Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Anu Solomon certainly had some growing pains in 2014, just ask the annoying guy who would not shut up who sat next to me at the Fiesta Bowl.
If you look at his entire body of work it’s pretty remarkable what he accomplished as a red shirt freshmen at Arizona. Solomon had 3793 passing yards last year. The only other Wildcat to top that in over a century of Arizona Football was a guy named Nick Foles in 2011, now the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams.
Solomon added 28 touchdown passes to his gaudy passing numbers. That ties him with Foles and Willie Tuitama for the most touchdown passes a Wildcat has ever had in a single season.
Let’s count down Solomon’s top 5 games at Arizona.
Next: No. 5 : Wolfpack
Sep 13, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon (12) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Arizona Stadium. Arizona won 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
5. Sep. 13, 2015
Arizona 35 Nevada 28
Going into last year’s Nevada game the Cats were coming off a road win at University of Texas San Antonio, but it wasn’t pretty.
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The Cats held on late for a tough road win at the Alamo Dome but in Anu Solomon‘s second career game he was not firing on all cylinders, having trouble scoring in the red zone.
Besides an early 85-yard touchdown strike to Texas transfer Cayleb Jones, Solomon had a quiet game.
Things were much different the next week when Solomon bounced back against the Wolfpack.
Anu had 278 yards passing when he completed an impressive 22-of-26 passes to six different receivers. Solomon threw three touchdown passes and had one interception. He also carried the ball seven times for 60 yards.
Jones was Solomon’s main target, finishing with 116 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The Cats moved to 3-0 for the third straight year under Rich Rodriquez and gave the Cats a 11-0 record against non-conference teams in the Rich Rod era.
The next week the Cats hosted their first Pac-12 opponent of the year in a game that will most certainly be showing up later in our list.
Next: No. 4 : Territorial Cup Bliss
Nov 28, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon (12) runs the ball as Arizona State Sun Devils defensive lineman Tashon Smallwood (90) pursues during the fourth quarter of the territorial cup at Arizona Stadium. Arizona won 42-35. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
4. Nov. 28, 2015
Arizona 42 Arizona State 35
This game was pure bliss for Arizona Football fans, but before the bliss came adversity.
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The Sun Devils took advantage of an early Solomon fumble to tie the game at seven, but Anu got it together in time to make it a special day at an electric Arizona Stadium.
Solomon was 15-of-21 for 208 yards passing and had two touchdown passes, both to receiver Samajie Grant.
The second Solomon to Grant touchdown was a thing of beauty.
The Cats were on their own 20-yard line during the middle of the fourth quarter. Solomon took the snap and was flushed out of the pocket to his right. It looked as if the Cats were going to have a broken play on their hands, but Solomon would not give up throwing a perfect laser to the right side of the end zone.
With the ball cleverly placed between numerous sun devil defenders, Grant made a nice catch in the end zone, giving the Cats a 14-point cushion.
Rich Rod got his first Territorial Cup win against the sun devils and the Cats clinched the Pac-12 South in the biggest win in program history.
Next: No. 3 : Cougars Dominated by Cats
Oct 25, 2014; Pullman, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon (12) drops back for a pass against the Washington State Cougars during the first half at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
3. Oct. 25, 2014
Arizona 59 Washington State 37
Any game on the road in the Pac-12 can be a potential nightmare. Going into this one I was a bit worried. The Cats had just lost a heartbreaker at home to USC for their first loss of the year. The week after the game with the Cougars, the Cats were to play at UCLA. If there was ever a trap game, this was it.
After the third quarter the Cats led 52-16. I was no longer worried.
Solomon was on fire in this one. He was 26-of-38 for 294 yards passing with five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Like the Nevada game, Cayleb Jones was Solomon’s main target. Jones finished with seven catches for 78 yards receiving and one touchdown.
Solomon spread the wealth connecting with ten different receivers against the Cougars.
Arizona’s 59 points were the most they had scored in a conference game in six years, when they ran roughshod over Washington State 59-29 in Pullman.
The win over the Cougars improved the Cats record to 6-1 on the 2014 campaign.
Next: No. 2 : Controlling Colorado
Nov 8, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon (12) hands off to running back Terris Jones-Grigsby (24) during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Arizona Stadium. Arizona won 38-20. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
2. Nov. 8, 2014
Arizona 38 Colorado 20
There is something about the Colorado Buffaloes that brings the best individual performances out of the Wildcats.
Sorry Boulder, but it’s probably because you guys are the weakest team in the Pac-12 South. Don’t worry Buffaloes fans, you will always have 1990, right?
In 2012 Ka’deem Carey went KABOOM against Colorado and used the Buffaloes to set a new Pac-12 single game rushing record, when he finished the game with 366 yards.
In 2014 it was Solomon’s turn to pad his numbers.
Arizona had lost two of their last three games before their matchup with the Boulder boys, but playing Colorado was a good remedy for the struggling Cats.
The Cats scored 28 points off of four forced turnovers and Solomon had a career rushing high when on 13 carries he rushed for 105 yards.
Solomon added 211 yards passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Samajie Grant was once again Solomon’s favorite target. Grant had six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns, including a 20-yard touchdown from Solomon in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Next: No. 1 : The Hill Mary
Sep 20, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon (12) passes the ball during the fourth quarter at Arizona Stadium. Arizona won 49-45. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
1. Nov. 20, 2015
Arizona 49 Cal 45
In the pantheon of Arizona Football lore, there are three distinct moments that will be talked about decades from now.
There was Chuck Cecil’s 106-yard interception return to the house in 1986, spoiling the sun devils National Title hopes.
Arizona Wildcats
Next was Ortege Jenkins‘ ‘Leap By the Lake’, when on fourth down from the Arizona 9-yard line, with no time-outs and 0:12 left Jenkins did the unthinkable by scoring a rushing touchdown by completing a front flip into the end zone, while avoiding a Husky defender.
The third play is still fresh in our minds and it is part of the reason the game against Cal last year is No. 1 on our list.
When the fourth quarter started against Cal last November, thousands of fans had already abandoned Arizona Stadium. The Cats trailed 31-13 and little hope could be felt from the fans who did stick around.
What happened next was improbable and unthinkable. Arizona scored 36 points in the fourth quarter and found a way to stay in a game most Wildcats fans originally thought should have been an easy win.
Solomon was a big part of the incredible fourth quarter. He set an all time single game school record by passing for 520 yards against the Bears, but his final pass of the evening is the one we will never forget.
Trailing by two near midfield with only seconds remaining, the Cats were out of field goal range and had no choice but to give Solomon some space to let one fly and hope someone on the receiving end could make a play.
Solomon took the snap, ran right and heaved the ball with all his might towards the back right side of the end zone.
Senior Austin Hill came down with the ball and the ‘Hill Mary’ was born.
The people who stuck around were ecstatic and the celebration lasted for several minutes.
Some of the people who didn’t stick around didn’t find out until the next morning, when they opened the paper that they had missed the greatest comeback and ending in Arizona Football history.
Thanks for the memories Anu. Can’t wait to make more this year.
Bear Down!