Arizona at West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Interstat) — Arizona (4-1) will visit West Virginia (3-2) on Saturday in an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision game at Milan Puskar Stadium. The forecast for game time is 78 degrees.

The Wildcats enter behind quarterback Noah Fifita, who has been a steady force. In a 34-7 win against Cincinnati on Saturday, Fifita completed 25 of 37 passes for 284 yards, ran eight times for 17 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. Antwan Roberts Jr. ran five times for 87 yards, and Quincy Craig ran seven times for 77 yards in that victory. Earlier this season, Fifita passed for 297 yards and four touchdowns against Washington State, 325 yards and four touchdowns against Northern Illinois, and 230 yards and one touchdown at BYU. He also ran for scores against Northern Illinois, Cincinnati and BYU. Arizona’s other results include wins over Washington State, Northern Illinois and Northern Arizona, plus a loss at BYU.

West Virginia counters with quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who has hurt defenses with his arm and legs. Against Iowa State on Saturday, Hawkins passed for 227 yards and ran for 149 yards while accounting for four touchdowns. He passed for 132 yards and ran for 103 yards against Oklahoma State, then passed for 190 yards and ran for 123 yards against Virginia. Cam Cook ran 20 times for 142 yards and scored twice while catching two passes for 5 yards against Iowa State. DJ Epps caught four passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in that game. The Mountaineers have wins over Virginia, Tennessee-Martin and Coastal Carolina and losses to Oklahoma State and Iowa State.

Arizona’s most recent outing was a 34-7 home win against Cincinnati. The Wildcats have scored at least 34 points in three of their past four games. West Virginia’s most recent outing was a 45-42 loss at Iowa State. The Mountaineers have scored 31 or more points in four of five games. Both teams will look to establish tempo and protect the football in a game that could feature plenty of offense.

Arizona next hosts Iowa State before visiting Texas Tech. West Virginia hosts Cincinnati before traveling to Texas Christian. The Mountaineers then visit Texas Tech, while Arizona has upcoming games against Texas Christian, Utah, Kansas State and Arizona State. West Virginia also has games ahead against Kansas, Houston and Utah.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Arizona 46, West Virginia 29. West Virginia has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -3. The over/under for the game is 60.5.