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Anu Solomon led the way to a record-breaking performance against UNLV Friday night (YouTube video capture)
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A look at the historical numbers that were produced by the Arizona Wildcats last night in the 58-13 victory over UNLV in the season opener at Arizona Stadium …
Notice that five of top six offensive performances of the Wildcats has happened in the last three years under Rich Rodriguez (in bold).
TOP SINGLE-GAME TOTAL OFFENSE
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According to Arizona, Anu Solomon became the first freshman (true or redshirt) to ever start a season opener for the Wildcats. I wrote previously that was the case in the Pac-10/12 years. He was the first freshman to start at quarterback for a UA team since Willie Tuitama in the final four games of the 2005 season. An upperclassman had started 51-consecutive games at quarterback before tonight.
Solomon’s 425 passing yards ranks No. 10 overall. Willie Tuitama’s 510 yards against Washington in 2007 stands as the record.
MOST PASSING YARDS FRESHMAN QB
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Anu Solomon also rushed for 50 yards, giving him 475 total yards, fourth-best in Arizona history (YouTube video capture)
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Solomon’s passing yardage broke the mark for the most by an Arizona freshman quarterback in the first start. Tuitama’s 335 at Oregon State in 2005 was the previous best. Solomon’s four touchdown passes also surpassed Ortege Jenkins’ three scoring strikes against San Diego State in 1997.
ARIZONA FRESHMAN QB FIRST CAREER STARTS SINCE WILDCATS JOINED PAC-10 IN 1978
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Arizona did just that to UNLV last night:
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With 50 rushing yards in addition to his passing yards, Solomon netted 475 total offense yards to claim the No. 4 spot in Arizona’s single-game history.
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Arizona had two players rush for at least 100 yards (Terris Jones-Grigsby and Nick Wilson) and two players tally 100 receiving yards (Austin Hill and Samajie Grant) in the same game for the first time in the program’s history.
Hill, who missed all of last season with an ACL injury, returned to post his seventh career 100-yard receiving game. His three-catch, 110-yard night was highlighted by a 92-yard receiving touchdown. It tied for the third-longest passing play in program history.
Austin Hill’s 92-yard touchdown reception to start the third quarter was the fourth longest passing play in Arizona history (YouTube video capture)
LONGEST PASSING PLAYS
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Rodriguez puts his 9-0 non-conference record at Arizona on the line Thursday against Texas-San Antonio in the Alamodome. The Roadrunners, who won at Houston 27-7 last night, have the most starters returning in the FBS. Larry Coker’s team has 20 starters from last year’s team, which lost at Arizona 38-13 in the third game of the season.
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.
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