Two weeks to the day after quarterback Anu Solomon announced his decision in December to leave Arizona, he watched with interest as Baylor beat Boise State in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl up the freeway from Solomon’s home for the past 3 1/2 years.
Zach Smith threw for 375 yards and three scores in the Bears’ 31-12 win that ended a six-game skid. Solomon was impressed. So was Matt Rhule, of course, but the new Baylor coach -- on the job for three weeks -- wondered if the big performance by Smith, a freshman, might work against Baylor in its bid to land Solomon as a graduate transfer in 2017.