Nick Foles operates out of a spread passing formation, high percentage throws including a variety of screens. Juron Criner took an inside screen for 79 yards and a touchdown in last year's Oregon game. Foles has completed 71% of his passes, 13 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. He exploits blitzes well and gets rid of the ball quickly. He threw for 353 yards last time out against USC, 440 against Oregon State.
In his last three complete games he's attempted 46, 48, and 48 passes, with a high concentration of screens and short routes. The Duck linebackers and cornerbacks will get a lot of work, and will have to pursue like fiends. It's a spread formation but works almost like a West Coast offense, stretching the field from sideline to sideline more than vertically. Their longest pass play of the year is 51 yards, but they've had several in the 40s.
Criner has six touchdowns receiving and is closing in on 1,000 yards receiving. Both of the tailbacks, Grigsby and Antolin, average 5.2 yards per carry. Together they've accounted for 15 rushing tds, with longs of 62 and 78 yards. Antolin went over a 100 yards twice this year, against Washington and UCLA. Grigsby has battled injuries much of the year, and hasn't hit the century mark since game 2 versus The Citadel. The bye week has given him time to rest a bum ankle, and he may be closer to 100% for the Ducks.
#81 David Roberts is Arizona's second leading receiver, and he's come on lately with 13 catches in his last two games. A 6-0, 190 junior, he plays a possession-type role for the team, a lot of the underneath and move-the-chains type routes. Junior David Douglas, 6-1, 198, wears #85. He had two touchdown catches against USC, 4 for the year, and he's caught 37 balls altogether after snaring 31 as a sophomore. None of the tight ends have replaced Rob Gronkowski. A.J. Simmons has just 7 catches for 88 yards.
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