Arizona vs. Utah: Score and Twitter Reaction

The No. 15 Arizona Wildcats were undaunted by a raucous crowd and rainy weather conditions at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City Saturday as they easily defeated the No. 17 Utah Utes 42-10 in a Pac-12 clash.

While the Wildcats were dominant in victory, the win came at a cost due to the fact that freshman quarterback Anu Solomon was in a walking boot and did not return after the first half, according to Daniel Berk of The Arizona Daily Star.

With that said, Arizona had to be thrilled with its continued ownership of Utah in the running game as freshman Nick Wilson extended an impressive streak, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Both teams entered Saturday's game with slim chances of winning the Pac-12 South Division and qualifying for the Pac-12 Championship Game against Oregon, but they needed a victory in order to keep hope alive.

The Utes are no longer in the running, but the Wildcats have an outside shot depending upon what happens with Arizona State, USC and UCLA.

Utah seemed to have the advantage Saturday in terms of weather as the frigid temperatures didn't seem to bother the Utes players whatsoever, as evidenced by this photo courtesy of the team's official Twitter account:

Arizona certainly isn't used to playing in those types of conditions, but there was still reason to like their chances due to the presence of Solomon. The first-year player entered the game with over 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, which gave him a big statistical advantage over Utah signal-caller Travis Wilson.

After a pair of three-and-outs to start the contest, Solomon and the Arizona offense showed some signs of life. Solomon made some nice throws to keep the chains moving, and he even had an opportune nine-yard scramble for a first down, which impressed Matt Moreno of Rivals.com:

The drive ultimately stalled and the Wildcats had to settle for a 39-yard field goal attempt, but kicker Casey Skowron missed it wide to the right.

Utah followed that up with another quick offensive series before the Wildcats finally got on the board late in the first quarter. After finding senior wide receiver Austin Hill for a 51-yard gain, Solomon hit pay dirt on his own from 11 yards out on a read-option play.

David Kelly of Tuscon News Now was quite complimentary of Solomon's ability to sell the defense on the fake:

Per the Wildcats' official Twitter account, it was the first rushing touchdown of Solomon's season and collegiate career:

Solomon had a 100-yard rushing effort against Colorado a couple game prior, so the Utes were well aware of what he could do in that regard. In fact, Utah safeties coach Morgan Scalley praised the frosh's ability to make plays when things break down around him, according to Matthew Piper of The Salt Lake Tribune.

"(He's) one of my favorites in the league," Scalley said. "He's a very good decision-maker. He does not panic under pressure. He stays alive. He keeps his eyes downfield."

For as well as Solomon was playing, his counterpart struggled mightily in the early going. Through four drives the Utes had yet to pick up a first down, and Wilson had somehow managed minus-four yards passing.

He seemed to be having issues with the rain as he bobbled a snap and nearly turned the ball over early in the second quarter:

After forcing Arizona to punt, Utah finally manages to make some positive gains offensively. A 33-yard keeper by Wilson put the Utes deep in Wildcats territory and gave them their initial first down of the game, according to Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune:

Just when it looked like Wilson was back on track, though, he made a mind-numbing mistake to give the ball back to Arizona.

The junior gunslinger was picked off by senior safety Jourdon Grandon in the end zone due to his decision to throw into triple coverage, per Kyle Gunther of 1320 KFAN:

A couple drives later, Solomon once again flashed his big-play ability for Arizona. After rolling right and buying himself some time, he found sophomore wide receiver Trey Griffey, who created a big play after the catch, according to Berk:

Wilson cashed in from 17 yards out one play later as the Wildcats took a 14-0 lead.

Utah hoped to get on the board in the closing minutes of the first half, but disaster struck while running back Bubba Poole was attempting to pick up a first down. The junior back was walloped by senior safety Tra'Mayne Bondurant, who forced a fumble.

It was recovered and returned 31 yards by senior defensive lineman Dan Pettinato to give Arizona a commanding 21-0 lead with just over a minute remaining in the half.

Per Greg Hansen of The Arizona Daily Star, it was the continuation of what was a big day for Bondurant off the field as well:

Despite being faced with dire circumstances, Utah was able to salvage the half to some degree with a frantic drive that culminated an 11-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to senior tight end Westlee Tonga to cut the deficit to 14 entering the locker room.

After a Utah drive to start the second half stalled, Arizona's offense took the field without Solomon. Although it is unclear how he was injured, Berk reported that the freshman star was wearing a walking boot:

He was replaced by senior Jesse Scroggins, who quickly moved the ball down the field with his arm and legs. The absence of Solomon was truly felt once the Wildcats entered the red zone, though, as Scroggins fumbled a snap and turned the ball over, according to Anthony Gimino of FoxSportsArizona.com:

After being contained throughout the first half, Utah junior running back Devontae Booker finally made his presence felt with a 61 yard run to the Arizona 12. The Utes couldn't punch it into the end zone, though, and an Andy Phillips field goal made it 21-10 in favor of the Cats.

That was followed by a quick defensive stop by Utah, and momentum seemed to be swinging in the Utes' direction. Senior wide receiver Kaelin Clay appeared to return the ensuing punt for a Utah touchdown, but the huge play was called back on a hold.

Clay infamously dropped the ball before crossing the goal line against Oregon a couple weeks ago, but ESPN.com's Kyle Bonagura quipped that he didn't make that same mistake Saturday:

Utah was still able to put together a strong drive despite the penalty, but the rainy conditions wreaked havoc once again. Wilson fumbled a snap at the Arizona 31 yard-line and was subsequently sacked, which took the Utes out of field goal range.

That proved costly as the Wildcats turned their next drive into a touchdown to go up 28-10 with less than 12 minutes left in the contest. On his fifth straight run to start the drive, Wilson broke a long one for 75 yards and a touchdown.

According to Berk, that run put the fantastic freshman over the 1,000-yard threshold for the season:

If that wasn't the final nail in the coffin for Utah, then the next drive certainly was as a Wilson pass tipped at the line was picked off by Arizona senior safety Jared Tevis. After a short return to the Utes' 19, Nick Wilson put the game away on the next play with a scamper for six.

As pointed out by ESPN.com's Ted Miller, things got out of hand in a hurry just when it seemed like Utah was closing the gap:

Travis Wilson was replaced at quarterback by freshman Conner Manning on the next drive, but things didn't get any better for the Utes as he promptly threw a 39-yard pick-six to Bondurant, which made in 42-10.

It was a rude welcome for Manning, who was making his first collegiate appearance, per Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune:

Following that, both teams were content to run the clock out and move on to the next one.

While neither Arizona nor Utah were factors in the College Football Playoff race entering their encounter, Arizona has a chance to play spoiler. If the Wildcats can beat the odds and reach the Pac-12 title game, then they will get another crack at the Ducks.

Oregon's only loss this season came against Arizona, and the Wildcats seem to have the Ducks' number as they beat them last year as well. Unfortunately, Solomon's status is certainly in question moving forward.

Unless Arizona has some other results break its way, though, it will be left playing in a lower-profile bowl much like Utah.

The Utes would've loved to put another feather in their already-loaded cap as it relates to big victories this season, but they were simply no match for Arizona.

Arizona and Utah are two great examples of the Pac-12's impressive depth this season, and the Wildcats proved that they were a cut above with a great road win.

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