Arizona (4-5, 2-4 Pac-12) at No. 6 Oregon (8-1, 6-0, No. 6 CFP), Saturday at 10:30 p.m. EST (ESPN).
Line: Oregon by 27.
Series record: Oregon leads 26-17.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Oregon is undefeated and running away with the Pac-12 North. A win over Arizona would give the Ducks the division’s berth in the conference title game. The Ducks have moved up in the College Football Playoff rankings to No. 6, which means they’re still on the outside of a bid for the national championship, but anything can happen in the last weeks of the season. The Wildcats will need two wins in their last three games for bowl eligibility - but face two ranked opponents over that final stretch.
KEY MATCHUP
Arizona’s quarterbacks vs. Oregon’s much-improved secondary. Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin wouldn’t say this week who he planned to start, Khalil Tate or freshman Grant Gunnell. Tate has started eight of Arizona’s nine games, but Gunnell has seen increased snaps. Sumlin said that practice performance would determine the starter. The Ducks defense, meanwhile, lead the nation with 17 interceptions this season. That’s the most for Oregon through nine games since 1988.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arizona: Running back J.J. Taylor needs 56 yards to pass Mike Bell for fifth on Arizona’s career list. He’s averaging more than 70 yards a game. For his career, Taylor has 3,108 rushing yards, ranking him 12th nationally among active players.
Oregon: As always, quarterback Justin Herbert. The senior, who opted to stay at Oregon for his final year rather than turn pro, keeps putting up big numbers. In his 20 career starts at Autzen Stadium, Oregon is 17-3 and averaging 44.2 points per game. Herbert has thrown 24 touchdown passes this season, second only to Washington State’s Anthony Gordon (34) in the Pac-12.
FACTS & FIGURES
Oregon hasn’t won seven straight in conference to start a season since 2012, and no Pac-12 team has started 7-0 in league play since Stanford in 2015. Washington opened with six in a row over conference foes in 2016. … The Wildcats defeated the then-No. 19 Ducks 44-15 last year. …. Arizona is averaging 495.8 yards in total offense per game, good for second in the Pac-12 and 12th in the county. … Oregon has outscored its opponents 211-54 at Autzen this season.
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