QB Tuitama gets up to shred UW defense
The week began as almost all of them have recently for Willie Tuitama.
The rumors chased him more relentlessly than a defensive end. The speculation that Tuitama, Arizona’s junior quarterback, would be replaced didn’t end until Arizona’s first snap Saturday afternoon.
The ending wasn’t so familiar.
After he passed for a school-record 510 yards and five touchdowns in Arizona’s comeback victory, Tuitama walked into the Wildcats’ party in the west end zone as the unlikely VIP. As Tuitama raised both arms in the air, the Wildcats surrounded him in a huddle as Arizona fans nearby crowed.
As some Wildcats felt the tension of a season slipping away, Tuitama went the other way the past week. Coaches and players at Arizona agreed that Tuitama was at his calmest.
“I’ve kind of had a little bit of strep throat going on throughout the week,” Tuitama explained of his lost jitters, “and I think that’s maybe one of the reasons I was a little more relaxed.”
It was Washington fans who left Husky Stadium sick.
Tuitama twice led Arizona (3-6 overall, 2-4 Pac-10) back from two-touchdown deficits, and he threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes to give the Wildcats the win. His 510 passing yards, the most ever allowed by Washington, are the seventh-most in Pac-10 history.
“That’s a great individual performance,” coach Mike Stoops said.
Stoops and offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes insisted Tuitama wasn’t on a short leash Saturday. But more than a few Arizona fans were calling for senior backup Kris Heavner after the Wildcats dropped to 2-6 last week with a loss to Stanford.
“Willie’s handled it well,” Stoops said.
The Huskies have a way of bringing out the best in opponents this season. On Saturday, they allowed Tuitama to show the potential of the offense Dykes brought to Arizona from Texas Tech.
“It’s pretty important for his psyche and his confidence,” Stoops said.
No one could rattle Tuitama on Saturday. Not even himself. After he threw an interception in the third quarter, he completed all but one of his final 15 passes.
The Huskies sacked him three times. He got right back up and kept throwing.
“We put him on his back a couple times,” Washington defensive tackle Jordan Reffett said. “That’s tough to swallow, when you put a guy on his back and he throws the ball down the field. He made some plays.”
Most of his 51 attempts were short range, but the long ones hurt the Huskies the most. He opened with a 66-yard touchdown pass to Mike Thomas for the game’s first score. His 51-yard play-action pass to Wildcats tight end Rob Gronkowski tied it at 14.
When the Wildcats trailed 41-26 in the fourth, Tuitama came back with touchdown passes to Terrence Turner and Thomas just 2:08 apart. When UW gave the Wildcats an opportunity to take the lead, Tuitama took it. He led Arizona on an 80-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Thomas, who had 165 yards receiving.
“I was originally looking for Terrell Turner, but they covered him up a little bit so I went through my reads, and that’s my last read,” Tuitama said. “So I went over to Thomas, and my team made the play.”
On the winning drive, Tuitama was 7 for 7 and 70 yards.
“We need for him to be that kind of stable guy that can drive us down the field and win a game for us,” Dykes said. “Like he did today.”
Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com
Tuitama in passing lane
Willie Tuitama’s 510 passing yards ties for the seventh-most in Pac-10 history:
Yds
Player
Team
Year
536
Andrew Walter
Arizona St.
2002
534
Paul Justin
Arizona St.
1989
532
Jeff Van Raaphorst
Arizona St.
1984
531
Alex Brink
Wash. St.
2005
513
Cade McNown
UCLA
1998
511
Ryan Kealy
Arizona St.
1998
510
Willie Tuitama
Arizona
2007
510
Drew Olson
UCLA
2005
503
Pat Barnes
California
1996*
* Four-overtime game