Arizona Wildcats 6-2 Overall (4-1 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Arizona 48 – Washington State 7

Next Week’s Opponent: @Cal

Assuming Arizona had decided to look ahead to Cal so much that they forgot who they were playing this week, it still wouldn’t have affected the outcome of the game against Washington State.

That said, credit to the Wildcats for coming out strong and handling their business.

Travis Cobb got the laugher started off right with a 95-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.

Nick Foles‘ day (12/19, 136 yards, 1 TD) was done just over a minute into the second quarter when the Wildcats took a 31-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Nick Booth. At that point, Matt Scott took over, and Arizona closed the playbook and hid it away for another day. From that point forward, the ‘Cats only threw the ball five times.

Matt Scott led the way with 91 yards, and Nick Booth, Keola Antolin, and Taimi Tutogi all had over 10 carries on the day and ran for a touchdown each. Arizona ran the ball 54 times, and controlled the clock with an incredible 41:19 time of possession. William “Bug” Wright tacked on an 86-yard punt return for a TD in the third quarter.

The defense had a fantastic day, but much like the offense, that shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anyone.

No more softies; Arizona faces a brutal stretch including the three pre-season conference favorites (@Cal, Ore, @USC), and of course a hated rival @ASU that would love to spoil the party and catch the Wildcats looking behind or forward inbetween the Oregon and USC games.

Just how good are the Wildcats? We are about to find out.

Arizona Wildcats (2-1) vs. Oregon State Beavers (2-1)
Saturday, September 26, 4:35 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Oregon State -3.0

Sam’s Take (20 – 7):

Both the Wildcats and Beavers are coming off of disappointing non-conference losses, and now the two schools will look to regain some momentum by starting the Pac-10 season with a win.

Arizona is making a quarterback switch this week in order to generate some much-needed production in the passing game. With Nick Foles taking over, Sonny Dykes should be able to run the same type of offense that Willie Tuitama thrived in.

Foles is certainly no Willie-T yet, but the UA coaches are confident that his big arm will allow the talented receivers to make some more plays. I think it is critical that Foles gets into a rhythm early because the OSU defense has been stout against the run (17th nationally) and it won’t be easy for Nic Grigsby to run wild.

Oregon State’s offensive game plan has been fairly easy to diagnose lately; get the ball to the Rodgers Brothers early and often. I expect more of the same this week, and it should be interesting to see how Jacquizz and James perform against a speedy UA defense. I believe Mark Stoops D will try everything possible to put the game in QB Sean Canfield’s hands, especially given the cover skills of the UA secondary.

I have gone back and fourth with this pick, and I think home-field advantage may be the difference. I’m going with the hometown Beavers in a tightly contested game that comes down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Oregon State 24 – Arizona 21

Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: WR Delashaun Dean – Dean is a huge part of this offense, but he has struggled so far in 2009. Maybe the QB switch will get him going.

Oregon StatePlayer to Keep an Eye On: WR Darrell Catchings – He is getting healthy and could be the key playmaker besides the Rodgers brothers on Saturday.

Dave’s Take (20 – 7):

Both Arizona and Oregon State come into this game hoping to start off conference play 1-0 and avoid a two-game losing streak.

After a dreadfully bad performance in Iowa, Matt Scott has lost the starting job to Nick Foles. The Wildcats hope that this move will spark the passing game; I believe that it will, and it may be as soon as this week. The Beavers’ passing defense has not been strong this year, and if they continue to have trouble pass rushing, a pure passer like Foles could have a big day.

Defensively, the Wildcats will have to find a way to stop the Rodgers brothers. While it is never an easy task, I think Arizona’s defense might match up well here; they are a small but speedy unit, and Oregon State’s offense relies on a lot of speed.

I’d like to take the Beavers here; the idea of taking a quarterback making his first start in a hostile environment like Corvallis is crazy to me. But I’ve got this feeling that Nick Foles is going to provide the Wildcats’ offense with the spark it needs, which would also open up Nic Grigsby even more. I just haven’t seen enough in the line play and offense of Oregon State to pick them.

If the Beavers are going to win this football game, they not only need better play on both lines, but they also need to start stretching the field with some long throws, something we haven’t seen them do this season. Something tells me Arizona surprises a lot of people with a road win here.

Prediction: Arizona 24 – Oregon State 20

Arizona Wildcats 2-1 Overall (0-0 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Iowa 27 – Arizona 17

Next Week’s Opponent: @Oregon State

With the exception of USC, no Pac-10 team had a rougher week than the Arizona Wildcats. Early reports in the week were indicating that Rob Gronkowski could potentially be ready to return for the Iowa game. And then news came that he would miss the Iowa game. Not long afterward, he was shut down for the entire season.

As if losing the superstar and heart and soul of the offense wasn’t heartbreaking enough, Matt Scott’s abysmal effort certainly was. Plenty of credit is due to Iowa’s defense; and they do have a great one. But as bad as the 4/14, 50 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT line looks on paper, it doesn’t even do justice to how flustered and uncomfortable Scott looked through the first three quarters.

Matt Scott won the hotly-contested job right before the season began, and it was his to lose; and he lost it. Now the Wildcats will turn to Nick Foles, and there is little room for error; if Foles struggles in the role as well, Arizona will be in for an extremely long season.

On the bright side, Foles did play well in his limited time on Saturday, going 6/11 for 55 yards and a touchdown, the team’s only offensive TD of the day. It was in the closing minutes of a game Iowa already had locked down, but hey, positive is positive.

And while we are looking at the positives, look no further than Nic Grigsby, who has established himself as a star running back in an offense usually focused on passing. Grigsby had a respectable 75 yards on 11 carries (against a defense that was heavily defending the run thanks to Scott’s poor play), and also led the team in catches with three for 14 yards. Before Foles’ game ending touchdown drive, Grigsby was virtually the only player on offense that wasn’t invisible out there.

With Nick Foles taking over as the starter, it will be up to the wide receivers to step up their games. Not that they had much of a chance to make plays on Saturday, but Gronkowski’s absence is painfully apparent on every passing play, and someone is going to have to step up and give Foles a target he can rely on.

All-in-all, I think the defense played well, and simply tired out in the 4th quarter. They were on the field for most of the game, after all. The defensive line did a pretty good job disrupting Ricky Stanzi (especially in the first half), and CB Trevin Wade was a force all game long, capped off by a Pick-6 in the first quarter.

If Nick Foles can get the passing game on track, it would keep defenses honest, and in turn make Nic Grigsby even more of a threat. If he can’t, the Wildcats will have to keep leaning hard on the defense and running game, which isn’t exactly what they are built to do. This week’s matchup against Oregon State will let us know in a hurry whether Foles is ready to handle the heat.

Coach Mike Stoops says that Matt Scott will also play this Saturday, leaving little doubt that all eyes will be on the QB position.

Arizona Wildcats (2-0) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0)
Saturday, September 19, 12:35 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Iowa -4.0

Sam’s Take (14 – 4):

This will be a great measuring stick for Mike Stoops and the Wildcats, as they head to a very hostile Kinnick Stadium to play the Iowa Hawkeyes. I foresee a low-scoring game between these two teams, as both Arizona and Iowa play sound defense and will look to run the football on offense.

For Arizona, it all starts with RB Nic Grigsby, who has been spectacular through the first two games (2nd in nation with 325 rushing yards, 3 TDs). Grigsby and backup Keola Antolin have become the focal point of Sonny Dykes’ normally pass-happy offense, but that is to be expected while QB Matt Scott continues to progress as a passer.

This may be the game that we find out if Scott is ready for primetime. Unfortunately for the ‘Cats signal caller, a major piece of the offense will not be back this week as TE Rob Gronkowski will miss yet another game. Gronk has been out since the start of the season, and it looked like he was on track to play Saturday, but his back problems seem to be lingering.

Sonny Dykes must be creative with his other offensive options, as Arizona is facing arguably the best defense in the Big Ten. Iowa may have struggled a bit in the opening win over Northern Iowa, but the Haweyes D will certainly present a lot of problems for UA.

Mark Stoops Wildcats defense will also be a handful for Iowa, and I look for a very talented UA secondary to make things extremely difficult for QB Ricky Stanzi. The key for Iowa’s offense will be whether or not they can establish a running game.

In the end I think Nic Grigsby will be the biggest difference maker on the field Saturday, and his stellar play combined with another strong defensive performance by UA should be just enough to secure the win.

Prediction: Arizona 24 – Iowa 20

Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: CB Trevin Wade - He is starting to emerge as a big-play cornerback who can intercept anything in his area, and I look for him to make an impact this week.

Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: RBs Brandon Wegher and Adam Robinson - The loss of projected starter Jewel Hampton (out for season with knee injury) opened the door for Wegher and Robinson to emerge, and so far, they have not disappointed. I expect both to see significant time and they will be two major offensive keys this Saturday.

Dave’s Take (14 – 4):

An extremely ugly win that should have been a loss to Northern Iowa in the season opener has dropped the Hawkeyes out of the national spotlight; but this team is still very strong, and even if the general public is willing to ignore this, I’m not.

Equipped with a solid defensive line and one of the best linebacking cores in the country, I believe Iowa will be prepared to slow down Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin and force Matt Scott to make some big plays to beat them. Is he ready for it?

I’m not sure that he is. Scott hasn’t played poorly in his first two games, but he hasn’t faced a defense nearly as strong as Iowa’s, and he hasn’t taken his game on the road yet, either.

On defense, Arizona showed us plenty in shutting down Central Michigan, and while they weren’t at the top of their game in giving up 17 points to Northern Arizona, I chalk that up to not taking that game all too seriously. Iowa has a decent attack led by QB Ricky Stanzi, but I’m not too worried about the Wildcats’ athletic defense.

I think this one will be a good smash-mouth football game, and yards should be difficult to come by. If Rob Gronkowski had returned for this one and given Matt Scott that safety net, I may have taken the Wildcats, but in a game that will likely come down to who makes less mistakes, I have to take the more experienced quarterback at home to eek out the win.

Prediction: Iowa 17 – Arizona 13

Arizona Wildcats 2-0 Overall (0-0 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Arizona 34 – Northern Arizona 17

Next Week’s Opponent: @Iowa

The Wildcats were not overly impressive in their win over Northern Arizona but it was a workmanlike effort that resulted in a comfortable victory. What amazes me about this team right now is that Sonny Dykes has kept the offense pretty basic to this point and yet the unit still managed to finish with 559 yards of total offense against NAU.

Nic Grigsby had a career high 207 yards rushing, including a 94 yards scramble that was the second longest run in school history. UA finished with an impressive 365 yards on the ground, and if the ‘Cats can continue to get that kind of production it should take the pressure off of Matt Scott and allow for the passing game to get going. Scott had a decent day against the Lumberjacks, finishing 14/20 for 150 yards 1 TD, 1 INT. Nick Foles made his 2009 debut, showing off an impressive arm and finishing with a solid performance (6/8 44 yards 1 TD), but the coaching staff has made it clear that Scott is still the starter.

Defensively, I think CB Trevin Wade is going to make life miserable for Pac-10 teams this year. The ‘Cats secondary is good overall, but Wade seems to be able intercept anything in his area (finished with two picks vs. NAU).

DC Mark Stoops was not happy with the defensive intensity in the game (allowed 17 points and two TD passes), but I think that was a result of playing an inferior opponent.

Now Arizona will make the trip to Iowa City to play the Iowa Hawkeyes. I have not been impressed with Iowa through two games, but UA must still be ready for a battle. Word around Tucson is that TE Rob Gronkowski may be available. If that’s true, it will be a huge boost for the offense and should make it much easier for Scott to navigate the stingy Iowa defense.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0-0) vs. Arizona Wildcats (1-0)
Saturday, September 12, 7:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -30.0

Sam’s Take (8 – 1):

This should be nothing more than a tune-up game for Arizona as the ‘Cats get ready to face Iowa at Kinnick Stadium next week. UA is certainly familiar with Northern Arizona, as the AZ Board of Regents requires that UA and ASU rotate playing the Lumberjacks every season.

I believe this will be our best chance to see QBs Matt Scott and Nick Foles both play. Sure Scott has been named the full-time starter, but Foles has a big enough arm to re-enter the discussion for the starting role if Scott struggles with his passing. Offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes may elect to keep things pretty conservative before opening up the book in Iowa City, but the passing offense still needs to prove that it can function even when TE Rob Gronkowski is out of the lineup.

Fortunately, there are no questions on defense, especially after an impressive performance last week against a very capable Central Michigan offense.

Look for UA to make quick work of the Lumberjacks.

Prediction: Arizona 42 – Northern Arizona 10

Northern Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: QB Michael Herrick - The former Ole Miss Rebel has nailed down the starting job and he will need to be great for NAU to come away with a respectable performance.

Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: WR Delashaun Dean - He only had two catches last week and I would like to see more production against NAU before the road game against the Hawkeyes.

Dave’s Take (8 – 1):

The defense proved it was good and ready for the season with a convincing shutdown effort over Central Michigan last week, and now it will be the offense’s turn to work out some of the kinks.

Both quarterbacks Matt Scott and Nick Foles should get plenty of throws in this one; Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin are good to go, as is the defense. The only question mark heading into the tougher games of the season as of right now is the quarterback play; and while we likely won’t learn anything this Saturday, a little confidence can go a long way for a young quarterback.

Expect another fine defensive effort even after the reserves step in, and look for the offense to spend time working on that passing game.

Prediction: Arizona 45 – Northern Arizona 9

Arizona Wildcats 1-0 Overall (0-0 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Arizona 19 – Central Michigan 6

Next Week’s Opponent: Northern Arizona

Sam’s Take:

The Wildcats were tremendous defensively, limiting a very talented Central Michigan offense to six points and 182 yards of total offense. I am especially impressed with how easily UA handled the dangerous Dan LeFevour (18/31 108 yards 0 TDs 1 INT), as he never looked comfortable against the speed of Mark Stoops unit.

As for the ‘Cats offense, there are still plenty of corrections that need to be made but dual-threat quarterback Matt Scott made a solid debut overall (19-30 202 yards 1 INT, 83 yards rushing). The biggest surprise was the coaching staff electing to stay with Scott for the entire game instead of rotating two QBs as originally planed (Mike Stoops has expressed some regret for not getting Nick Foles some time).

Nonetheless, the running game looked sharp led by Nic Grigsby (118 yards 1 TD) and I thought the UA O-line wore down a good CMU defense by the fourth quarter.

Now Arizona will need a successful tune-up game (NAU) before the trip to Kinnick Stadium.

Dave’s Take:

To the untrained eye, Arizona’s defense giving up only one touchdown and 182 total yards to Central Michigan might just look like dominating another early-season cupcake. But CMU is no cupcake, and that passing game is very strong; shutting it down completely, as well as containing Dan LeFevour on his feet, was very impressive.

QB Matt Scott had a nice game and showed off his explosiveness on the ground, though would have loved to see him get a passing TD or two. Surprised we didn’t see Nick Foles, but I wouldn’t mind if Stoops just stuck with Scott and gave him a vote of confidence.

Running with Matt Scott and letting him know that it is his spot and he isn’t one misstep away from losing it would allow him to get more comfortable in the role and just go out there and play his game. I’ve never been a fan of juggling quarterbacks; the QB has enough to worry about in opposing teams without also having to constantly look over their shoulder for their teammate.

Central Michigan Chippewas (0-0) vs. Arizona Wildcats (0-0)
Saturday, September 5, 6:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -13.5

Sam’s Take (0 – 0):

Word of warning to Wildcat fans… don’t sleep on the Chippewas. Central Michigan is a very good offensive football team that ranked 12th nationally in passing offense last season and features one of the best quarterbacks in the country in dual-threat senior Dan LeFevour.

While UA is the better overall team, this is a game that could be uncomfortably close for the ‘Cats if they don’t execute. QB’s Matt Scott and Nick Foles will continue to battle it out for the starting job on Saturday, and it is important that the rhythm of the offense is not negatively affected by the rotation. I am most excited to see the battle between a stingy UA defense and CMU’s seasoned spread attack that LeFevour runs so well.

Ultimately, I believe the superior UA defensive backs will be too much for the Chippewas receivers, and the explosive running combo of Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin will take the pressure off of Scott and Foles.

I don’t foresee a blowout at the Old Pueblo, but the ‘Cats should start the season with a solid win against a good non-conference opponent.

Prediction: Arizona 38 – Central Michigan 24

Central Michigan Player to Keep an Eye On: WR Antonio Brown - Besides LeFevour, Brown is probably the best player on the team. He is a phenomenal overall playmaker, possessing elite speed and great open field skills. He will be used as a receiver and on kick and punt returns, so UA must account for him at all times.

Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: QBs Matt Scott and Nick Foles - Until someone wins the starting job I will probably highlight these two every week. It is very important that a number one emerges before the Iowa road trip because the passing offense will need to be sharp for UA to have a shot against the Hawkeyes.

Dave’s Take (0 – 0):

Seven of the teams in the Pac-10 enter Saturday’s action as double-digit Las Vegas favorites, and no underdog scares me more this week than the Central Michigan Chippewas.

This game should be a great test for the Arizona defense. Few quarterbacks Arizona faces this season will be as dangerous as dual-threat Dan LeFevour. LeFevour single-handedly keeps defenses honest with both his scrambling and passing ability, punishing the opposition if they cheat one way or the other.

Another interesting matchup for the Wildcats will be WR Bryan Anderson. At 6-5, 201 pounds, Anderson will force Arizona to get creative in figuring out how to cover him. WR Antonio Brown doesn’t have Anderson’s size, but he does have an excellent skill set and gives Arizona yet another thing to worry about.

Offensively, I’m not too worried, as I think Arizona will control the line and have a good day on the ground, which should make life easier for Matt Scott and Nick Foles under center. But if this game ends up turning into a shootout, I’d be nervous putting either QB up against a seasoned veteran leader like LeFevour.

In the end, I think Arizona’s defense gets the job done, and the Wildcats pick up the win. But how convincing of a win it ends up being will tell us a lot about this team; assuming, of course, that it IS a win.

Prediction: Arizona 31 – Central Michigan 21

The slight favorite for the job as of spring is true sophomore Matt Scott. A 6-3 190 pound product out of high-school football power Corona Centineal (CA), Scott is a threat to opposing defenses in multiple ways. His current edge on the starting job can likely be attributed to his speed and quickness. Scott is a very elusive runner, and has the awareness to know when it’s the right time to take off.

Matt Scott shows off his quick feet

Scott appeared in limited action for the Wildcats last season but managed to lead the team with 8.2 yards per carry. Considering the Cats had 1,000 yard runner Nic Grigsby and shifty backup RB Keola Antoli, Scott’s rushing average was very impressive and could be featured as an integral part of the offense this season.

In fact, Sonny Dykes routinely called for naked bootlegs and designed rollouts when Scott entered games last season, possibly giving the Pac-10 a preview of the 2009 Arizona offense. He totaled 188 yards and two TDs rushing as a freshman, and added 84 yards and another two TDs through the air.

The key for Scott will be his production as a passer. No one expects Tuitama-like numbers, but he must be able to keep the defense from cheating at the line. With the league’s best tight end by a mile in Rob Grownkowski, Scott has a big target to rely on.

Head coach Mike Stoops has put some great offensive pieces in place with his recruiting, and Scott will have a talented supporting cast around him as he transitions into being the potential starter. If everything comes together, there could be a three-headed rushing monster in the Old Pueblo with Grigsby, Antolin and Scott each capable of taking it to the house.

If the dual-threat offense doesn’t pan out for Scott and Arizona, the Wildcats could rely on a QB built more like Tuitama. Sophomore Nick Foles decided to transfer to Arizona after playing football in the Big Ten for a year with Michigan State.

The 6-5 235 pound Austin, Texas native is a traditional drop-back passer, perfectly equipped to run the same offense Tuitama manned last season. He spent last season with Arizona’s scout team, earning the acclaim of coaching staff and teammates alike for his ability to emulate opposing QB’s throughout the year.

During his time with the Spartans in 2007, he went 5-for-8 passing for 57 yards. Foles enjoyed a productive spring and is trailing Scott by a very slim margin heading into fall camp.

The dark horse for playing time in Tucson is sophomore Bryson Beirne. The 6-3 225 pound Hawaiian is a system-smart quarterback who played sparingly in 2008. Beirne has a strong arm and good footwork, but will be the clear No. 3 heading into the season.

My Take

I’ve followed a number of Pac-10 players on the last few Corona-Centenial teams, and Matt Scott is an athlete. If he wasn’t a QB, he’d still be one of Arizona’s 11 best offensive players and could find a place somewhere else on the field. He is no Willie Tuitama when it comes to arm strength or accuracy, but all he has to do is be a serviceable passer for the Cats to have another explosive offense.

If the offensive line is decent, I think Scott could make the Arizona running attack better than ever. Foles is a solid QB, and has a better arm than Scott, which could keep him in the hunt for the starting job. The bottom line; I believe Sonny Dykes is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and he will find a way to make either Scott or Foles work in his offense.