Alex Grinch breaks down Arizona's top receivers

On3 imageby:Justin Rudolph10/28/22

The USC Trojans have another high-flying Pac-12 offense to face off against this Saturday when they take on the Arizona Wildcats. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is fully aware of the struggles his defense currently faces.

And he believes on Saturday, if they do not write the ship, the Wildcats’ offense will make it another long day at the office with their talent at wide receiver. During a recent press conference, Grinch broke down Arizona’s top receivers and revealed his defense of mentality heading into the game.

“Yeah, you got height; you’ve got speed. Each individual guy kind of has their number one calling card, as it pertains to that,” said Grinch. “They can win jump balls, run by you, and you got a quarterback that can find ways to throw them open. He has a level of trust in them in terms of the vertical passing; he’s going to get it. And they’ve been as productive as anybody in the country… you just turn on the video, and you’re kind of in awe—their ability to throw the ball and then use the run game; physical run game.

“This is a big-time challenge for us. On the back end, we talked about the pass rush. It’s 11 people contributing to the pass rush and 11 people contributing to the coverage. One guy, in one-on-one situations, is not gonna hold up, probably duration of 60 minutes. So mixing coverages and all that stuffs gotta be our MO. We got we gotta have the ability to win some of those. Two weeks ago, we didn’t win enough. That’s on film now, and I’m sure I’ll be very confident coming against us on Saturday.”

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Arizona’s passing game threats

The Wildcats have three solid options at wide receiver and one at tight end. The trio of junior Jacob Cowing, sophomore Dorian Singer, and freshman Tetairoa McMillan give opposing defenses fits. But credit also has to be given to sophomore quarterback Jayden De Laura. He has been finding his receiving threats often and consistently. The trio has combined for 122 of his 174 completions for 1812 yards and 15 touchdowns. And when those three have been slowed down, De Laura has no problem connecting with junior tight end Tanner McCullen. McCullen has 23 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns.

Grinch and the USC defense will have their hands full, slowing down Arizona’s offensive passing attack. Though their record does not suggest it, their offensive passing ability has De Laura ranked in the top ten in the nation in yards(2,274) and touchdowns(19). And if the Trojans cannot find a way to keep the Wildcats’ offense in check, it could be another long day at the office come Saturday.