The Arizona Wildcats are back home in Week 13 taking on the Baylor Bears in a match up between one team that has exceeded expectations and one team that has not come close to meeting expectations. The Arizona Wildcats are 7-3 overall and 4-3 in Big 12 play coming off an impressive win on the road against Cincinnati. Meantime, the Baylor Bears are fresh off a lost to Utah at home, and fell to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in Big 12
Arizona is favored by 6.5 points, and the over/under is set at 62.5 points. Here are two key players to watch in this game, followed by the top storylines for each team, and a prediction from Heartland College Sports.
Two Key Players to Watch
Dalton Johnson, Arizona Defensive Back
Dalton Johnson leads the Arizona Wildcats with 76 tackles, which also ranks in the Top 10 in the Big 12. Last week at Cincinnati, he had eight tackles with one interception, his third in the last five games. He has 45 tackles over that five-game stretch as well. Johnson leading this secondary, which is the top pass defense in the Big 12, to shut down the Baylor wide receivers is exactly how the Wildcats can shut down the passing attack of the Bears.
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor Quarterback
Robertson is going to have to put up a ton of points and carry this team on his back to win this game on the road. And it might require Robertson to be more of a dual-threat quarterback, at least for one day, than he’s comfortable with. But it will open things up in the passing game, IF Robertson is willing to run (his season high in a game is 20 rushing yards vs. SMU), then it gives Baylor another look to the offense to keep Arizona’s defense on its heels.
Top Storylines
No. 1 Pass Offense vs. No. 1 Pass Defense
That’s where this game will be decided. Baylor has the No. 1 pass offense in the Big 12, but is going up against an Arizona pass defense that has totally locked down the opposing quarterbacks in recent weeks, with Cincinnati’ Brendan Sorsby the most recent one (15/28, 154 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions). In fact, Arizona has not given up more than 200 passing yards since the first conference game of the season (Rocco Becht, 243). Since then, the most passing yards allowed is 199 vs. Jalon Daniels.
Can Baylor Get to the Quarterback?
The short answer is no, they haven’t all season. They’re dead last in the Big 12 in sacks with just 10 in 10 games. But if there is a game for the Baylor pass rush to get going, this would be a great week for it against an Arizona team that has allowed 27 sacks in 10 games, the second-most in the Big 12 ahead of only Colorado (31).
Prediction: Arizona 35, Baylor 24
The Arizona Wildcats are not getting enough respect in this game. They’re playing some of the best football in the Big 12 Conference and they’re not getting enough attention for it. They have one of the better passing attacks in the Big 12 as Noah Fifta is playing more like 2023 than 2024, and the pass defense will keep Sawyer Robertson in check. Plus, Baylor’s defense can’t take advantage of one of the weaknesses of Arizona, it’s pass protection. So I’m rolling with the Wildcats to a solid win against a Baylor team that doesn’t seem to have much left in the tank and has a coach continue to trend towards the hot seat.
