When the Arizona Wildcats hit the UCLA Bruins Thursday on ESPN, it'll come down to which defense sucks the least, and that means that the UA wide receivers will need to be ready to feast.
Don't worry about David Douglas. In the most complimentary way possible to say this, the senior wide receiver is the Wildcats' Metamucil.
He's regular.
He's steady.
He's reliable.
After gaining 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason, Douglas has become more physical, able to take a hit on a catch across the middle and earn more yardage after the catch.
So against UCLA's defense that hasn't allowed less than 27 points through six games where they've gone 3-3, it's a guy like Douglas who UA quarterback Nick Foles needs to look for.
David Douglas' Scout.com Player Profile
Foles already has compiled 2255 yards on the season and has a passer rating of 153, and those statistics won't dip against UCLA, who is 97th in the nation by giving up 32 points per game.Look at the opposing quarterback numbers:
- Case Keenum dropped 310 yards on the Bruins.
- Oregon State freshman Sean Mannion threw for 287.
- Texas frosh Case McCoy threw 12-for-15 in his first start.
- Andrew Luck went 23-for-27.
- Marshall Lobbestael of Washington State threw 28-for-40 for 235 yards, too.
What's Foles going to do throwing 40 times at the least?
With Juron Criner banged up and Dan Buckner being the iffy-to-show-up type of player, the most reliable and technically sound guy in Douglas will need to get it done for the Wildcats to earn their first FBS win in 10 games.
It doesn't hurt that Douglas is Foles' roommate and best friend, either.
Earlier this year, Foles said after one practice that Douglas was the most athletic and competitive kid he knew. Whether it be basketball, football ... table tennis ... he was just flat out good at everything. He's unlike a Buckner or Criner, the physical receivers that make Larry Fitzgerald-type plays.
He's the Austin Collie -- remember the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl against BYU? -- a gonna-catch-everything type of guy.
He's Metamucil.
And I believe he's a bit under the radar. At 29 receptions for 300 yards this season, Douglas is a first down, on average, every completion. Last season, he caught 52 balls for 515 yards, numbers similar to former Wildcat Delashaun Dean (at one time Dean was the No. 2 talent in the WR corps behind now-Jaguar Mike Thomas), who only topped the 500-yard mark once in his three seasons before deciding to leave Arizona.
This year, he's the No. 3 guy behind Buckner and Criner. Thursday, he'll have his opportunities against UCLA, and there's a good chance Foles will have the opportunities to find his roomie.
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