Wildcats thrash Beavers

Robert Henry Becker Arizona Daily Wildcat Quarterback Ortege Jenkins (16) runs past an Oregon St. tackle to score a touchdown in the second half. Jenkins had a slow start, completing only 2 of 5 passes in the first half but threw for three touchdowns and rushed for one in the second half.

"Man, I could play all night," said Jenkins with a laugh. "I'm not sore, I don't have any bruises and I barely even broke a sweat."

Jenkins and the rest of the Wildcats handled the Beavers with relative ease before a crowd of 39,754 on Homecoming weekend at Arizona Stadium.

"Yes," said Arizona head coach Dick Tomey when asked if he was happy with the win. "I am happy with any win right now. This was a good night for us."

The night didn't turn out as well as some of the players had hoped, however. Arizona failed to score in the first quarter and gave up several big plays throughout the night.

"We played well in the first half but we still haven't put together a full game," said linebacker Chester Burnett, who, along with Marcus Bell, led the Wildcats with 11 tackles. "We had a couple of breakdowns that could have hurt us."

Defensive back David Fipp, who nabbed his first interception of the season in the third quarter, had mixed feelings as well.

"The defense improved a lot but we are still not playing like we need to," Fipp said. "We are just giving up too many big plays."

The Wildcats had enough big plays of their own to offset any attack Oregon State mounted.

Jenkins was responsible for all four Wildcat touchdowns, rushing for one and passing for three more, raising his season total to 16 touchdown passes against two interceptions. He completed 18 of 32 attempts for 231 yards.

"I can't say I am pleased with how I played because I threw too many high balls tonight," Jenkins said. "I was frustrated at first but I'm glad I was able to turn it around. I can still play better."

Junior running back Jay Hinton, a transfer from Glendale Community College in Phoenix, chipped in with 110 yards on 14 carries. Hinton, along with Kelvin Eafon, filled in admirably for Trung Canidate, who is still recovering from ankle injuries.

"I have learned a lot from those two guys (Eafon and Canidate)," Hinton said. "They have very different styles and I have tried to take a little of both of them and make it into my own style."

Arizona finished the game with 220 yards on the ground and 269 through the air.

"The balanced attack is always what we are looking for," Tomey said. "We have to continue to have enough of a running game to open up the passing attack."

Arizona opened the scoring in the second quarter as Jenkins kept the ball on an option, eluded three Beavers and dove into the end zone.

The Wildcats had a field goal blocked on their next possession but forced the Beavers to a three-and-out on the following drive. Arizona scored on the ensuing drive as Jenkins faked the hand-off to Eafon up the middle and found tight end Mike Lucky in the end zone for the score. The touchdown catch was Lucky's first since the UCLA game.

The Beavers scored first in the second half on a seven-yard strike from Tim Alexander to Roddy Tompkins. Alexander finished the night completing 18 of 32 passes for 211 yards and the one touchdown.

On the next series, UA receiver Dennis Northcutt did his best Barry Sanders impersonation taking a short pass across the middle 47 yards for the score. Northcutt cut left, then dashed back across the field, eluding the entire OSU defense and sprinting up the sidelines to the end zone.

"I don't know how Dennis does it. He is so dangerous in the open field," Jenkins said. "It's great for me to be able to throw a little six-yard pass and get a 50-some-yard touchdown out of it."

The extra point attempt failed as a result of a bad snap, one of two bad snaps on the night by Nate Campbell who was replacing the injured Dale Whitmore - the other coming on a field goal attempt late in the third quarter.

The Wildcats closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter when Jenkins completed his third touchdown with Rodney Williams on a 17-yard pass.

"We needed every play we made tonight," Tomey said. "I am pleased for a lot of our guys. We are just trying to put together an end of the season that we can be proud of."