Arizona Football: Matt Scott and Paul Vassallo Named Pac-10 Players of the Week

Can you ever have enough depth or talent? So far this season, Mike Stoops' Wildcats have showed that they have both in ample supply. For their win over Washington, Quarterback Matt Scott and linebacker Paul Vassallo of Arizona have been named Pac-10  Players of the Week in football.

Scott, a junior from Corona, Calif., making his first start of the season in place of injured Nick Foles, hit on 18 of 22  pass for a career-high 233 yards with two touchdowns and no  interceptions. Scott also rushed seven times for 65 yards (9.3 yards per carry) in leading  Arizona to a 44-14 win over Washington.

Just in the first half, he completed 14 of 16 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown, while rushing  for 51 yards in leading the Wildcats to 30 points and 356 yards of total offense. Arizona’s offense rushed for a season-best 234 yards on the  ground, while adding 233 yards passing for a balanced attack  that gained 467 yards.

Vassallo, a junior from Reno, Nev., led all players with 14 tackles,  including nine solo tackles and his second career sack in Arizona’s 44-14  win over Washington. The 14 tackles were the most by a Wildcat since  Xavier Kelley’s 15 tackles against BYU in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl. Vassallo, a junior-college transfer, leads the UA in unassisted tackles (39) and total tackles (54), and is seventh with 4.5 tackles-for-loss.  

Arizona’s defense held Washington to 290 yards (98 rushing, 192  passing), and posted four sacks. The team’s 3.57 sacks per game average  ranks second in the nation. The Wildcats are also ranked seventh in Rushing Defense, allowing only 90.9 yards per game.

Freshmen cornerback Shaquille Richardson, junior quarterback Nick Foles, and senior kick returner Travis Cobb are other Wildcats who have won this same award earlier this season.