Anu Solomon (12) may not play against rival Arizona State. (Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports)
TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona, for the first time since joining the Pac-10 in 1978, heads into the final week of the regular season with a chance to win the conference.
The Wildcats are 9-2 overall and 6-2 in the Pac-12, needing two things to happen to win the South division and advance to play Oregon in the league championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
First, they have to beat rival Arizona State, also 9-2 and 6-2, on Friday at Arizona Stadium. And, secondly, Stanford has to win at UCLA in a game that kicks off at the same time. The Bruins will take the South with a victory. If they lose, then the Arizona-ASU winner is the champ.
One potential slight problem for Arizona.
It might not have its starting quarterback.
Redshirt freshman Anu Solomon, battling a right ankle injury for about a month, tweaked the injury late in the first half of last week’s game at Utah. He couldn’t go after halftime, giving way to redshirt senior Jesse Scroggins, a former USC quarterback who spent a year at junior college before joining the Wildcats in the spring of 2013.
Solomon recently has spent time between games with the foot in a walking boot.
Coach Rich Rodriguez isn’t likely to say much about Solomon’s status before kickoff. The school issues a weekly injury report that could provide a semblance of guidance (but do not expect anything definitive).
Even Solomon basically shrugged his shoulders after Monday’s practice.
“Who knows?” he said. “I don’t even know. … When it’s game time and the lights turn on I should be ready.”
It’s reasonable to assume he’ll at least give it a go. He has been very good in his debut season, completing 264 of 458 passes for 3,216 yards, with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s not a big running threat like a typical Rodriguez quarterback, but he makes the majority of his throws while on the move, so he needs that ankle to feel good so he can be at mobile against an attacking ASU defense.
If Solomon can’t play, or has to come out of the game, then Scroggins, at the end of his career, will finally take center stage in the biggest Territorial Cup matchup in nearly three decades. Arizona and ASU haven’t met as ranked teams since 1986.
Heck, it could be the biggest game in UA history if it results in a South division title.
“It’s definitely a crazy feeling,” Scroggins said. “But you have to keep your head.”
SERIES HISTORY: Arizona leads the series 47-39-1, but the Sun Devils have won both meetings between UA coach Rich Rodriguez and ASU coach Todd Graham. Arizona State won 58-21 in Tempe last season.
–QB Anu Solomon missed the second half of last week’s game at Utah because of a right ankle injury. His availability for Friday’s game against Arizona State was not known early in the week.
–LB DeAndre’ Miller has missed seven games because of a shoulder injury.
–RB Terris Jones-Grigsby, who missed the Washington game because of ankle injury, was able to return last week in backup role to Nick Wilson.
