With five games left, the Ducks can see the light at the end of the long regular season tunnel.

At 5-2 overall, and 2-2 in Pac-12 play, Oregon has an uphill climb if they are to scratch and claw their way to a Pac-12 North division title and a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Not so much because the remaining schedule is overly arduous (though three road contests remain, including a trip to Salt Lake City to take on surging Utah), but because the Ducks will need help from fellow Pac-12 teams and perhaps a little luck if they are to overtake the likes of Stanford, Washington, and Washington State in the divisional standings. With a 1-2 record against those teams, the odds certainly aren’t in Oregon’s favor.

Then again, there are five game remaining in the regular season. And if there is anything that college football has taught us over the years, it’s that nothing is really ever decided until the final week of the regular season is played.

This week, the Ducks travel south to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats, an opponent that represents the perfect opportunity for Oregon to get right on the heels of their dismal performance in Pullman last Saturday. Despite the energy and enthusiasm that came with the hiring of head coach Kevin Sumlin in January, the Wildcats have been one of the most disappointing teams in the conference this season, as they currently rank tied for fifth place in the South division with Territorial Cup rival Arizona State.

WFOD gets you ready for Saturday’s game by providing you with your Arizona primer…

Arizona Wildcats

2018 record: 3-5 overall, 2-3 in conference
Last game: 31-30 loss at UCLA
Ranking: Unranked
All-time record vs. Oregon: 16-26
When and where to watch: Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), ESPN

Items of note:

• The Ducks will be seeking their third consecutive win over Arizona. Oregon has taken seven of the last nine meetings against the Wildcats in Tucson
• Oregon will be the first ranked opponent that Arizona has faced this season. The Wildcats are 5-14 all-time when playing a ranked Ducks’ squad.
• The Wildcats have lost three games by five points or less this season
• Saturday marks Arizona’s 101st Homecoming football game. The Wildcats are 58-37-5 all-time playing in their Homecoming game, however, the last time the Ducks played in Tucson on Homecoming weekend was November 11, 1995, which resulted in a 17-13 victory for Oregon.

Five Arizona names you should know:

5. Lorenzo Burns (CB)

Similar to Oregon, the Wildcats haven’t exactly employed a no-fly zone when opposing offenses take the field this season, ranking ninth in the Pac-12 in passing defense (244.8 yards/game – one spot ahead of the Ducks). However, one thing Arizona does possess in the secondary that Oregon does not is a player capable of single-handedly neutralizing an opponent’s top receiver. That player is Lorenzo Burns, a 5-foot-10, 181-pound redshirt sophomore who is quickly establishing himself amongst the conference’s best cornerbacks. In his first full season of action a year ago, Burns ranked second nationally in interceptions by a freshman (5) and finished second on the team in pass breakups (7). Though he has yet to collect an interception this season, Burns remains a force from his cornerback position. The Murrieta (Calif.) native has already surpassed his pass breakup total from last season, ranking third in the Pac-12 with eight.

4. Shawn Poindexter (WR)

The ‘Cats might not be receiving the high level quarterback play they had a season ago, but that hasn’t stopped redshirt senior Shawn Poindexter from establishing himself as a major weapon in the Arizona offense. After toiling in relative anonymity in Tucson the past two seasons, Poindexter has established himself as one of the top big-play receivers in the entire conference, ranking fourth in yards per receptions (18.4) and sixth in receiving yards (552) to go along with four touchdowns. At 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, Poindexter is an imposing figure on the perimeter and an unenviable matchup for Oregon cornerbacks Thomas Graham and Deommodore Lenoir, who experienced their fair share of troubles against Stanford’s towering receivers a little over a month ago.

3. Khalil Tate (QB)

After lighting the conference on fire in his first year as a starter a season ago, Arizona’s Khalil Tate has found life in Year 2 as the Wildcats starting quarterback to be tremendously frustrating. In 2017, Tate emerged as a fringe Heisman Trophy candidate after accounting for 26 touchdowns (14 passing, 12 rushing) and over 3,000 yards of total offense (1,591 passing, 1,411 rushing) after starting only eight games at quarterback. This season, however, has been markedly different. Injuries have certainly had a part to play in Tate’s regression in production (Tate’s status for this weekend’s game is currently unknown as he nurses a lingering ankle injury), but even when healthy, the Inglewood (Calif.) native has appeared uneasy in Sumlin’s offense which has taken measures to decrease Tate’s impact in the rushing department (only 112 yards rushing in seven games this season). If unable to go, the Wildcats will turn to sophomore Rhett Rodriguez – son of former Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez – who has performed admirably in relief of Tate this season, completing over 50 percent of his passes (51.9) for 506 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.

2. Colin Schooler (LB)

It’ll be a family reunion in Tucson this Saturday, as Oregon’s Brenden Schooler faces off against brother Colin in a game that should divide the Schooler household. Despite being the younger of the two Schooler brothers, Colin has wasted no time in establishing himself as the impact player for the Wildcats on defense since his arrival on campus last season. As a true freshman, Schooler led all FBS freshman defenders in tackles for loss (13.5) and ranked second on the team in tackles (95) en route to earning Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honors and recognition as a Freshman All-American. This season, however, Schooler is proving that his freshman campaign was no flash in the pan. Through eight games, Schooler has already eclipsed his gaudy tackles for loss number from a season ago, as he currently leads the Pac-12 with 14.5. Additionally, Schooler leads the Wildcats in tackles (81) by a wide margin, is tied for the team lead in interceptions (2), while also notching two sacks this season. The Wildcats may have one of the worst defense’s in the Pac-12, but they have a one-man wrecking crew in Colin Schooler.

1. J.J. Taylor (RB)

“Small but mighty” is the perfect turn of phrase to describe Arizona’s J.J. Taylor. Standing only 5-foot-6 and 184 pounds, Taylor doesn’t have the physical attributes that necessarily make you think he’s rising star on the gridiron, but it doesn’t take long to realize that with him, things aren’t always as they appear. On a team that isn’t without some young and impressive individual talent, Taylor is arguably the best of the bunch. So far this season, the redshirt sophomore leads all Power Five conference players with 1,315 all-purpose yards (817 rushing, 87 receiving, 411 kickoff returns) and is third nationally among all FBS players in all-purpose yards per game (164.4 yards per game). With a skill-set reminiscent of former Kansas State star and current NFL running back Darren Sproles, Taylor is perhaps the most explosive offensive weapon the Ducks will face on their remaining schedule.