First-time starting quarterback Nick Foles throws a pass during Arizona’s 37-32 win over the Oregon State Beavers this past Saturday in Corvallis, Ore. Foles led the Wildcats to their highest offensive output of the season.
College football is a funny game.
For three weeks, Arizona’s completely inept passing game was like a Chevrolet Caprice. But in week four, with a brand new quarterback making his first career start without his starting tight end, slot receiver or his top-two running backs, the Wildcats traded in that Caprice for a brand new Corvette.
Citizens of Tucson and students at the University of Arizona, please rise and give a deserving welcome to quarterback Nick Foles.
Foles, a transfer from Michigan State, was nothing short of excellent in his first college career start, completing 25 of 34 passes for 254 yards with three touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. But what was really impressive was his composure.
The redshirt sophomore ran the offense as if he was a four-year starter, calling several audibles at the line, and never showing any sign of panic despite a raucous crowd in Corvallis, Ore., and a relentless Beaver defense. He was sharp on all of his throws, whether it was a quick screen or one of the many beautiful fades and deep balls that he released with ease.
Rather than immediately tucking and running in the face of a defensive rush, a la previous starter Matt Scott, Foles calmly shifted his feet to the side to buy himself an extra second to continue looking downfield. His footwork and awareness gave him the opportunity to succeed when he did have to scramble, directing receivers with his left hand as he ran and waiting until the last possible second on several occasions to find the open receiver.
Arizona’s future now looks a lot rosier.
The quarterback controversy that has stolen headlines in Tucson since last spring is no more — Nick Foles is and should be the starter from here on out.
The injuries to tight end Rob Gronkowski, receiver William “Bug” Wright and running back Nic Grigsby allowed players like receiver David Roberts, tight end A.J. Simmons and running back Greg Nwoko to step up and add even more depth to an already strong Wildcat roster.
And strongly benefitting the Wildcats were the other wild scores across the college football world Saturday.
First, California and Washington — formerly ranked No. 6 and No. 24, respectively — lost conference games and now appear extremely vulnerable.
Then Iowa, the same team that handed Arizona its only loss of the season in devastating and frustrating fashion, manhandled No. 5 Penn State in Happy Valley, Pa. Suddenly that loss to the Hawkeyes doesn’t seem so devastating after all, and Arizona’s strength of schedule just went through the roof.
Saturday’s trip to Oregon State was a turning point in Arizona’s season. The Beavers and the Wildcats were at a crossroad. A win could keep the season alive while a loss would not only damage their records, but also raise more questions about whether or not they could compete for bowl berths.
Arizona answered the call, separating itself from a Pacific 10 Conference contender and changing the theme surrounding the team from panic to promise.
The Pac-10 is wide open right now, and after a 1-0 start, the Wildcats are right in the thick of it.
IOWA CITY — The Arizona football team had more than its fair share of chances, but in the end the Wildcats were their own worst enemy in a 27-17 loss to Iowa.
The game was perhaps best summed up by each squad’s first possession. The Hawkeyes drove 75 yards in 10 plays on their first series of the game. Running back Adam Robinson capped off the scoring drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The Wildcats appeared discombobulated and had to punt after quarterback Matt Scott tripped on his own feet on a third-down play near midfield.
While Arizona kept the game close — at least as far as the scoreboard was concerned — until the start of the fourth quarter, in reality Iowa never looked back after its opening score. UA cornerback Trevin Wade scored on a 38-yard interception return midway through the first quarter, but that proved to be the high point for Arizona as it never found a rhythm on offense and was overpowered on defense during the lackluster effort in Iowa City.
“These guys (Iowa) are very, very efficient. They’re bigger and they’re faster than people want to give them credit for,” said UA head coach Mike Stoops. “… They’re a very good football team. I think they’re better once you play them in person.”
Running back Nic Grigsby was the lone bright spot for Arizona’s offense as the junior gained 15 yards on 11 carries, but his efforts weren’t enough to lead his team to a win. Grigsby had an electrifying 58-yard run, weaving from sideline to sideline after taking a hand-off up the middle. The Wildcats couldn’t punch the ball across the goal line and settled for a field goal try. They wouldn’t get close to scoring a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.
“That’s the thing that you have to do when you go on the road and you play a good team. When you have 1st-and-goal from the one (yard line), you have to score a touchdown,” said UA offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. “When you have receivers wide open you have to be able to protect and you have to be able to throw the ball to them and you have to be able to catch it.”
Not only did Arizona leave Iowa with a loss, but there could be a quarterback controversy on its way back to Tucson as well. Matt Scott was unimpressive as he regularly missed open receivers and was indecisive in the pocket. The sophomore quarterback was also picked off by Iowa safety Tyler Sash, who seemed like he was catching a lazy fly ball on the baseball diamond after Scott heaved up a long ball.
“We had a tough time doing a little bit of everything today. I had a couple of open passes that I missed and that kind of hurt us.” Scott said. “… I couldn’t tell you what it was. There were open passes, I’ve just got to hit them. We need to figure it out as a team and as an offense.”
Following that drive, Scott was yanked from the game and redshirt sophomore Nick Foles entered the game. But he didn’t fare much better. In all, the Wildcats’ gained 105 yards passing and 148 rushing. Scott finished the night completing 4-of-14 passes for 50 yards and gained 39 yards rushing on 7 carries. Foles ended the game completing 6-of-11 passes for 55 yards and one touchdown.
The Wildcats’ defense didn’t do the team many favors either. Outside of Wade’s interception, the UA defensive unit seemed outmatched by a physical Iowa team. The Hawkeyes didn’t dominate statistically, but they executed well and controlled the game’s tempo throughout the contest. In all, Iowa gained 205 yards on 20-of-32 passing, rushed for 133 yards on 42 attempts and held the ball for 37:56 while completing 10-of-19 third downs.
“We gave up so many plays that we make every single day. Every play that we gave up we saw in practice,” said Arizona defensive end Ricky Elmore. “It’s really frustrating when you prepare for it all week and then when you play in a game and you can’t stop it.”
Arizona’s goal heading into the weekend was to win on the road against a tough team, and possibly earn a national ranking in the process. But now, the Wildcats head back to Tucson licking their wounds before facing Oregon State next weekend in Corvallis, Ore.
“You could see (Iowa) was a physical football team, a very mature team and we feel short in some of those areas within looking at ourselves.” Stoops said. “We’re going to have to be much better when we go on the road next week to Oregon State.”
On the Arizona football team’s pregame depth chart for its tilt against Central Michigan during Saturday night’s season opener at Arizona Stadium, it officially listed Matt Scott OR Nick Foles as the Wildcats’ starter.
Once the game kicked off, it was obvious Scott was Arizona’s No. 1 guy, especially considering Foles wasn’t on the field for a single snap against the Chippewas. But that wasn’t the way Arizona coaches envisioned the game playing out.
“I think the way the game played out Saturday, we felt like we were trying to get into a rhythm offensively and never really did. I think we felt like we needed to get Matt more reps to be able to get into that rhythm and let him get settled down a little bit,” said UA offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. “We knew he was capable of playing better than he did in the first half, and when you’re trying to build confidence in your quarterback you hate to have a quick trigger finger and pull a guy out and put somebody else in.”
Dykes said they let the two signal callers know of their intentions about 10 days before the Sept. 5 game against Central Michigan. And even though Scott was labeled as the first option, that didn’t alter either player’s demeanor.
Scott didn’t think it was his job and Foles knew he still had a shot to become the starting quarterback, Dykes said. Each player continued to work hard after the unofficial announcement, and that proved that each player is capable of leading and winning games.
“You can’t take things lightly. Even though I got the (starting) spot I’ve still got to work hard,” Scott said after a Monday evening practice. “Nick Foles is a great quarterback, he’s right behind me and he can come up and take the spot any day. I can’t take anything for granted, you’ve just got to go out and work as hard as you can everyday.”
And the Wildcats coaching staff took notice the quarterback’s poise as well.
“The last thing you ever want to do to a player is tell him something and not do it, but the great thing about Nick and the great thing about Matt is that both guys have been fabulous through this,” Dykes said. “Nick told me he didn’t care (that he didn’t play), all he cared about is that we won the football game and that shows you a lot about his character and a lot about why we feel comfortable with him leading this football team.
“The fact that both of those guys have handled the situation as well as they have I think speaks volumes about their character,” Dykes added, “and it really speaks a lot about our team and our character on the team.”
And despite Dykes promising that Foles would play against the Chippewas, Dykes had no doubt that both Scott and Foles would take snaps against NAU this coming weekend.
“I think they’ll both play this week. I don’t know exactly what the plan is going to be quite yet … but I feel confident in both of them,” Dykes said. “I wish we would have played Nick (against Central Michigan), but I think given the set of circumstances I think we were wise, probably, doing what we did (against Central Michigan).”
Defensive domination
After the way Central Michigan and highly-acclaimed senior quarterback Dan LeFevour performed offensively on Saturday, a casual college football fan would call the hype “overblown.” Don’t buy into that belief: the Chippewa offense is good.
Arizona’s defense was just better.
“Defensively we played as well as we could,” UA head coach Mike Stoops said after the game. “Our position on the football was excellent, I thought was played fast, and that disrupted (Central Michigan).”
The success on Saturday started up front with the defensive line. Junior bookends Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed led a defensive front that put pressure on LeFevour all night and never allowed him – or the Central Michigan offense as a whole – to get into a rhythm.
With the defensive line dominating, the rest of the defense fell into line. The linebackers were able to run wild thanks to CMU’s need to double-team Arizona defensive linemen. No player had a better game statistically than senior middle linebacker Vuna Tuihalamaka, who had 10 tackles and an interception.
“You could see his ability to cover ground inside,” Stoops said of Tuihalamaka. “Defensively we were pretty much on point most of the night, and I thought our speed and ability to close on the football and recover was very good.”
The thing that stood out most was the speed that the defense played with. The Wildcats closed on almost all gaps the offense tried to create, and they succeeded in getting as many players to the ball as possible.
The linebackers and secondary have been praised for their speed since the spring, but it was the defensive line that showed how much faster they’d gotten since last season. Both Reed and Elmore were quick off the ball and mixed speed moves into their already polished power moves.
“I thought our speed and our ability to cover was very, very good against a team that has had great success moving the football,” Stoops said during a Monday press conference. “… We really just kind of covered the field really well and that was exciting. Our ability to hit and be in position was really excellent. Defensively I thought our guys did a really, really good job.”
Maybe it was the full moon in the Tucson sky. It could have been the 43-minute lightning delay before the game. Or perhaps it was the absence of star UA tight end Rob Gronkowski, but the Arizona football team played stout defense and executed well enough on offense to earn a 19-6 win against a scrappy Central Michigan team Saturday night at Arizona Stadium.
“We missed some scoring opportunities and that’s a little bit of Robbie (being out),” said UA head coach Mike Stoops. “He’s a big part of our red-zone offense and not having him tonight hurt a little bit.
“We’ve got to find ways to be more creative with some of our play calling to maybe get some more opportunities,” he added. “But Central Michigan played an excellent football game. Defensively I thought they really ran their (linebackers) through some holes and made it difficult for us to run some of our plays.”
Matt Scott started the game at quarterback for Arizona and showed flashes his play making ability, but for the most part, the sophomore was inconsistent at the helm of the UA offense. Scott finished the night 19-of-30 for 202 yards and added 83 yards on the ground on 9 carries, but he could have had a better night if he was more consistent with his accuracy.
Three times Scott overthrew a wide open Wildcat receiver, and on two of those occasions Arizona might have scored if the passes were on the money. But despite Scott’s up-and-down night, there were still positives in his performance.
“I thought I did OK. I made a couple mistakes, missed a couple receivers that were open,” Scott said. “I’m going to look at the film and come back and I’m going to make some changes. That’s not going to happen next game.”
Even with an erratic showing by Scott, Arizona’s offense did have some standout performances. Staring running back Nic Grigsby had 118 yards on 23 carries and the teams’ only touchdown, but it was sophomore Juron Criner who might have had the most productive night for the Wildcats. The Las Vegas native hauled in four balls for 54 yards, only behind Terrell Turner who caught six passes for 55 yards.
UA kicker Alex Zendejas, who struggled through fall camp, gained some much needed confidence as he connected on four out of five field goal attempts, with the four makes tying an Arizona record.
With the Wildcat offense sputtering throughout most of the game, the UA defense took that opportunity to show that it will be a tough group to move the ball against. Central Michigan didn’t record a first down until 1:09 remained before half time. In all, a spirited Wildcat defense limited the Chippewas to 182 offensive yards on the night. Highly touted CMU quarterback Dan LeFevour was held in check for most of the night as he finished the contest with 108 yards on 18-of-31 passing and added another 18 yards on the ground — his third-lowest total during his 40-game NCAA career.
Even with a solid showing from a statistical standpoint, the UA defense expects similar showings during the rest of the season.
“I felt like our guys were in position all night,” said Arizona defensive coordinator Mark Stoops. “They played extremely hard and I’m just proud of their overall effort.”
While Arizona started the season off on the right foot earning a win against a Central Michigan team with its fair share play makers, the Wildcats were far from satisfied with the 10-point win. They committed a slew of errors — one turnover and five penalties for 45 yards on the night — and had a tough time putting the Chippewas away. But Arizona will take a win anyway they come.
“The thing that I’m proud of is that two years ago this is a game that we probably would’ve lost,” said UA offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. “I think we would’ve found a way to lose the game in the past, but we found a way to win. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t necessarily the way we wanted to win, but we’ll take a win anytime.”
After five weeks of rigorous preparation, the Arizona football team can finally line up against players in different jerseys when the Wildcats take on Central Michigan Saturday night at 7 at Arizona Stadium.
Despite throttling a Mid-American Conference team last year — a 41-16 win against Toledo in the second week of the season — the Wildcats know this MAC team, although not well known on the West Coast, should prove to be a formidable foe.
“They’re very underrated and people tend to look past them, but we can’t do that. We’ve just got to go out there and treat them like we would treat anybody else,” said UA wide receiver Delashaun Dean. “It’s the first game of the year and everybody’s going to be anxious. We’ve just got to calm down and do what we do best.”
Arizona shouldn’t have much trouble taking Central Michigan seriously, especially considering the résumé of quarterback Dan LeFevour. Entering his fourth year as a starter, the dual-threat quarterback might pose problems for a relatively inexperienced Wildcat defense. During his sophomore season, LeFevour threw for more than 3,600 yards and ran for more than 1,100 yards, and UA defensive coordinator Mark Stoops knows his group will have its hands full trying to slow down the Chippewas’ senior signal caller.
“They’re good at what they do. They get the ball out of (LeFevour’s) hand quickly, a lot like our offense will do from time to time,” Stoops said. “They’ll get rid of it quick but then they’ll take their shots, so they stretch you in some different ways. It’ll be one of those games where you have to be on the money or else they’ll get yards and they’ll get first downs and they’ll get points.”
Thankfully for Arizona, the Central Michigan defense isn’t as good as its offense. Out of 119 Division I teams, the Chippewas ranked 89th in the nation in points allowed (30.2 points per game) and 104th in total defense (423.8 yards per game). Even with those less-than-stellar defensive stats, the UA offense isn’t taking the Chippewas’ defense lightly.
“We’re expecting a team to come out here with no fear. They’ve been to a bowl game the last few years in a row,” said UA running back Nic Grigsby. “They have experience, they have one of the top quarterbacks (in the country) and he’s going to lead the offense and keep them in the game. We just have to do our part on offense and pull away and help our defense out.”
But the most intriguing part of Saturday’s contest will be when the UA defense is on the field to see how it will try and contain LeFevour. Central Michigan averaged nearly 30 points per game last season, and the Chippewas were picked by national media to win the MAC this season. However, the Wildcats hope Central Michigan’s scoring average doesn’t start the year off with a bang.
“It’s a real good offense, I’ll give them credit,” said UA cornerback Devin Ross. “But we play in the (Pacific 10 Conference) and we see good offenses all the time. If we just come out and prepare good all week, then we’ll be prepared for Saturday.”
Arizona’s offense was in the hands of quarterback Willie Tuitama for the last four years. It was a comforting time for Wildcat football: Tuitama was a leader, dependable and, as his career grew, even matured into a winner.
The Wildcats haven’t had to worry about the starting quarterback position for quite some time, but they are now.
Since Tuitama’s final snap in the Las Vegas Bowl last December, there has been a well-publicized competition between sophomore Matt Scott and redshirt sophomore Nick Foles. And just days away from the season opener against Central Michigan, neither quarterback has separated himself enough to be named a starter.
“It’ll either be Nick or Matt, we’d like to see them both play,” said head coach Mike Stoops in an Aug. 31 press conference. “We’ll continue to evaluate that as we go through the season. Hopefully it works its way out, but right now there’s just not a guy that you can just say flat out beat the other guy.”
It was first believed that Scott was heir apparent until Foles showed coaches in the spring that he had every right to be considered for the starting job. The two duked it out throughout the spring and summer, entering fall camp in a dead heat. After a few weeks it appeared that Scott had taken a firm grasp of the job, and Stoops could finally justify naming him as the starter — that is, until he struggled in the team’s final scrimmage, while Foles shined.
No timetable has been set for naming quarterback, and there is no formula on how that will be decided. Until further notice, Foles and Scott will remain co-quarterbacks.
“That’s just an instinctive feel,” Stoops said when asked when he will rotate the two quarterbacks against Central Michigan in Arizona’s season opener. “Sometimes you just look at the players’ eyes and you get that feeling or you don’t get that feeling. You have to see if he’s not feeling it, maybe he’s intimidated by the situation, his body language isn’t what you want it to be — those are just instincts you have to base your decisions on.”
Scott committed to Arizona with the idea that he would replace Tuitama and spent the 2008 season as Tuitama’s understudy and backup. His arm may not ‘wow’ anyone and it has not been consistently accurate, but it’s Scott’s athleticism that brings a new dimension to the offense. He is one of the fastest players on the team and has already shown the ability to make plays with his feet to turn a broken play into a solid gain.
Foles, on the other hand, is a traditional pocket-passing quarterback. The 6-foot-5 signal caller from Austin, Texas, has the arm strength that every offensive coach covets. Foles transferred from Michigan State last off-season, limiting him to serving as the scout-team quarterback during practice. His athleticism is nowhere near Scott’s, but on the other hand, Scott’s arm is weaker than Foles’.
That could explain the difficulty in deciding who should start. In a way, the two are exact opposites.
“They’re both drastically different players,” Stoops said.
While the media surrounding the Wildcats has beaten the quarterback situation to death, the lack of a starter doesn’t seem to faze the team at all. In fact, they actually appear quite confident.
“The quarterback thing, I’m not worried about it,” said center Colin Baxter. “That’ll work itself out and the best guy will play.”
The player snapping the ball to the quarterback isn’t fretting about who is calling the signals and neither are the receivers.
“It doesn’t affect us at all, really,” said wide receiver William “Bug” Wright. “It doesn’t matter who’s back there, we still need to make plays.”
With the talent that Arizona has at its skill positions, it’s feasible that the offense could thrive without a “face of the team” quarterback.
The Wildcats have three running backs that are starter-quality, an H-back that can handle the ball like a receiver, five quality receivers and a tight end that is arguably the best in the nation. The talent on offense has given Stoops the opportunity to take his time naming a quarterback.
“You would have liked to (name a starter by the first game), but I don’t necessarily see (that as) a bad thing,” Stoops said. “Both players, I believe, have gotten better and better and better, and both of them are playing at a high level right now.”
The 2008 season was then-quarterback Willie Tuitama’s time to shine. He was the leader of the Pacific 10 Conference’s third-ranked passing offense, which averaged 244 yards per game and produced 24 touchdown passes on the year.
Arizona’s rushing attack could not keep up the pace — its rushing offense finished fifth in the conference with 158 yards per game and ball control issues plagued starting running back Nic Grigsby all season.
In 2009, Tuitama is gone and questions surround the quarterback position as two players with no starts under their belts vie for the starting role. Meanwhile, the Wildcats did not lose any of their running backs and even added to their depth with talented redshirt freshman Greg Nwoko.
“There’s really (three) guys who have done a good job this spring carrying the football,” said running backs coach Seth Littrell. “There will be one guy who everyone perceives as the starter and that’s OK. But when it’s all said and done, there’s probably going to be three starters out there on the field.”
Arizona’s preseason depth chart lists Littrell’s potential “three starters” as Grigsby, Nwoko and sophomore Keola Antolin.
After redshirting his freshman season, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Nwoko was impressive during fall camp with his power. That strength was evident in the team’s final scrimmage, when Nwoko ran over safety Robert Golden on one of his three carries. The freshman finished the night with a team-high 54 yards.
“Greg Nwoko continues to shine and show what a physical runner he can be,” head coach Mike Stoops said following the scrimmage. “We just need to keep giving him (repetitions) but I feel really good about our running back position.”
While Arizona appears to have its power running back, Antolin will look to fit into the Wildcats’ offensive scheme as part of their speed attack. At just 5-foot-8 and 186 pounds, the sophomore saw significant playing time in 2008, carrying the ball 117 times, and racking up 525 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Antolin’s biggest advantage comes from his small size and ability to sneak his way through holes en route to big gains. However, the sophomore admits that sometimes his size became detrimental last season.
“I’m trying to get bigger so I can last a little longer in the season,” Antolin said. “I felt I was running out of gas at the end (of last season) but I feel good now. Last year I was new to (the college game) so I didn’t really know what was going on, but now I feel more comfortable in myself.”
With a strong supporting staff, Arizona’s most seasoned all-around running back, Grigsby, is looking to distance himself from his reputation as a player who couldn’t hold on to the football in 2008. But despite a nagging fumbling problem, the now-junior still finished fifth in the conference in rushing with nearly 89 yards per game and 13 scores on the year.
For the Wildcats to be successful this season, however, Arizona will need a more mature and less fumble-prone running back to take pressure off the young quarterbacks during their growing pains.
Grigsby said he has focused on his ball-handing abilities this off-season and expects himself to be a better overall back this season.
“The ball hasn’t been on the ground all camp,” Gigsby said. “It’s a growing-up thing. You have to grow up every year and get better. But I’m ready and I just want to be a great team player and provide for my team anyway I can.”
Sun Devils hate Wildcats. Wildcats hate Sun Devils.
Knowing this, former UA women’s basketball player Apryl Garnett-Neal and her husband, former ASU men’s basketball player Lester Neal, have used the heated rivalry to raise money for underprivileged children.
Former athletes from each school have committed to play in the first annual Alumni Classic at 12 p.m. Saturday in downtown Phoenix’s US Airways Center.
“We’ve gotten a great response,” said Neal, who played for ASU from 1991-93. “When you tell people about what you’re doing — an alumni game between former athletes — there’s going to be a ‘wow’ factor.”
The event — which will raise money for the couple’s non-profit organization Neutral Zones of America, Inc. — will feature many former Arizona greats. Men’s basketball players Gilbert Arenas (1999-01) and Kenny Lofton (1985-88), along with football running back Trung Canidate (1995-99), will highlight the celebrity list.
ASU alumni attending the basketball game include current Boston Celtics guard Eddie House and Sacramento Kings forward Ike Diogu, the Alumni Classic Web site said.
Garnett-Neal said she expects 3,000 to 4,000 fans to attend but didn’t know the exact number of ticket sales when contacted Wednesday.
“I haven’t watched as closely as you think I would,” she said. “I sort of want to be surprised.”
Neutral Zones of America is an organization which works to keep low-income youth off the streets and in a safe environment. The name “Neutral Zones” comes from the couple not wanting “to have any gang affiliation or any type of situation that could bring harm to the kids,” Garnett-Neal said. “We want them to be in a neutral area, where a kid could be a kid and be empowered.”
Neal, who grew up in the South Side of Chicago, knows that even community centers can harvest gangs, drugs and violence. The goal, he said, is to eventually create a community center that youths can attend without the pressures of their rough neighborhoods.
“We had a community center (growing up) and that’s why my vision for Neutral Zones of America is so much different,” said Neal, who grew up without a father figure. “That’s not a knock on the boy’s clubs and the YMCAs because they do an awesome job, but I know often times in that particular environment, the community center itself is infested with gangs and drugs and violence.
“You have a lot of kids that want no part of that,” he added.” For a child to make that choice to not be involved in gangs and drugs … they have that right.”
Using their former-athlete statuses as an advantage, the idea for the rivalry game sprung up during a conversation in the couple’s home office.
Garnett-Neal, who played for the UA women’s basketball team only from 1991-93 because of injury, said their entrepreneurial idea was held off after the premature birth of the couple’s son almost two years ago.
But while she put the subject on the backburner, her husband — who she met after a 1993 Arizona vs. ASU men’s basketball game — was set on following through.
“I was like, ‘OK,’ and started waiting for it to progress and started talking to people,” she said. “The response was like, ‘OK, we really need to do this.’”
Now, the inaugural game is set with the hope of creating more similar events in Phoenix and Tucson.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students.
If sophomore receiver William “Bug” Wright was hoping to break away from the constant comparisons to the recently graduated Mike Thomas, head coach Mike Stoops certainly didn’t help when he announced that Bug Wright would be returning punts this season.
“It’ll be Bug Wright,” Stoops said in his press conference on Monday. “He’s great with the ball, he’s very quick, and he’s an exciting player. He’s very good.”
Thanks to a productive spring and an even better summer, Wright has asserted himself as one of the most versatile players on the roster. Returning punts just adds to the receiving and running responsibilities that come with his role as the starting slot receiver.
The more responsibilities the merrier.
“(Returning) is my bread and butter,” said Wright, who returned two punts last year for 58 yards. “I just have to use my speed and quickness, and play fast.”
Wright can’t escape the comparisons to Thomas, which might not be a bad thing.
Thomas, the Pac-10 Conference all-time leader in receptions, was a fourth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars last April and achieved success despite being shorter than most receivers. Wright, who stands just 5’9”, hears the same critiques that Thomas did, but his coaches believe he might be more athletic than the former Wildcat captain.
“I think he has the speed,” said special teams coach Jeff Hammerschmidt. “Mike might have been stronger, but I think Bug has something more. He has an extra gear just like Mike had and I think there’s things that Bug brings to the table more than Mike did.”
That is pretty high praise for a former high school quarterback entering his first full year as a receiver/returner.
Wright favorite to compliment Antolin on kick returns as well
You might also see Wright returning kicks this season alongside sophomore running back Keola Antolin. The backup running back is a lock as the No. 1 kick returner, and Wright is the leading candidate to be the No. 2.
While Wright is the favorite to get the job, coach Hammerschmidt has several other options should Wright need to focus on all of his other responsibilities.
“Bug is going to go back there and (return kicks alongside Antolin), but all of the guys want to return kicks,” Hammerschmidt said. “(Wide receiver) Terrell (Turner) is possibly going to do kick return and (running back) Nick Booth. We’ve got a list of guys.”
The Arizona football team has yet to announce a starting quarterback, but that doesn’t bother head coach Mike Stoops.
During Monday’s weekly press conference, Stoops said the coaching staff finished evaluating Saturday night’s scrimmage, but he isn’t ready to say who will lead the offense for the Wildcats’ first game of the year when they play Central Michigan on Sept. 5 at Arizona Stadium.
In Saturday night’s scrimmage, Stoops said redshirt sophomore Nick Foles played the best he has in his time at the UA. Despite getting more reps with the first-team players in recent weeks, Matt Scott hasn’t yet supplanted himself as the No. 1 option at quarterback.
But he might not have to.
“We’d be comfortable in saying that it’s very likely that we could see both quarterbacks in (the first game),” Stoops said. “When we decide on a starter we’ll let you know, but we’re still kind of evaluating the process. I guess what that tells you is that no one has separated themselves too far from the other.
“Each quarterback does some things better than the other, but ultimately we’re going to go with our feeling of who gives us the best opportunity to move the football and to score points against Central Michigan,” he added. “The ultimate decision is what’s best for our football team.”
Stoops said he wants to be fair in picking a starter and the best way to do that would be taking a look at each player in game action to get a better feel for how they will run the UA’s offense. And with both Scott and Foles playing solidly throughout the summer and fall, the position battle might not be over even after a starter is named.
“I think if you work hard enough and you earn the right to play then I believe that you deserve an opportunity. It’s no different than any other position,” Stoops said. “I believe that. Kids earn the right to play and there’s things that I’ve seen in both players to earn that right.”
Depth at O-line, linebacker a pleasant surprise
The Wildcats’ offensive line took a hit when Eben Britton decided to forego his senior year and enter the NFL Draft. However, this year’s group aims to make up for his loss in a big way.
A 6-foot-5, 320-pound way.
That’s where Mike Diaz comes into play.
Originally a guard, Diaz is making the switch to the outside of the line to protect the UA quarterbacks’ blind side. His move has allowed other players to make their way into the starting lineup.
Stoops said he was pleased with the versatility of Phillip Garcia. The 6-foot-7, 325-pounder has played well at both left guard and left tackle throughout the summer and fall. Junior Conan Amituanai has gotten reps at left guard due to Diaz’s move and sophomore Vaughn Dotsy is progressing well at the right guard spot, Stoops said.
The linebacker depth was also a question entering summer workouts, but Stoops said he expects them to be one of the better units on the team despite losing last year’s defensive leader, Ronnie Palmer.
Senior Sterling Lewis can play all three linebacker spots, Stoops said, and will likely start on the strong side. Senior Vuna Tuihalamaka is expected to start at middle linebacker and senior Xavier Kelley will start on the weak side.
But even if any of those players go down with an injury, Stoops said there are plenty of replacement options.
Junior college transfer C.J. Parish and freshmen Jake Fischer, R.J. Young, Cordarius Golston and Trevor Erno could be the linebackers of the future after the three seniors make way, but some have further to go than others.
“C.J. Parish still has a ways to go, but Jake (Fisher) and R.J. Young have done a good job,” Stoops said. “Trevor (Erno) and Golston and Fisher are three prototypical linebackers. … I feel like we hit three home runs with those guys. I think they can all be special players,” adding that Erno and Golston are likely to redshirt this season.
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