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RELATED: Anu Solomon first freshman QB to start season opener for Arizona since the Wildcats joined the Pac-10 in 1978
Arizona redshirt freshman quarterback Anu Solomon hopes to make history by becoming the first freshman to lead the UA to a winning conference record
Arizona redshirt freshman quarterback Anu Solomon, announced as the starter against UNLV in the Wildcats’ season opener Friday, can make history this year for the Wildcats if he becomes the leading passer and Rich Rodriguez’s team finishes with a winning Pac-12 record.
Since the Wildcats joined the Pac-10 in 1978, they have featured six freshmen quarterbacks who led them in passing yardage.
Not one quarterbacked Arizona to a record above .500 in the conference. The closest was Ortege Jenkins in 1997 when the Wildcats finished 4-4 in the league and 7-5 overall. He split time with sophomore Keith Smith that season but was the leading passer with 1,669 passing yards.
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Arizona Wildcats name redshirt freshman Anu Solomon their starting QB http://t.co/iOI6Yobr6v via @SteveRivera95
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) August 25, 2014
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Ortege Jenkins is the only freshman starting quarterback without a losing record since the UA joined the Pac-10 in 1978
When Tom Tunnicliffe (1980), Ron Veal (1987), Smith (1996), Kris Heavner (2003) and Richard Kovalcheck (2004) led the Wildcats in passing yardage as freshmen, Arizona did not win more than three conference games. The combined conference record for Arizona in seasons in which freshmen led in passing yards is 15-29-3 (a winning percentage of only 35.1).
Willie Tuitama started as a true freshman eight games into the 2005 season, unseating Kovalcheck, but Kovalcheck finished as the leading passer. The Wildcats were 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the Pac-10 that season. The following season, when Tuitama became the leading passer, Arizona finished 6-6 and 4-5.
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ARIZONA QBS WHO LED WILDCATS IN PASSING AS NEW STARTER
Data is from when the Wildcats joined the Pac-10 in 1978
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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.
