Quarterback has Arizona rolling

After winning a heated competition for Arizona’s starting quarterback job in the preseason, redshirt freshman Anu Solomon has not looked back.

Solomon, a former Bishop Gorman High School star, has exceeded most expectations, passing for 3,058 yards and 25 touchdowns to lift the Wildcats (8-2) into contention in the Pacific-12 Conference.

Arizona is getting 4½ points today at Utah, and I’ll side with the underdog that has a great chance to win outright. The Utes (7-3) are used to close calls, with six of their past seven games decided in overtime or by three points or fewer.

Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez made the right call by going with Solomon, who has thrown only seven interceptions.

Arizona has won back-to-back games over Utah by double-digit margins. The Wildcats have been solid on the road this season by winning three of four, including a 31-24 victory at Oregon as a three-touchdown underdog Oct. 2.

Six more plays for today (home team in CAPS):

■ Vanderbilt (+30½) over MISSISSIPPI STATE — This is the ultimate sandwich spot for the Bulldogs, who just played at Alabama and will play Mississippi next week in what will be the most anticipated Egg Bowl in decades. Vanderbilt is 3-0 against the spread as a road underdog this season and 30-13-1 ATS away from home since 2004. Mississippi State is battered and bruised from last week’s slugfest in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Vanderbilt has had two weeks to prepare for the game.

■ Missouri (+3½) over TENNESSEE — Just when it seemed Volunteers coach Butch Jones had his program on the right track, he lost senior linebacker A.J. Johnson and sophomore cornerback Michael Williams to indefinite suspensions pending an investigation into sexual assault allegations. Johnson leads the Southeastern Conference in tackles with 101, and Williams has started five games. And safety Brian Randolph, who has 76 tackles and one interception, is suspended for the first half of today’s game. Missouri has won four straight and covered eight consecutive road games. The Tigers are 25-9 ATS on the road since 2007.

■ Missouri-TENNESSEE (Over 49) — After going through a midseason slump, Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk has regained his confidence, with five touchdown passes and one interception in the past three games. Tennessee is getting good quarterback play, too, with sophomore quarterback Josh Dobbs totaling 790 yards passing and 289 yards rushing in the past three games, with seven TD passes against two interceptions. The “over” has hit in all three games. This number should be in the mid-50s.

■ LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (+9½) over Appalachian State — Lafayette has won six straight, four by double digits. Quarterback Terrance Broadway has eight touchdown passes against two interceptions in the six games. Look for Broadway and running backs Elijah McGuire and Alonzo Harris to lead the Ragin’ Cajuns to at least a 14-point victory.

■ ARKANSAS (+3½) over Mississippi — Arkansas is 4-1 straight up and 5-0 against the spread in home games in Fayetteville this season. The loss was to Alabama, 14-13, when the Razorbacks missed an extra point. Bret Bielema picked up his first SEC win last week with a 17-0 victory over Louisiana State, a game in which the Hogs’ defense limited LSU’s vaunted rushing attack to 35 yards on 32 attempts. A money-line bet on Arkansas also is a good play.

■ Boston College (+17½) over FLORIDA STATE — The Seminoles continue to rally for victories, but they are 1-5 ATS as double-digit favorites this season. In last year’s game, Boston College easily covered in a 48-34 loss. The Eagles are 4-0 outright and 3-1 ATS on the road this season. They have had two weeks to prepare for Florida State.

Last week: 5-2 against the spread

Season: 25-32-1

Brian Edwards of VegasInsider.com and BrianEdwardsSports.com is providing college football analysis for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.