WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA running back Mike Bell (11) breaks away for his first touchdown as wideout Biren Ealy cheers him on.

UA athletics director Jim Livengood has been plagued by many emotions this football season: regret, disappointment and most of all, defeat.

He hasn't felt the one that filled the Wildcat locker room after the 27-22 defeat of Washington this weekend: total jubilation.

Livengood was shaking hands, answering questions and most of all, smiling as he described the performance by his Wildcats in one simple word.

"Unbelievable."

The Wildcats had one person orchestrating their victory ÷ aside from interim head coach Mike Hankwitz. It was sophomore tailback Mike Bell, who carried the team on his back Saturday, mirroring how he carries the ball.

"Mike Bell is a warrior," Hankwitz said in the middle of a frantic student body that was charging the field. "He runs tough, he runs with pain. You have to give credit to our offensive staff."

Bell didn't just run over Washington on Saturday. The Phoenix area native plowed through the visiting Huskies for a career-high 222 yards on 26 carries ÷ the fifth-highest total in UA history ÷ scoring three times in the process.

"That was an exciting win," Bell said in the midst of a media onslaught. "All my life playing football, that was the biggest win I've ever had. Even when I was in Pop Warner and we won the championship, this is the biggest win of all time."

Bell had the bulk of his yardage on just three runs, all three touchdowns.

He scampered 67 yards in the first quarter, 69 yards in the fourth and put the Wildcats over the edge by taking a 37-yarder to the house to seal the deal.

The expression on Bell's face as he cut the corner for his final touchdown run was that of excited astonishment. Bell appeared as though he knew what was coming, but couldn't really believe it.

"I told myself coming in this game that I had to make big plays," Bell said. "I thank the offensive line for allowing me to do that, because it was all them. They made great holes for me to run through and I give them the credit."

Freshman quarterback Kris Heavner had another mediocre game, but was giddy as he spoke of Bell's career night.

"Oh man, what a game," Heavner said. "I love (Bell) to death. He plays so hard. He came out tonight and ran his butt off."

Bell's yards on the ground made up more than half of the team's overall offense (401 yards) against the Huskies and helped the sophomore to his third straight 100-yard game.

"He was so huge tonight," said safety Clay Hardt. "He is really coming into himself and I think he's finally learning what he has and the tools he's capable of bringing to the table. He put some moves on some people tonight."

Bell's three straight 100-plus-yard outputs have solidified his spot as the Wildcats' starting tailback. In just three short weeks Bell has made the jump from backup to third on the Pacific 10 conference's rushing yardage list, with 811 yards. He trails only Stephen Jackson of Oregon State and Adminchinobe Echemandu of California.

Arizona welcomes No. 2 Southern California to Arizona Stadium on Saturday. Though the Trojans boast the sixth-best rushing defense in the nation, they could be well-served to not underestimate the ability of the Wildcats' explosive sophomore.