The most important three-game stretch of the season is set to begin Saturday night in Eugene, as the 6th-ranked Oregon Ducks prepare to face the fading Arizona Wildcats.

On paper, this is a matchup that would appear to be one in which the odds are firmly stacked in the Ducks’ favor. Not only are the Ducks ranked in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff Top 25 with an excellent opportunity to make the final four, but they hold a commanding lead in the Pac-12 North division and have looked like one of the conference’s most complete teams all season. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have been reeling of late having lost their last four games after starting Pac-12 play with consecutive wins over UCLA and Colorado. However, Arizona was in a nearly identical position last year as it related to their record and their place in the Pac-12 South when Oregon rolled into Tucson and got smacked in a stunning 44-15 defeat.

With both teams coming off a bye entering this weekend’s game, expect the Ducks and ‘Cats to be as healthy as you can reasonably expect a team to be in mid-November. As the countdown to kickoff continues, WFOD takes a deeper look at Saturday’s opponent in Arizona.

Arizona Wildcats

2019 record: 4-5 overall, 2-4 in Pac-12
Last game: 38-56 loss vs. Oregon State
Ranking: N/A
All-time record vs. Oregon: 17-26
When and where to watch: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), ESPN

Items of note:

• Arizona has won three of their last five games vs. Oregon. In fact, the Wildcats have beaten the Ducks in each of the past three matchups where the Wildcats enter unranked and the Ducks enter ranked.
• Oregon will be the first AP Top 25 team that Arizona has faced this season
• Oregon is one of five FBS teams (Baylor, Clemson, Minnesota, Ohio State) to get off to a 6-0 start in conference play this season.
• With a win over Arizona on Saturday, Oregon would clinch its third Pac-12 North Division title and a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game
• In five home games (5-0) this season, the Ducks have outscored their opponents 211-54 (42.2-10.8), including 114-24 in the second half. Oregon’s defense has allowed points on back-to-back drives just twice (64 drives) at home and has allowed just two touchdowns in 32 second half drives, while coming away with six interceptions in the final 30 minutes.

Five Arizona names you should know:

5. Jace Whittaker (CB)

Arizona may claim the worst defense in the Pac-12 and one of the worst defenses in the entire country, but senior cornerback Jace Whittaker is a standout nonetheless for the Wildcats in the back end. After redshirting a season ago due to injury, Whittaker has returned to action in impressive fashion, ranking fifth on the team in tackles (39), second in passes broken up (5), and tied for first in interceptions (3) with fellow corner Lorenzo Burns. Both he and Burns will be tasked with putting the clamps on an Oregon passing attack that seems to be rounding into form with the emergence of wide receiver Juwan Johnson. If Whittaker and Burns can manufacture the same type of success the Wildcats had last year shutting down Justin Herbert, Dillon Mitchell, and company (92.13 QB rating, 186 total yards through the air), this could wind up a closer game than most people think.

4. Colin Schooler (LB)

Ever since he burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2017, linebacker Colin Schooler has been a stat-stuffing machine for the Wildcats’ defense. After compiling an astounding 95 total tackles his first year in Tucson (a number that finished second on the team to fellow freshman linebacker Tony Fields), Schooler registered a team-leading 119 tackles in 2018 as a sophomore. While he’s just off his scintillating tackling pace from last season, Schooler still leads Arizona in tackles (72) and remains as one of the conference’s most productive defenders. With older brother Brenden no longer a member of the Oregon team after electing to enter the transfer portal midway through the season, we’ll be without a sibling rivalry angle in this game for a third straight year. However, one can expect the younger Schooler to be playing with plenty of motivation and passion as the Wildcats try to pull off the monumental upset.

3. Grant Gunnell (QB)

Regardless of whether head coach Kevin Sumlin is built for the long haul in Tucson, the immediate future of Arizona football is bright with true freshman quarterback Grant Gunnell. After finishing his illustrious high school career as the most prolific passer in Texas state history (16,108 passing yards, 195 touchdowns), Gunnell has wasted no time in his effort to supplant Khalil Tate as Arizona’s three-year starter at quarterback. Since seeing his first true extended action in a start vs. UCLA, Gunnell and Tate have more or less found themselves in a timeshare at the quarterback position. Gunnell, however, has largely outshined Tate despite the limited opportunities he’s received, completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 1,061 yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception. It’s unknown at this time who will get the start for the Wildcats at quarterback this Saturday, but if Gunnell is in the game, expect Arizona to be attacking the Oregon secondary early and often through the air.

2. Khalil Tate (QB)

What a long, strange trip it’s been for Khalil Tate at Arizona. After exploding onto the scene in 2017 with 3,002 yards of total offense (1,411 rushing, 1,591 passing) and 12 touchdowns despite only starting eight games that season for the Wildcats at quarterback, the multi-dimensional Tate has battled through injury and inconsistency in Kevin Sumlin’s offensive system ever since. Touted as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate entering last season, Tate hasn’t come anywhere near replicating the production he was responsible for in 2017, particularly on the ground. In fact, since 2017, Tate has rushed for just 536 yards, which is just over a third of the yards he gained on the ground as a sophomore. Certainly injuries have had something to with those lackluster rushing totals, but much of the decline can be fairly attributed to the offensive philosophy shifting away (somewhat inexplicably) from featuring Tate’s ability as a rushing threat. Regardless, the challenge for the Oregon defense will come in preparing for two quarterbacks who boast opposing styles, but have the ability to do serious damage should they find their groove. Of the two, Tate arguably poses as the most formidable threat if his game is firing on all cylinders.

1. J.J. Taylor (RB)

Even though it’s been a year since the Ducks have faced J.J. Taylor on a football field, Saturday’s game against the Wildcats’ talented running back likely comes too soon considering the way Taylor shredded the Oregon defense a year ago. In that game, Taylor erupted for 212 yards and two touchdowns to lead Arizona to a 29-point pasting of the Ducks in Tucson. Taylor would go on to finish second in the Pac-12 in rushing yards (1,434), but has not been able to find the same level of success on the ground this season as he did a year ago. In eight games this season, Taylor has rushed for just 566 yards and five touchdowns, eclipsing the 100-yard mark twice in games against Northern Arizona (102) and Stanford (107). Still, the 5-foot-6, 185-pound spark plug is as explosive a running back as there is in the Pac-12. Next to whoever the Wildcats start at quarterback, Taylor will be a player who commands a tremendous of attention for Ducks defensive coordinator Andy Avalos and his defense in the days leading up to this game.

Top Photo: Arizona head coach Kevin Sumlin (247Sports)