How The Arizona Wildcats Win On Saturday

Arizona's game Saturday against Stanford is the make or break game for the Wildcats this season.

If the Wildcats lose, they are 3-3 and have not even hit the roughest part of their schedule.

If they win, they improve to 4-2 and regain some of the momentum and confidence that was lost with last week's heartbreaker against Washington.

So what do the Wildcats need to do to win?

Stop Toby Gerhart

The Wildcats get a taste of their own medicine this week when they play Toby Gerhart. Some would say that he is Rob Gronkowski of running backs. The kid is a load to take down at 6'1", almost 240 pounds.

So far this season, he has been putting Heisman-like numbers. He has rushed for 746 yards and 10 touchdowns through six games. Including a 200-yard game against Washington.

If the Cats are going to stop Gerhart, I would expect to see a lot of eight in the box. The Cats are undersized on the defensive line and with Earl Mitchell and Brooks Reed hurting, it is important to get the reserves to set up in stopping the run.

Exploit The Secondary

Foles looked phenomenal last week. Okay, there was the one pass, but that was a fluke.
Foles will look to rebound this week and what better way to regain your confidence than playing an opponent who has secondary issues.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said this week that he will be shuffling his secondary around to get better results.

Hopefully those results turn into a positive for the Wildcats. Foles has the poise and composure to move on from last week.

Foles threw for 384 yards last week. I don't think he will have a hard time passing on a defense that ranks sixth in yards per game allowed and seventh in total passing yards allowed.

Out Coach Jim Harbaugh

There is one man who has the Wildcats number in the Pac-10 (besides Pete Carroll), and it is Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh.

Ever since the first year, Harbaugh stepped on to campus in Palo Alto, he has had the Wildcats figured out.

Two years in a row, his Stanford team has defeated the Cats by one point. That is losing a close game in back-to-back years by the same margin.

If Stoops is going to turn the corner as a coach he will have to learn how to win the close games. If history repeats itself, we should have another close one this weekend.