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ARIZONA SENIOR PROSPECTS
Source: NFLDraftScout.com. Updated Sept. 10, 2014.
Categories (left to right): Overall ranking, name, position, position rank, school, class, height, weight, projected draft round (CBSSports.com graphic)
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BLEACHER REPORT’S BEST NFL QBs
PAC-12 HAS PRODUCED VS. UA
DNP: Did not play Arizona. NA: Not applicable.
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Marcus Mariota
Bleacher Report recently ran an article ranking the top 11 quarterbacks the Pac-12 produced in terms of NFL talent.
Oregon’s Marcus Mariota might crack that list some day, maybe even former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles (much, much too early for that determination). Since Arizona is playing Mariota tonight, it’s timely to look at how Arizona’s program has fared against the conference’s best quarterbacks.
Mariota is presently the Heisman Trophy front-runner, similar to how he was last year at this time. He is projected to be a surefire first-round draft choice come June.
Arizona has a 9-12-1 record against quarterbacks in Bleacher Report’s rankings. The Wildcats beat six of the 11 quarterbacks, including a 2-0 record against the No. 1 quarterback John Elway and 3-1 mark against No. 8 Jake Plummer of ASU.
The Wildcats’ record on the road against the 11 quarterbacks is 4-7. Translation: Judging from the past, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to pull off the upset against a credible quarterback.
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JUNIOR PROSPECT RANKINGS
NFLDraftScout.com position ranking. Updated Sept. 10, 2014.
Oregon
+-Injured, will not play
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Arizona
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OREGON SENIOR PROSPECTS
Source: NFLDraftScout.com. Updated Sept. 10, 2014. Note: QB Marcus Mariota and DE Arik Armstead are underclassmen eligible for the NFL draft.
Categories (left to right): Overall ranking, name, position, position rank, school, class, height, weight (CBSSports.com graphic)
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One of Arizona’s seven losses on the road was in Eugene, Ore., in 1972 against Dan Fouts. The game was tight for three quarters before Fouts led Oregon to three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter as the Ducks pulled away from Arizona and star running back Willie Hamilton to win 34-7.
How times have changed: Fouts, who completed 20 of 33 passes for 271 yards against the Wildcats, broke Oregon’s career passing record of 4,450 yards in that game. Yes, career. Not season. Fouts passed for 2,041 yards that year. Mariota posted 3,665 passing yards a year ago.
More data of Arizona vs. top-flight quarterbacks: The Wildcats lost 49-9 in 2004 at USC in their only matchup with a Pac-12 quarterback who won a Heisman Trophy. That was Matt Leinart. Carson Palmer of USC won the Heisman in 2002, a season in which the Trojans did not play Arizona.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
