How Arizona Can Slow Down Sawyer Robertson
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Saturday's bout in Tucson between Arizona and Baylor could feature plenty of fireworks. Both teams enter with star gunslingers under center and explosive passing games. Baylor boasts the nation's No. 2 passing offense, but the Wildcats might be the most well-equipped team in the Big 12 to stop it.
Danny Gonzales has flipped the Arizona defense around this season, turning it into the seventh-best pass defense in the land, allowing only 159.5 passing yards per game.
This week will answer the age-old question: What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
Sawyer Robertson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season. He leads the nation with 3,210 passing yards and leads the Big 12 with 29 touchdown passes. Right behind him? Arizona's Noah Fifita.
The Bears are going to take some chances downfield and test Arizona's veteran secondary on a day when many of them will say goodbye. Here's how the Wildcats could stop Robertson.
Pressure or No Pressure?
Admittedly, Arizona has not been an aggressive pass-rushing team this season. The Wildcats have 18 sacks, 12th in the Big 12. Conversely, Baylor has allowed 18 sacks this year, which is pretty impressive given how often Robertson drops back.
Robertson is the soul of the Bears' offense. He has three games with more than 400 yards passing and six games with more than 300 yards passing. Simply, Baylor goes as its quarterback goes.
Riley Wilson and Chase Kennedy, Arizona's two edge rushers, lead the team with three sacks. That doesn't tell the whole story, however. Kennedy is a power rusher and consistently makes an impact on plays that don't show up in the box score.
Robertson has been fine under pressure, completing 57.7% of his passes when blitzed. That's because he is good at getting rid of the ball quickly and knowing how to throw into the blitz when the heat does come.
So, what if Arizona played conservatively? The Wildcats could rush four, play with five defensive backs, and still have success. When blitzed, Robertson has just four turnover-worthy throws this season. When he is not blitzed, those numbers jump up to 14 turnover-worthy throws.
Arizona can afford to lean on Treydan Stukes, Ayden Garnes, Dalton Johnson and Genesis Smith in coverage in this game. There are athletic freaks on the Baylor side that will create tough matchups, but it might be the smart move.
If Robertson gets rid of the ball quickly against the blitz and picks up four or five yards a play, the Wildcats could die by a thousand papercuts and not have enough time to respond.
Run The Ball
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Robertson will find ways to have success with the amount of volume he receives as a passer. Baylor will connect on big plays, but it's all about how Arizona can minimize the damage.
Cincinnati's defense has performed the best against Baylor's offense so far, limiting it to just 18 completions and 137 passing yards, the only time Roberston has not topped 200 yards this season.
The Bearcats started the game with two touchdown drives around five minutes long to jump out to a 14-0 lead, which built to a 24-0 advantage before Baylor got on the board.
Cincinnati held the ball for 35:15 and won by 21 points. Arizona doesn't need to win in the same blowout fashion, but it does need to have a similar possession edge.
Arizona's secondary can make enough stops in man coverage to give Fifita extra possessions. Seth Doege has allowed Fifita to work the middle of the field in the passing game with Kris Hutson, which will slowly churn the clock and keep the chains moving.
The Wildcats also have a trio of backs that can have success. Baylor allows 197.8 rushing yards per game, second-worst in the Big 12. Ismail Mahdi could have a field day with this front seven and beat the secondary in space.
Baylor's explosive offense is daring opposing offenses to fight them with the same fire. Maybe Arizona can buck the trend and go the other way by slowing the game down.
How do you think Arizona should approach slowing down the Baylor offense? To let us know, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.
Logan Brown is an alumnus of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently works as a General College Sports Reporter On SI. Logan has an extensive background in writing and has contributed to Cronkite Sports, PHNX Sports, and Motion Graphics.
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