TUCSON, Ariz. – Each
week, Arizona football head coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff will select
Player of the Week honorees based on performance leading up to and including
the game each week. The Wildcats (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12) earned a road win at Utah,
34-24, on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Offense: Austin Hill,
Sophomore, Receiver
A Biletnikoff Award semifinalist,
given to the nation's top receiver, Hill turned in another big game, and with
it some crucial catches, to help lead Arizona to a 34-24 road victory at Utah.
He hauled in six catches for 96 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth
quarter, helping clinch a bowl berth for the Wildcats.
All six of Hill's receptions
resulted in first downs, including three on third-and-long situations. Two of
the biggest grabs came in the second half. With Arizona trailing by seven and
facing a third-and-11, Hill hauled in a 19-yard pass from Matt Scott to move
the chains and keep the eventual game-tying drive alive. On UA's next
possession, the Wildcats faced a third-and-seven at Utah's 18-yard line, and
Hill turned a first-down completion into an 18-yard touchdown reception for
what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 11:02 left in the fourth
quarter.
Hill's game improved his season
totals to 68 receptions for 1,119 yards and eight touchdowns. His yardage total
ranks second in the Pac-12 and No. 9 nationally, while ranking as the
fifth-most yards in single-season school history. His eight touchdown grabs
rank tied for 10th-most in single-season school history. He is averaging 16.5
yards per reception on the season, which is actually a yard-and-half more than
USC's Marqise Lee, the conference leader in receiving yards.
Meanwhile sophomore running back Ka'Deem Carey was named Honorable Mention Running Back of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards.
Carey rushed for 204 yards on 26
carries with one touchdown. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry with a long of 28.
He also hauled in two catches for eight yards. In eight of 11 games played in
2012, Carey has recorded 115 yards or more and he has scored a touchdown in all
but one game.
The reigning Pac-12 Offensive
Player of the Week, Carey rushed for 200+ yards in back-to-back games with 204
at Utah and 366 vs. Colorado on Nov. 10. He now leads the nation in total
rushing yards with 1,585 and in yards per game with an average of 144.09. He
has 19 rushing touchdowns and one receiving.
Defense: Marquis Flower,
Junior, Linebacker
Flowers led Arizona with 11
total tackles, including one for loss, as the Wildcats pitched a fourth-quarter
shutout to help clinch a bowl berth in last Saturday's 34-24 win over Utah.
Flowers and the Wildcats'
defense held Utah to just 93 yards of offense, including 14 on the ground, in
the decisive fourth quarter when UA outscored the Utes, 17-0. In the fourth
quarter, Utah converted just one-of-five third-down opportunities, while the
Wildcats thwarted four-of-five fourth-down conversion tries in the game.
On the season, Flowers ranks
second on the team and seventh in the Pac-12 with 86 tackles. He is the
Wildcats' leader in both tackles for loss (12) and sacks (5.5). He has added
two interceptions and three forced fumbles to go with three pass breakups.
Special Teams: Kylan Butler,
Junior, Running Back
While Butler doesn't show up
with any return yards or offensive stats, he delivered perhaps the biggest play
of the game early in the fourth quarter to swing the momentum firmly in the
Wildcats' favor.
With Arizona and Utah knotted
at 24-24, the Utes tried a fake punt on fourth-and-six from their own
39-yardline. The play was set up perfectly as punter Sean Sellwood completed a
pass over the middle to Mike Honeycutt, who needed only to turn up field for
four more yards to pick up a first down. However, Butler, a regular on UA's
punt block/return unit, sniffed out the play and tracked down Honeycutt from
behind to make his first and only tackle of the season, thwarting the Utes'
attempt to regain momentum.
Four plays later, Arizona
punched in a touchdown to take a 31-24 lead and never looked back, going on to
win 34-24.
***
From the scout team, freshman
receiver R.J. Aguero on offense, junior linebacker Tyler Ermisch on defense and
junior running back Terris Jones on special teams were also honored for their efforts during the Utah game preparations.
Copyright 2012 Arizona Athletics. All rights reserved.
