Wildcats Return to Arizona Stadium for Homecoming Game after Beating Colorado

Photo By: Stan Liu/Arizona Athletics

By Francisco Romero

The University of Arizona Wildcats improved to 5-2 (2-2, Pac 12) after beating Colorado 38-31.

The Wildcats return home to face the Cougars of Washington State on Saturday for homecoming.

On Saturday the Wildcat had to fight back to get the win.

Arizona trailed 24-17 entering the fourth quarter. The comeback win marked the first time the Wildcats have come back to win a game when trailing entering the fourth quarter since last year’s epic comeback over California on Sept. 20, 2014. Arizona trailed 31-13 entering that fourth quarter in that contest.

Arizona’s head coach Rich Rodriguez sent quarterback Jerrard Randall to replace starting quarterback Anu Solomon, late in the third quarter.

Randall and running back Jared Baker took over the offense, tied the game, took the lead and never looked back.

Anu was off a little bit and we weren’t executing well and the way they were playing us, and we thought, with the of fit Jerrard’s skill set, a little bit, help our run game get going, he did, he came in and gave us a lift,” said coach Rodriguez after the game.

Randall finished the game with 81 rushing yards, while baker added 207 on 23 carries.

“When Jerrard is in there they’ve got to play eleven, they can’t play ten, they’ve got to play eleven guys, because of his threat to run.”

Baker set a career high in rushing yards for the second consecutive week. His 207 rushing yards on 23 carries eclipses his previous career-high of 123 yards he set last week vs. Oregon State. His 23 carries also mark a new career high.

The win marks the Wildcats’ fourth straight victory over the Buffalos, while UA improves to 5-13 all-time against Colorado and 3-5 vs. the Buffs in Boulder. Arizona has now won five of the last six meetings with CU.

Kick-off time for next week’s homecoming game is 1:00 p.m.