Bear Down Wildcats

http://www.arizonawildcats.com/ViewArti ... =209656897

http://pac-12.com/article/2014/09/16/pa ... ac12Social

Is the bye week really at the end of the season?

What a joke.

09/03 USTA(Thursday)
09/12 at Nevada
09/19 NAU
09/26 UCLA
10/03 at Stanford
10/10 Oregon State
10/17 at Colorado
10/24 Washington State
10/31 at Washington
11/07 at USC
11/14 Utah
11/21 at asu

Irish27 wrote:09/03 USTA(Thursday)
09/12 at Nevada
09/19 NAU
09/26 UCLA
10/03 at Stanford
10/10 Oregon State
10/17 at Colorado
10/24 Washington State
10/31 at Washington
11/07 at USC
11/14 Utah
11/21 at asu
11/28 bye week

joke of a schedule

That schedule is uninspiring.

12 straight games and no bye?

Home games of utsa, nau, ucla, Oregon state, Washington state and Utah. Boring.

Non-conference schedule is even worse than this year.

CalStateTempe wrote:Is the bye week really at the end of the season?

What a joke.

It kind of defeats the whole purpose of a bye week.

Uh, so if Arizona doesn't make a bowl out of that schedule, how is it even a bye week to begin with?

Sorry, but no. Feel very bad for the players and the people who have to market that slate next year, because we're going to be one banged-up crew by ASU.

The home schedule is atrocious. The highlights are ucla and um...Utah? Oregon St?

I'd like to have a crack at polishing this turd.

There isn't a tough stretch anywhere.
UCLA, @Stanford back to back as as bad as it gets for the 'Cats next season. Even that is coming off of NAU.

Sage&Silver wrote:I'd like to have a crack at polishing this turd.

There isn't a tough stretch anywhere.
UCLA, @Stanford back to back as as bad as it gets for the 'Cats next season. Even that is coming off of NAU.

I get a feeling next year could be big. We'll still be loaded on offense and it's a schedule where everything is winnable.

We could go undefeated and still not make the top 4 with this crap schedule, and we won't go undefeated because there is no bye week. I could see this realistically being a back yard brawl type meltdown for RichRod against ASU after that many games in a row.

How the hell is that even possible???

Late start means an entire bye week was cut out. This year we have 2 bytes. Next year all Pac 12 teams only get 1 bye.

Might be switching to single tickets next year.

How the fuck is it a "bye" week if it is AFTER all of our games have been played? The fuck is this? Fuck you Larry Scott!

As for the games themselves, it's one of the reasons I have always, and always will, hate unbalanced schedules. Have said it before, but I still think it's true: One of the few things the old pac10 had right was playing every other team in football, and playing every other team twice in basketball.

The good news is, that at least this far out, every game seems like it should be winnable at home, and I don't know about other fans, but when I go to a game I like to see us win Also, if we play our cards right, that seems like a good path to the pac12 champ game and ....beyond.

Worst schedule (not by the teams the Cats play but the timing and dates and no bye week) I have ever seen. Larry Scott should be ashamed of himself for letting this happen.

Irish27 wrote:Non-conference schedule is even worse than this year.

Guess they want to continue this:

UA has won 12-straight non-conference games dating back to the 2011 season, a new school record since UA first established conference affiliation in 1931 (Border Conference).

I'll look at our schedule against ASU's...after I drink some Red and Blue kool-aid.

09/03 USTA(Thursday) - USTA won't be as good next year as they are this year and we've seen this matchup. This really game really does nothing for us. On *Saturday* 9/5, ASU plays Texas A&M in Houston - a premier team from a premier conference. Even if they lose, as long as they play well and aren't killed, they come out ok.

09/12 at Nevada - Third time playing Nevada in 4 years. Cody Fajardo is gone, Nevada likely wont be as good either but still will be decent but we win going away. ASU plays Cal Poly...who knew they had a team.

09/19 NAU - They say these "in state" matchups are good for the state. It should be a snooze fest for us but we should be 3 and 0...again. ASU plays New Mexico and should win again. They will be 2-1.

09/26 UCLA - This will be the best home game of the year. Should be a sell out. UCLA probably loses Hundley who doesn't want to risk another injury and skips to the league. At this point in the season UCLA has played Virginia, @UNLV, and BYU. BYU will be a tough game and UCLA could lose that one. Either way, UA is coming off the easy NAU game should be positioned nicely to get a win at home against the banged-up Bruins. I'll take Arizona who will be 4 - 0. ASU hosts USC at home. Cody Kessler should be back for one more year. USC scholarship restrictions are over and depth won't be an issue this early in the season. ASU lose and go 2 - 2.

10/03 at Stanford - I might try to make the trip. I imagine it will be easy enough to get tickets. Hogan is gone after completing his Senior year. Stanford is coming off of games against USC and @Oregon State and might be looking past UA seeing that they play UCLA next (after a bye though). We will be a little banged up because we don't get the luxury of a bye and we get our first loss. Record: 4 -1. ASU is at UCLA and pulls it out. They are 3 - 2.

10/10 Oregon State - After coming off a loss, the fair weather Tucson fans won't show up for this one. OSU has beaten UA 12 out of the last 14 matchups including the last 3 in a row. At first I was thinking that I wouldn't want to make the trip for this game but I think I might have to because Arizona has a good chance to win it...and does. Record: 5 - 1. ASU hosts Colorado and wins. They are 4 - 2.

10/17 at Colorado - Arizona wins, but not by that much. The lack of a bye week is really taking its toll and it is cold as hell in Boulder. We are a shaky 6 - 1. ASU is at Utah...this is a toss-up as they are both coming off of relatively easy wins. Let's say ASU wins and is 5 - 2.

10/24 Washington State - This game screams "trap game." Arizona will be looking ahead to game at UW. Injuries have stacked up. WSU wins. Arizona is 6 - 2. ASU has a freakin' BYE. Who do you have to bl@w to get a bye these days?

10/31 at Washington - Peterson has his system in place but with mediocre recruits. Arizona had this one circled on the calendar since losing to Stanford. Arizona wins, is 7 - 2, and sets up nicely for a showdown with USC in LA. ASU hosts Oregon on Thursday. Marriota is in the NFL but Oregon figures out a way to make a name for the next 6'4" phenom with a 4.2 forty and can sling the ball like a mutha-effer. ASU shits the bed and is now 5 - 3.

11/07 at USC - It is now or never for Arizona. USC is strong but might struggle late in the season with depth issues...problem is that they are coming off easy wins at Utah and at home against Cal. It is also their homecoming game with Marcus Allen, Will Ferrell, and of course Matt Leinart on the sideline and creeping out the coeds. It is tough to predict this one but I am going to say that Arizona pulls it out because Anu and Nick Wilson (and most everyone else on the roster) will make it their personal mission to penalize USC for not recruiting them. Arizona is a phenomenal 8 - 2. ASU beats WSU in Pullamn and is 7 - 3.

11/14 Utah - I'm tired. Arizona wins. 9 - 2. ASU hosts Washington and gets the upset. 8 - 3.

11/21 at asu - ASU wants to get revenge after losing to Arizona in 2014. Arizona starts a new "streak" and wins. Arizona is 10 - 2 and will go to the Pac12 championship game. ASU is 8 - 4.

Will lose in the Pac12 championship game against Stanford or Oregon and will finish 10 - 3.

We will forget how crappy the home schedule was and renew our season tickets.

Homecoming 10/24 vs WSU?

I doubt it.. every homecoming in the last decade has been in November. Homecoming is probably Utah and family weekend is probably Washington state.

ASUHATER! wrote:I doubt it.. every homecoming in the last decade has been in November.

2010 and 2008 would disagree with you.

Not important. All but 2 have been in November for 10-15 years. It's been in mid November before so it'll probably be Utah since family weekend won't be that early in October.

ASUHATER! wrote:Not important. All but 2 have been in November for 10-15 years. It's been in mid November before so it'll probably be Utah since family weekend won't be that early in October.

It's OK to say you were wrong.

UALoco wrote: 09/12 at Nevada - Third time playing Nevada in 4 years. Cody Fajardo is gone, Nevada likely wont be as good either but still will be decent but we win going away. ASU plays Cal Poly...who knew they had a team.

Me?

I'll be at the CPSLO game Saturday.

In fact, I can see the stadium from my office.



UA played CPSLO last year in basketball.

UAEebs86 wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:Not important. All but 2 have been in November for 10-15 years. It's been in mid November before so it'll probably be Utah since family weekend won't be that early in October.

It's OK to say you were wrong.

Very slightly but it didn't matter anyway. Still mostly right.

UAEebs86 wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:Not important. All but 2 have been in November for 10-15 years. It's been in mid November before so it'll probably be Utah since family weekend won't be that early in October.

It's OK to say you were wrong.

asuhater is never wrong.

If I had to bet it would be the Utah game.

ASUHATER! wrote:I doubt it.. every homecoming in the last decade has been in November. Homecoming is probably Utah and family weekend is probably Washington state.

Homecoming will be the last home game of the year? I bet homecoming has been in October many more times than homecoming has been the last game of the year.

Merkin wrote:

UALoco wrote: 09/12 at Nevada - Third time playing Nevada in 4 years. Cody Fajardo is gone, Nevada likely wont be as good either but still will be decent but we win going away. ASU plays Cal Poly...who knew they had a team.

Me?

I'll be at the CPSLO game Saturday.

In fact, I can see the stadium from my office.

UA played CPSLO last year in basketball.

That's funny.

UAEebs86 wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:Not important. All but 2 have been in November for 10-15 years. It's been in mid November before so it'll probably be Utah since family weekend won't be that early in October.

It's OK to say you were wrong.

It would be more efficient and save him from carpal tunnel if he made it his signature.

But a good first step would be to acknowledge that being wrong, like pregnancy, is a binary condition. He instead chooses to embrace the "only a little wrong" concept - which is erroneous.

The only good thing is there is no Oregon on the schedule.

Bye week at the end? Wtf? That does shit for player safety/health. Fuck that. The need to fight that shit. Are we the first team to have that happen? Are we the only team to have that next year?

It's not uncommon. A few years ago UCLA had their bye in week 1. Just win the south and you get an extra week to prepare for the PAC-12 title game

MrBug708 wrote:It's not uncommon. A few years ago UCLA had their bye in week 1. Just win the south and you get an extra week to prepare for the PAC-12 title game

Bug! Where the hell have you been? 114 posts, and this is the first I've seen!

MrBug708 wrote:It's not uncommon. A few years ago UCLA had their bye in week 1. Just win the south and you get an extra week to prepare for the PAC-12 title game

Not the same thing. Almost never happens where it's 12 straight then a bye.

Here's another downside (I would think) - I would assume that RR and staff will be on the road this Friday night looking at prospects. I assume they don't do that on a normal Friday night during the season as they are busy doing game prep.

By the time 11/27 comes around, many prospects' seasons will be over. We'll get that first Friday after UTSA to recruit, but that's it.

Maybe I'm incorrect in assuming how the coaches use their time in-season....but seems like it would be a definite disadvantage (on top of the other disadvantages).

Thinking ahead to next year.....while the lack of a bye sucks, I was thinking, there's something interesting about our opponents next year & the QB position:

UTSA - Carter (SR), gone
Nevada - Fajardo (SR), gone
NAU - dunno, irrelevant
UCLA - Hundley (JR), gone
Stanford - Hogan (JR), may be gone
ntOSU - Mannion (SR), gone
Rado - Leifau (SO), back
Wazzu - Falk (FR), back
UW - Miles (SO), back
USC - Kessler (JR), may be gone
Utah - Wilson/Thompson (JR) , back (one assumes)
ASU - Bercovici (JR), back

Now, obviously, we started a young unproven QB this year and it worked out great for us, but traditionally teams with young & unproven QB's struggle. Additionally, while I think Leifau could end up being a good QB and Bercovici has some talent, none of the returning guys really scare me.

Definitely makes this schedule look more manageable IMO.....and sets up well for Anu to get some all-conference accolades if he continues to improve.

azthrillhouse wrote:Thinking ahead to next year.....while the lack of a bye sucks, I was thinking, there's something interesting about our opponents next year & the QB position:

UTSA - Carter (SR), gone
Nevada - Fajardo (SR), gone
NAU - dunno, irrelevant
UCLA - Hundley (JR), gone
Stanford - Hogan (JR), may be gone
ntOSU - Mannion (SR), gone
Rado - Leifau (SO), back
Wazzu - Falk (FR), back
UW - Miles (SO), back
USC - Kessler (JR), may be gone
Utah - Wilson/Thompson (JR) , back (one assumes)
ASU - Bercovici (JR), back

Now, obviously, we started a young unproven QB this year and it worked out great for us, but traditionally teams with young & unproven QB's struggle. Additionally, while I think Leifau could end up being a good QB and Bercovici has some talent, none of the returning guys really scare me.

Definitely makes this schedule look more manageable IMO.....and sets up well for Anu to get some all-conference accolades if he continues to improve.

UCLA returns so much talent on both sides of the ball, plus brings in a 5 star QB (#1 player in the country according to Rivals), I actually think they are better next year and will be clear cut favorites to win the Pac 12.

USC will be the most talented team in the conference, as usual. Question is, how much will Sark f things up, and how much does the lack of depth hurt again next season? I think they are a 9 or 10 win team next year.

Regardless, I find it hard to imagine a team from the South doesn't win the conference next season.

I think Hogan and Kessler will come back. Not really sure where Hogan would go anyway.

Scummy Dick Douglas wrote:

azthrillhouse wrote:Thinking ahead to next year.....while the lack of a bye sucks, I was thinking, there's something interesting about our opponents next year & the QB position:

UTSA - Carter (SR), gone
Nevada - Fajardo (SR), gone
NAU - dunno, irrelevant
UCLA - Hundley (JR), gone
Stanford - Hogan (JR), may be gone
ntOSU - Mannion (SR), gone
Rado - Leifau (SO), back
Wazzu - Falk (FR), back
UW - Miles (SO), back
USC - Kessler (JR), may be gone
Utah - Wilson/Thompson (JR) , back (one assumes)
ASU - Bercovici (JR), back

Now, obviously, we started a young unproven QB this year and it worked out great for us, but traditionally teams with young & unproven QB's struggle. Additionally, while I think Leifau could end up being a good QB and Bercovici has some talent, none of the returning guys really scare me.

Definitely makes this schedule look more manageable IMO.....and sets up well for Anu to get some all-conference accolades if he continues to improve.

UCLA returns so much talent on both sides of the ball, plus brings in a 5 star QB (#1 player in the country according to Rivals), I actually think they are better next year and will be clear cut favorites to win the Pac 12.

USC will be the most talented team in the conference, as usual. Question is, how much will Sark f things up, and how much does the lack of depth hurt again next season? I think they are a 9 or 10 win team next year.

Regardless, I find it hard to imagine a team from the South doesn't win the conference next season.

When doesn't Ucla and SC have the most talent? Ucla struggles with it's OL like it has almost every season for the last 5 years or so and it won't matter who the QB is. Agree in regards to Sark and it will be interesting to see how things shake out for SC next season.

I can see us going 9-3 with that schedule! Knowing we didn't play the best this year. Yes we won 2 we shouldn't have but we lost a few we could've won. I think we will be in conversation for another south crown!

Scummy Dick Douglas wrote: UCLA returns so much talent on both sides of the ball, plus brings in a 5 star QB (#1 player in the country according to Rivals), I actually think they are better next year and will be clear cut favorites to win the Pac 12.

Even the second coming of Troy Aikman is likely to have a hard time winning on the road in his first conference game. I like our chances head to head in that game, and God knows we owe them.

Scummy Dick Douglas wrote: USC will be the most talented team in the conference, as usual. Question is, how much will Sark f things up, and how much does the lack of depth hurt again next season? I think they are a 9 or 10 win team next year.

I agree & I see them as the biggest obstacle, which is why I'm hoping Kessler goes pro.

Scummy Dick Douglas wrote:Regardless, I find it hard to imagine a team from the South doesn't win the conference next season.

You may be right, as Oregon should take a step back w/o Mariota.

Chicat wrote:I think Hogan and Kessler will come back. Not really sure where Hogan would go anyway.

We'll see if Kessler thinks that the examples set by Leinart and Barkley will cause him to roll the dice the other direction. Hogan....yeah, I don't get it, but apparently he's thinking about going pro. On one ranking I saw, he and Wilson from Utah are both thought of as better pro prospects than Kessler. I guess being tall is more important in the NFL than, like, being able to complete a pass.

3goggles wrote:I can see us going 9-3 with that schedule! Knowing we didn't play the best this year. Yes we won 2 we shouldn't have but we lost a few we could've won. I think we will be in conversation for another south crown!

As long as we stay healthy (big question given some lack of depth in some areas and our lack of bye) my hopes/expectations are actually a little higher than 9-3.

azthrillhouse wrote:

Chicat wrote:I think Hogan and Kessler will come back. Not really sure where Hogan would go anyway.

We'll see if Kessler thinks that the examples set by Leinart and Barkley will cause him to roll the dice the other direction. Hogan....yeah, I don't get it, but apparently he's thinking about going pro. On one ranking I saw, he and Wilson from Utah are both thought of as better pro prospects than Kessler. I guess being tall is more important in the NFL than, like, being able to complete a pass.

Wilson?? When I saw that kid running up and down the sideline shirtless in a 35 degree rainstorm, I knew we were going to win. He just didn't strike me as the . . . . cerebral type.

all I know is that ucla will be a top 5-10 team preseason and Arizona, asu and usc will be in the 10-20 range and Utah might be ranked preseason. South might even be tougher next year.

I think you have USC and UCLA mixed up in your last post. I think with Hundley going pro, we'll get dinged slightly and be in the teens, especially after the faceplant this year. But UCLA only loses Hundley, Kendricks, and Owa. Based on Rosen, I'm not sure we'll lose much out of the pocket, though we obviously lose the running game aspect.

Ucla will be nearly top 5 since you're returning like 18 starters

Chicat wrote:

azthrillhouse wrote:

Chicat wrote:I think Hogan and Kessler will come back. Not really sure where Hogan would go anyway.

We'll see if Kessler thinks that the examples set by Leinart and Barkley will cause him to roll the dice the other direction. Hogan....yeah, I don't get it, but apparently he's thinking about going pro. On one ranking I saw, he and Wilson from Utah are both thought of as better pro prospects than Kessler. I guess being tall is more important in the NFL than, like, being able to complete a pass.

Wilson?? When I saw that kid running up and down the sideline shirtless in a 35 degree rainstorm, I knew we were going to win. He just didn't strike me as the . . . . cerebral type.

I had that reaction when he (with serious head injury history) went airborne head-first to get a 2 yd gain vs. Michigan.....

I think Kessler would go. But it appears that Solomon, bercovici and liufau could be the best returning qbs next year.