31.12.69

Some Game Themes: The calendar has turned for two once-unbeaten teams set to face off after disappointing ends to college football's opening month ... Each side opened the season 3-0 with feather-in-their-cap victories over nationally ranked foes, but neither was able to remain unscathed as the initial weeks of the rigorous Pac-12 Conference slate commenced ... For Arizona, it continues to face an unrelenting schedule, one that has it playing a top-25 opponent for the third consecutive week and the fourth time in the last five weeks ... The Cardinal return home after a tough road loss at Washington that dropped it out of the top-10 and into the No. 18 spot, a number the Wildcats are familiar given recent contests against then-No. 18 Oklahoma State and also then-No. 18 Oregon State at the time of the meetings ... It's another physical, hard-nosed opponent for the Wildcats, whose depth will surely be tested on both sides of the ball ... On paper, the matchup appears to be Arizona's offense (third in the Pac-12, 538.2 ypg) against Stanford's defense (third in the Pac-12, 316.5 ypg). But the X's and O's may be just as curious the other way around as Stanford ranks No. 10 in the conference in total offense (326.3 ypg) against UA's No. 10 total defense (451.2) ... Can the Cats rekindle their early-season form that featured a potent, but more consistent offensive attack and a ball-hawking, bend-but-don't-break defense? Will the Cardinal assert itself on the ground the way it has in recent seasons against Arizona? And how will the Wildcats handle playing in the early bird special of college football? A noon start is a full seven hours earlier than their previous five games this season ... So set your alarms, grab some breakfast grub and get ready for the October edition of Pac-12 football.

Source: Arizonawildcats.com