Arizona entered Saturday's matchup with No. 3 Oregon having the worst rushing offense among the teams in the Pac-12 Conference. The Wildcats were the only team through the first three weeks of the season to not average at least 100 yards. UA didn't even crack 80 yards per game as it entered the contest against the Ducks averaging just 79 yards.
UA's running back group is arguably its deepest and most talented, yet the Wildcats could simply not find ways to get the collection of backs to put together a complete performance.
That changed Saturday night as Arizona had its strongest performance of the season in the 41-19 loss to the Ducks. As a team the Wildcats rushed for over 200 yards led by Northwestern transfer Drake Anderson who had 67 yards on a team-high 21 carries to go with a touchdown, UA's first rushing score of the season.
Michael Wiley contributed with 15 carries for 63 yards rushing. Even starting quarterback Jordan McCloud was able to help in the ground game with 64 yards rushing on nine carries.
Arizona used three different running backs to guide the running game while freshman Stevie Rocker Jr. was able to contribute in the passing game by catching one pass for 18 yards.
It was the most productive the running back unit has been this season giving the Wildcats some positive momentum at the position heading into its bye week.
"Our guys are becoming more and more comfortable with the scheme," head coach Jedd Fisch told reporters after Saturday's game. "They're becoming more and more comfortable with what we're trying to get accomplished. The runners ran with a real sense of purpose today. You could see there was a discipline in the running."
Implementing a new system is not easy especially when it is a pro-style scheme like the one Fisch has brought with him to Arizona from the NFL. Saturday's game against Oregon featured the most balance on offense that UA has had this season with the Wildcats looking settled in for most of the night on that side of the ball.
Fisch credits continued reps through the first few weeks of the season as a reason for the growth the the team is experiencing to begin Pac-12 play.
"Sometimes with the run game, especially a zone running game which we run, is you have to have a discipline," he said. "You have to have a discipline to press a block and cut back. You have to have a discipline to know when to bounce it. I feel like with reps and opportunities they're showing that they can get better at it."
Arizona finished with 435 yards of total offense in the game with only 31 yards separating the passing yards and rushing yards in the game.
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