Arizona heads into its matchup against Washington with a different starting quarterback than it had last week. Gunner Cruz has been sidelined with a thumb injury that will keep him from playing in the final six games of the season. That leaves second-year freshman Will Plummer as the lone scholarship quarterback available for the Wildcats heading into the second half of the season.
Plummer finished up the game against Colorado last Saturday in relief of Cruz, and the Gilbert, Arizona native finished with seven completions for 71 yards and an interception.
Plummer has made a pair of starts in his career with his last one coming earlier this season against Northern Arizona in what ended up as one of the Wildcats' worst losses in recent history. Though he was injured in that game and was forced to miss the week following the loss to UA's FCS opponent, Plummer was not pleased his showing in that game.
Since then he feels more confident and ready to handle the task of guiding the offense despite only being a month removed from that performance.
"I feel like I'm in a really good place now compared to where I was a couple weeks ago," Plummer said this week. "I'm ready to go."
The Wildcats are in a difficult spot. Ideally, Plummer would have more time to continue to learn the offense and grow from what he showed against the Lumberjacks. However, the current circumstances will not allow for that. Head coach Jedd Fisch and the rest of the offense need his services now.
He will have to improve and continue to learn on the fly. Arizona has felt success has come from featuring just one quarterback with the first unit during the week of practice. Plummer has received most of the first-team reps this week, and Fisch believes that can add to the confidence level for the young quarterback heading into his second start of the season.
"What I've talked to Will all week about, as Jimmie [Dougherty] has, we're in a situation that we have to find ways that we can live off the current play," Fisch said. "If you throw an interception, you throw an interception. You go out the next play.
"I also believe it's different when you know you're the only quarterback. There's not that lingering cloud of, 'If I make a mistake what happens?' I think he can he can play freely and say, 'Hey, I'm gonna go out there and play the best I can, and do everything I can to mature and grow.'"
Each of Arizona's quarterbacks has had frustrating moments this season when on the field. For Cruz it came last week when he sat on the sidelines with a towel over his head after throwing an interception that was ultimately returned for a touchdown.
Jordan McCloud had a similar situation against Oregon on a night when he threw five interceptions and was visibility upset on the sideline after those plays.
Plummer is no different, but Fisch is hopeful that the opportunity to know that he is going to be the featured quarterback for the rest of the season brings some calm to the second-year signal caller.
