Avery Johnson latest dual threat QB to shred Arizona this season
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson shredded the Arizona defense with 17 carries for 110 yards rushing with 156 yards passing, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Johnson was the second QB in 2024 to rush for over 100 yards versus Arizona.
New Mexico QB Devon Dampier had 15 carries for 130 yards and two TDs and threw for 260 yards, three TDs and two interceptions. The difference is New Mexico could not stop the Arizona offense in a 61-39 loss. Arizona now ranks 102nd nationally allowing 172.67 rushing yards per game.
Dampier and Johnson have combined for 240 out of the 518 rushing yards this season, accounting for 46.33 percent of the total. Johnson had 11 carries for 77 yards this season before the game against Arizona. Following his performance in the Arizona game, Johnson now ranks 99th nationally, averaging 62.33 rushing yards per game.
Starting running back, D.J. Giddens shared the load with Johnson. Giddens had 17 carries for 86 yards and a TD. Arizona ended Giddens' six-game streak of rushing for at least 100 yards. Johnson had five runs in the game of 15 or more yards. Arizona was unable to make Kansas State one-dimensional.
Arizona was charged with 17 missed tackles in the loss at Kansas State, per @PFF_College. That's one more than the opener against New Mexico and most since having 22 missed tackles in a loss at Cal in 2022.
— Brian Pedersen (@realBJP) September 14, 2024
""I don't think we're the first team to have an issue with an athletic quarterback, but this guy is something different...He's a 10.4 100-meter guy. He's unique, and in those moments where we're trying to keep him in the pocket, his ability to get outside of one person and create a big play was obviously damaging to what we're trying to get done."
- Arizona head coach Brent Brennan
Dampier has six runs of over 10 yards for New Mexico versus Arizona. Arizona needs to work on setting the edge during its bye week. Utah QB Cameron Rising has six carries for 46 yards this season and 158 carries for 999 yards and 12 career TDs. Arizona has to be ready to contain Rising.
Next. Arizona collapses in second half getting blown out by Kansas State. Arizona collapses in second half getting blown out by Kansas State. dark
Rising missed the entire 2023 season with an injury but ran for over 400 yards and six TDs in both 2021 and 2022. Nine QBs in the Big XII rank in the top 37 players in rushing yards per game. Arizona plays seven of those QBs, including Rising. If Arizona cannot fix being able to stop dual-threat QBs, they are going to be in trouble defensively.