. Teams are allowing four more points per game in Pac-12 play than their overall average . Washington and USC hired offensive-minded coaches in Kalen DeBoer and Lincoln Riley. They brought in quarterbacks with whom they had backgrounds: Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams. The Trojans also added a ton of high-end skill-position talent through the transfer portal.
Fisch cited several other factors that favor offenses, including the space that’s available in college football because of how far apart the hashmarks are; the growing number of elite athletes who are now playing quarterback; and the reduction in tackling during preseason and in-season practices.
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