Cat Tracks: Arizona brings rushing stampede to Colorado, wins 44-20

A mile high in Boulder, Colo., the Arizona Wildcats opted to keep things on the ground versus the Colorado Buffaloes, rushing for over 400 yards en route to a dominant 44-20 win over their Pac-12 foe.

But when the football wasn’t tucked under the arms of quarterback B.J. Denker, who ran for 192 yards, or running back Ka’Deem Carey, who had four touchdowns on 23 carries, the Wildcats’ offense was effective just the same.

Denker completed 21 of his 32 passing attempts — good for 265 yards and a touchdown — while kicker Jake Smith knocked down all three of his field goal attempts, complementing his five extra points.

Arizona set the tone early, stopping Colorado’s game-opening drive and countering with a 14-play, 88-yard drive of their own, which ended with a seven-yard touchdown run by Carey, who ultimately logged a score in each quarter of the game. Carey, the nation’s leading rusher, finished the contest on the sideline — with coach Rich Rodriguez’s second stringers in — with 119 yards to his name.

Denker, meanwhile, broke runs of 54 yards — a career long — and 46 yards as part of his 192 yards, which was the highest rushing total of his career.

The Wildcats’ offensive output was extremely balanced throughout the contest, putting up double-digit scoring in each quarter and converting seven of their 16 third downs.

The Good:

Carey and Denker continue to make plays for coach Rodriguez, whose offense is averaging over 36 points per game.

The Bad:

Denker’s statistical output was slightly blemished by the quarterback’s second-quarter interception, which Colorado turned into a go-ahead field goal.

Up Next:

Arizona stays on the road, heading to Berkeley, Cali. to play the 1-7 Cal Golden Bears Saturday, Nov. 2.