No Bye Week

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 5:17 pm

Bleacher Reports position by position breakdown. Pretty good report except for giving Cayleb Jones credit for the Hill Mary.

Coming off their best season in more than 15 years, the Arizona Wildcats have moved from a team that had for so long seemed to be on the cusp of success to one that's hoping to maintain it. In order for that to be the case, the Wildcats need strong efforts from all over the field, not just a select few positions.

The 2014 Wildcats won 10 games, claiming the Pac-12's South Division title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. It was Arizona's first 10-win season since 1998.

Arizona returns 12 starters from that team, including many of the top contributors from a year ago. Some starting jobs are still up for grabs heading into preseason training camp, with incoming freshmen in the mix to contribute in a few places, but for the most part, the Wildcats already know what they'll have to work with this fall.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:10 am

Good Berk article on the football strength and conditioning program from the Star.

“I really believe we are the best-conditioned team in the country,” safety Will Parks said. “Those guys prepare us like we’re running track. You’re going to have a couple of guys who make it hard for everybody, but as long as you make it through and get through all their workouts in the summer, you feel like anything is possible as a team.

(From strength coach Parker Whiteman) - “The speed and agility workout, what it consists of is about a 20-minute speed warmup where we break down their speed form and slowly build them back up and work on any bad habits they’ve developed. And then we’re going to two to three stations of speed work and two to three stations of agility work. Something that kinda separates us apart from other strength staffs across the country, and this is something ‘Coach Rod’ has really pushed, it’s position- specific agilities. Our entire goal is to take everything we do in the weight room and transfer it out there on the field to make it them a better football player.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:49 am

Arizonasports.com with a breakdown of what each magazine is saying about Arizona.

Athlon Sports
Pac-12 South Predicted Finish: 4th

National Ranking: 30th

Bowl Projection: Sun Bowl vs. Georgia Tech

First Team All-Pac-12: Cayleb Jones (WR), Scooby Wright (LB)

Second Team All-Pac-12: Nick Wilson (RB), Will Parks (S), Drew Riggleman (P)

Miscellaneous:

• Arizona's WR group ranked second in Pac-12; QB group ranked third, running back group ranked fourth.

• Running back Nick WIilson (20) and QB Anu Solomon (25) listed in second tier of Heisman Trophy contenders.

Synopsis: Arizona has won 26 games in Rodriguez's first three seasons, the most of any three-year period in school history. "I'm not saying we're ahead of expectations," says Rodriguez, "because we need to get deeper and tougher." This is Rodriguez's top group at Arizona, but it must play 12 weeks in succession without a bye.

Lindy's
Pac-12 South Predicted Finish: 3rd

National Ranking: 19th

First Team All-Pac-12: Cayleb Jones (WR), Scooby Wright (LB)

Second Team All-Pac-12: Nick Wilson (RB), Drew Riggleman (P)

Miscellaneous

• QB Anu Solomon named the Pac-12's best scrambler.

• LB Scooby Wright named the Defensive Player of the Year. Also ranked No. 5 in conference for NFL talent and the top inside linebacker in NCAA. He also landed on the All-America First-Team.

• Arizona's WR unit ranked seventh in the nation, with Cayleb Jones listed as the 14th-best wideout in the nation.

• Nick Wilson listed as 13th-best running back in NCAA.

• Rich Rodriguez ranked as the 18th-best coach in college football.

Synopsis: Arizona doesn't have the five-star talent of USC and UCLA, but it does all the not-in-the-box-score things well: Plays hard, plays fast, wears down the opponents, never stops believing. All that helped the Wildcats be 6-2 in games decided by one possession and win the South last season. A repeat is a lot to ask, but it's easy to see that this rising program will keep knocking on the door.

Sporting News

Pac-12 South Predicted Finish: 3rd

National Ranking: 17th

Bowl Projection: Foster Farms Bowl vs. Iowa

First Team All-Pac-12: Cayleb Jones (WR), Scooby Wright (LB)

Miscellaneous:

• Wildcats listed as the most underrated team in the conference.

• LB Scooby Wright listed as having the best instincts in the conference as well as the Pac-12's biggest overachiever. He is also noted as one to watch in the Heisman Trophy race.

Synopsis: For a team that lost steam at the end of last season, this year's schedule doesn't bode well. Arizona must play all 12 regular-season games without a single bye. That necessitates more depth and some luck with injuries. If the Wildcats can manage that, 10 more wins are possible.

HaCats · Post by **HaCats** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:55 am

So according to the Sporting News.....we are going to finish in 3rd place in arguably the toughest division in college football, finish around 19th in the national rankings......and play in the Foster Farms Bowl???

PHXCATS · Post by **PHXCATS** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:57 pm

HaCats wrote:So according to the Sporting News.....we are going to finish in 3rd place in arguably the toughest division in college football, finish around 19th in the national rankings......and play in the Foster Farms Bowl???

Number 4 bowl. Means UA above everyone in the north minus Oregon

HaCats · Post by **HaCats** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:30 pm

Yikes, forgot about the new Pac bowl lineup. That would not exactly be the 'prize' I would be hoping for after a season as solid as that..................

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:42 pm

HaCats wrote:Yikes, forgot about the new Pac bowl lineup. That would not exactly be the 'prize' I would be hoping for after a season as solid as that..................

it's not a bad bowl. It's against the big 10 at the new 49ers stadium. Our bowl lineup now is much better than it was.

HaCats · Post by **HaCats** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:58 pm

Yeah I know, maybe it's just the name of it that gives me that initial impression......and the fact that it used to be further down the food chain of bowl slots.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:09 pm

Well it went from being the like 6th place Pac 10/12 vs. 7th place ACC bowl to the 4th place Pac 12 vs 4/5th place big 10.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:18 am

Interesting stat on the espn blog borrowed from Phil Steele - rating the defense based on returning tacklers. Pretty straight forward, defenses returning the players that counted for a high number of their tackles in the previous year tend to do better. Here is how the PAC 12 teams rate:

The number on the left is the national ranking.

9. California 81.71 percent

11. Arizona St 79.16 percent

12. Colorado 78.68 percent

48. Utah 66.67 percent

55. UCLA 65.18 percent

61. USC 63.96 percent

80. Washington St 59.24 percent

86. Oregon 57.53 percent

88. Arizona 57.29 percent

108. Washington 50.60 percent

115. Stanford 45.49 percent

127. Oregon St 29.71 percent

Pretty low ranking for us and does add a little damper to my expectation that we will have an improved defense this year. In our favor, we are brining in experienced replacements at every empty position and will probably have better depth and overall athleticism.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:24 am

Gabe Encinas at AZ Desert Swarm with a breakdown of the wide receivers. Nice synopsis of the known receivers, but I am curious of who is going to step up and find a spot in the rotation. The nice thing about the top 5 receivers is that they are all experienced in the system and have the flexibility to play any position if required.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:25 am

I found this to be super interesting.

ANGCatFan wrote:Good Berk article on the football strength and conditioning program from the Star.

“I really believe we are the best-conditioned team in the country,” safety Will Parks said. “Those guys prepare us like we’re running track. You’re going to have a couple of guys who make it hard for everybody, but as long as you make it through and get through all their workouts in the summer, you feel like anything is possible as a team.

(From strength coach Parker Whiteman) - “The speed and agility workout, what it consists of is about a 20-minute speed warmup where we break down their speed form and slowly build them back up and work on any bad habits they’ve developed. And then we’re going to two to three stations of speed work and two to three stations of agility work. Something that kinda separates us apart from other strength staffs across the country, and this is something ‘Coach Rod’ has really pushed, it’s position- specific agilities. Our entire goal is to take everything we do in the weight room and transfer it out there on the field to make it them a better football player.

Carcassdragger · Post by **Carcassdragger** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 3:01 pm

ANGCatFan wrote:Gabe Encinas at AZ Desert Swarm with a breakdown of the wide receivers. Nice synopsis of the known receivers, but I am curious of who is going to step up and find a spot in the rotation. The nice thing about the top 5 receivers is that they are all experienced in the system and have the flexibility to play any position if required.

Seems like Nate Phillips is a bit overlooked. The guy was a Freshman All American two years ago. Anu sure is lucky to have all these guys to throw to.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:37 pm

Some interesting points from Gabe Encinas on running back depth.

The third running back in Rich Rod's system never really gets too involved, but is often vital when it comes to injuries and distribution of carries. Over the past three years, no third-string running back has had more than 27 carries on the season. Given the schedule, and possibly the abilities of Bradford or Haden, we might see that total being bumped to 45 this season if all goes well.

dc4azcats · Post by **dc4azcats** » Sat Jun 13, 2015 12:16 pm

ANGCatFan wrote:Interesting stat on the espn blog borrowed from Phil Steele - rating the defense based on returning tacklers. Pretty straight forward, defenses returning the players that counted for a high number of their tackles in the previous year tend to do better. Here is how the PAC 12 teams rate:

The number on the left is the national ranking.

9. California 81.71 percent

11. Arizona St 79.16 percent

12. Colorado 78.68 percent

48. Utah 66.67 percent

55. UCLA 65.18 percent

61. USC 63.96 percent

80. Washington St 59.24 percent

86. Oregon 57.53 percent

88. Arizona 57.29 percent

108. Washington 50.60 percent

115. Stanford 45.49 percent

127. Oregon St 29.71 percent
Pretty low ranking for us and does add a little damper to my expectation that we will have an improved defense this year. In our favor, we are brining in experienced replacements at every empty position and will probably have better depth and overall athleticism.

It doesn't damper my expectations because Tevis, Bondurant and Grandon while they had a ton of tackles they had their issues as well. Bondurant had a nose for the ball as did Tevis but neither one was super athletic and neither one was good in coverage. Grandon came on late last season but he was never a safety that I thought was all world and couldn't be replaced? The guys that are in line to replace those guys are bigger, faster and more athletic. Our defensive secondary needed to get more athletic and this group is just that.

Those three guys need to not just have a nose for the ball but they also have to be able to cover a TE which we've struggled mightily with. Last thing is our safeties for the most part did not get to the QB on a blitz, be it they were blocked or we just didn't get there in time. I think the guys who will play those 3 spots bring a lot more speed than what we've had since RR has been here. Intangibles are something we can't measure but I like everything about the guys replacing them plus Parks is a leader back there and very confident and I think that will help as well.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 8:52 am

ABC in Phoenix with Arizona's 5 most intriguing games.

5. vs. Utah (Nov. 14)

2014 record: 9-4 (5-4 Pac-12)

Last meeting: UA 42, Utah 10 (at Utah, Nov. 22)

Key player: Senior RB Devontae Booker (2014 stats: 1,818 total yards, 18 touchdowns)

4. vs. UCLA (Sept. 26)

2014 record: 10-3 (6-3 Pac-12)

Last meeting: UCLA 17, UA 7 (at UCLA, Nov. 1)

Key player: Junior RB Paul Perkins (2014 stats: 1,575 rushing yards, nine TDs)

3. at Stanford (Oct. 3)

2014 record: 8-5 (5-4)

Last meeting: Stanford 54, UA 48 (OT) (at Stanford, Oct. 6, 2012)

Key player: Senior WR Devon Cajuste (2014 stats: 557 receiving yards, six TDs)

2. at USC (Nov. 7)

2014 record: 9-4 (6-3 Pac-12)

Last meeting: USC 28, UA 26 (at UA, Oct. 11)

Key player: Senior QB Cody Kessler (2014 stats: 3,826 passing yards, 39 TDs, five interceptions)

1. at Arizona State (Nov. 21)

2014 record: 10-3 (6-3 Pac-12)

Last meeting: UA 42, ASU 35 (at UA, Nov. 28)

Key player: Senior RB/WR D.J. Foster (2014 stats: 1,769 total yards, 12 TDs)

I'm not sure how to judge intriguing, but I don't think this is the correct order for the most important games of the year. If the goals this year are to play for the PAC 12 championship and beat AssU than I would rate the games like this 1. Ucla 2. AssU 3. USC 4. Utah 5. Stanford.

Ucla is the first conference game of the year, a team that has owned Arizona the last 3 years and a game that will set up the rest of the conference schedule. Beat the Bruins and we can play for a special season. Lose and we will have to win the dog fight most analyst believe will happen in the south.

AssU, USC, Utah are all equally as important to winning the south. Every division victory will be important. I only ranked them this way because of the rivalry and USC is expected to be higher ranked than Utah. Stanford is last because they are the top rated north team we will play this year.

I hope we have the south title wrapped up once we beat AssU. Every other PAC 12 team, except Stanford, plays another conference game while we have our end of year bye week (thanks Larry). I don't want to spend the bye week hoping other games turn out in our favor.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:06 pm

Espn with Arizona's toughest 3 game stretch.

ARIZONA

Stretch:

Nov. 7 at USC

Nov. 14 vs. Utah

Nov. 21 at Arizona State

Why it's tough: Need you be reminded about how difficult the Pac-12 South was a year ago, and how that doesn't figure to change in 2015? All three of these teams could -- should? -- be better than they were last season and Arizona, the defending division champ, gets them in succession to end the regular season (with no bye week at any point).

Even if all three of these games were at home, it would qualify as the toughest stretch for Arizona, but traveling to USC and playing in Tempe makes things even trickier.

It's really not inconceivable for Arizona to have a 9-0 record going into its final three games. The nonconference portion -- UTSA, at Nevada, Northern Arizona -- should result in three wins before a home game against UCLA and a trip to Stanford open Pac-12 play. Neither is a gimme, but if the Wildcats manage to win both, they would likely be the favorite the next four weeks against Oregon State, Colorado, Washington State and Washington. Not saying 9-0 should be expected, but considering Arizona's recent success it's within the realm of possibilities.

And if it were to play out like that, or even if it started, say, 7-2, the final three games will ultimately define Arizona's season.

Odds for success: We'll define success here as two wins, which would be commendable considering the opponents. With the parity in the South, it's hard to set the bar any higher. All three of these games are a coin flip at this point considering 1) it's June and 2) the games are in November. With quarterback Anu Solomon and running back Nick Wilson headed into their sophomore years and plenty of receiver talent, the Wildcats have every reason to expect to again compete for the division title.

Here's an analysis I can get behind. It is a tough 3 game stretch to end our season, but at least every one of these teams will also be coming off conference games before they play us and not rested off of a bye.

Sage&Silver · Post by **Sage&Silver** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:45 pm

FBschedules.com has PDF helmet schedules up.

http://www.fbschedules.com/college-foot ... schedules/

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 7:37 pm

Here is the Washington SB Nation site with their Arizona preview. The summary:

In all, I think Arizona can challenge for the Pac 12 South again. I like the fact that last season they were able to win it without too much dependence on luck (at least as it relates to turnovers and the like) and that they have experience in key positions on both sides of the ball. However, that offensive line does not project well and I can't help but to think that Anu Solomon and Nick Wilson might both suffer some steps backward as a result. As such, this feels like a five or six win Pac 12 campaign for RichRod and a middle of the South kind of finish.

catgrad97 · Post by **catgrad97** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 9:02 pm

Best case scenario, I think the Cats have an 8-0 record going into the game at UW on Halloween night.

That's where RR's going to have to play the best poker of his career at Arizona, or the injuries are going to catch up with this team and make what could be a very special season founder before any potential Pac-12 title or bowl game.

Personally, I think if Arizona is unbeaten through eight games, it should go into Seattle and Troy with nothing to lose--except playmakers, whom RR is going to have to be shrewd at protecting through that stretch.

You don't want to ever coach not to win against the Huskies or Trojans, of course. Can't even show that. But neither can you exhaust Anu, Wilson and Cayleb in the ninth or 10th game of the year with no bye week, a final home game and a rivalry game still left on the schedule.

Hopefully, this team starts fast and starts strong so the Cats have that cushion to hold back a little for the Utah and ASU games.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Tue Jun 16, 2015 9:34 pm

The ooc and the Oregon state, @Colorado, Washington state, @uw and Utah games are must wins if we want to challenge for the south again. Win those 8 and go 2-2 vs. Ucla, @Usc, @Stanford and @asu and I'll be happy with the season.

Carcassdragger · Post by **Carcassdragger** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 8:36 am

ASUHATER! wrote:The ooc and the Oregon state, @Colorado, Washington state, @uw and Utah games are must wins if we want to challenge for the south again. Win those 8 and go 2-2 vs. Ucla, @Usc, @Stanford and @asu and I'll be happy with the season.

ooc wins good for momentum, but not must wins to win the South.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:00 pm

AZ Desert Storm has posted lines for 4 of the first 5 games from 5Dime.

Week 1: UTSA at Arizona (-30) | O/U 47.5. This essentially means they're predicting a 38-9 Arizona victory to open the season. That would be a nice change of pace from last year's UTSA game.

Week 2: Arizona (-16) at Nevada

Week 4: UCLA (-3) at Arizona

Week 5: Arizona at Stanford (-10.5)

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:08 pm

I would hammer the over in the first game and take the points against Furd all day.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Sat Jun 20, 2015 5:42 am

Radio station Sports360 with a Coach Rod interview. Quick article on who the coach thinks will be the breakout players on defense this year. First name out of his mouth former walk-on linebacker Jake Matthews. He also points out Will Parks and Jamar Allah as 2 players who will be essential as playmakers and leaders on the defense.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 9:41 am

Espn blog on where Arizona sits in the south race:

Jago from Phoenix writes: You wrote that Arizona State is the contrarian pick to win the South and that Utah was the most undervalued team in the Pac12. What about the defending South champs, who beat both of these teams, including Utah by 32 points?

Ted Miller: For the entire gaggle of ESPN.com writers, I want to apologize in advance for the likelihood that when analyzing the super-duper-deep Pac-12 South Division, we are going to sometimes fall short coming up with a fair distribution of flowery descriptions.

Is USC or UCLA officially the favorite? Who should don the black T-shirt of the stately "dark horse?" Or become the hip "contrarian pick?" Who's got the most super-secret answers to lunkheaded media questions? Who's the most underrated? Who's best in show? Most congenial? Looks best in a speedo? Sparkliest?

I get it. Arizona won the South last year, welcomes back all its top skill players as well as the conference's best defensive player in Scooby Wright. Yet it does seem the general media tilt is that someone else will win the division this fall.

The questions for the Wildcats are fairly obvious. They are replacing three starters on their O-line -- tackles who were four-year starters and underrated center Steven Gurrola -- and are rebuilding a secondary that will be fronted by a D-line again lacking impact players. Further, Arizona played its worst ball of the season in the final two games, getting gutted by Oregon in the Pac-12 title game and inspiring all Pac-12 fans to scratch their eyes out during a horrific performance against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.

While the idea of coach Rich Rodriguez getting a second year with a QB for the first time since he arrived in Tucson is intriguing, there also is an undercurrent of uncertainty with Anu Solomon, who flagged late in the season, something that Solomon readily admits and wouldn't himself write off to an accumulation of injuries.

Here's the thing, though: The Wildcats looked pretty salty this spring. Solomon seemed much more comfortable fronting the team -- he's definitely more at ease chatting with reporters -- and the offensive line and secondary, while less experienced, will be more physically talented this fall.

When you throw in the Rich Rod/Jeff Casteel coaching factor, Arizona might not only win the South, it could win the Pac-12, which could mean all sorts of fancy possibilities.

That said, I think I could make a pretty good case for five South teams winning the conference. At some point soon, I -- and our other ESPN.com friends -- will have to go on record with our projections for the 2015 pecking order. Yet it won't surprise me in the least if the team I pick fifth ends up nipping the team I pegged at No. 4 for the title in December.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Mon Jun 29, 2015 4:12 pm

NFL.com showing love for Arizona, ranking Anu, Jones, and Wilson as the 3rd best offensive triplet in the nation.

3. Arizona
The triplets: QB Anu Solomon, RB Nick Wilson, WR Cayleb Jones

The skinny: Solomon was excellent as a redshirt freshman last season, throwing for 3,793 yards and 28 TDs and also rushing for 291 yards. While he definitely is a better passer than runner, look for his rushing total to grow a bit this fall. Wilson ran for 1,375 yards and 16 TDs as a true freshman; he has a nice blend of power and quickness that fits well in coach Rich Rodriguez's version of the spread. Jones, who began his career at Texas, emerged as Solomon's go-to guy last season, finishing with 73 receptions, 1,019 yards and nine TDs. He can get deep, but his main value is on intermediate routes, where Jones (6-3, 215) puts his physical nature to good use.

Who's ahead of us? Ohio St and TCU, so we've got that going for us.

Cal at 6 and Oregon at 7 are the only other PAC12 teams on the list and we don't play either team this year unless it is for the conference championship. More good news.

My biggest concern is will the back-up running back be good enough to give Wilson some rest? If someone, I'm looking at you Baker, can give us some Jones-Grigsby level production (and we can find a center) we will have a record setting offensive season.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 11:42 am

Joe Bruin site with their Arizona preview.

Last time the Bruins were in Tucson, they unleashed the two-way beast that is Myles Jack. Though we will endlessly hear about Jack’s performance throughout the telecast, which we do not mind, we expect a more evenly balanced game from both teams.

Ultimately, this might just come down to defense. Does Arizona have enough behind Wright to stop the experienced (except the quarterback) offense of UCLA? Can the UCLA quarterback get things going against AZ? And can the Wildcat offense go through what could be the best defense in the conference?

The Way-Too-Early Prediction

UCLA 21 – Arizona 20

When the ucla homers are predicting a close game that is great news for us.

This is the most important game of the year. Score early and welcome their Freshman QB to the PAC 12 with lots of pressure.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 12:28 pm

When UCLA got Hundley and Mora I said it would be 4vyears until we beat them again. Well here we are in year 4 and I think that timeframe is just about right

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 1:40 pm

Ted Miller overanalyzes the P12 south schedules to end up with this:

In other words, there doesn't appear to be a decisive scheduling advantage for any of the South contenders, at least from a preseason perspective. We are, however, reserving our constitutional right to foment dissatisfaction about some sort of scheduling conspiracy from the Pac-12 office later in the season.

What's clear is all five will play rugged schedules, even though Arizona again went the milquetoast route with its nonconference slate. ESPN.com rates all five as playing among the nation's 13 toughest schedules, with UCLA ranking No. 1, Utah No. 2, USC No. 4, Arizona State No. 10 and Arizona at No. 13.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 1:53 pm

I'm getting so psyched for this season!

OSUCat · Post by **OSUCat** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:02 pm

azgreg wrote:I'm getting so psyched for this season!

I started watching last year replays on Pac-12 network. I wish I could watch the spring game replay but I can't find it, only highlights.

azpenguin · Post by **azpenguin** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:07 pm

ANGCatFan wrote:Joe Bruin site with their Arizona preview.

Last time the Bruins were in Tucson, they unleashed the two-way beast that is Myles Jack. Though we will endlessly hear about Jack’s performance throughout the telecast, which we do not mind, we expect a more evenly balanced game from both teams.

Ultimately, this might just come down to defense. Does Arizona have enough behind Wright to stop the experienced (except the quarterback) offense of UCLA? Can the UCLA quarterback get things going against AZ? And can the Wildcat offense go through what could be the best defense in the conference?

The Way-Too-Early Prediction

UCLA 21 – Arizona 20
When the ucla homers are predicting a close game that is great news for us.

This is the most important game of the year. Score early and welcome their Freshman QB to the PAC 12 with lots of pressure.

I've said this a few times before going back to 2013, but I think Arizona unleashes hell on UCLA this year. They're the one team in the south that RichRod hasn't beat and he has the guys to run with them this time. I have no inside info but I would think he has this game circled.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:07 am

Bleacher Report has also discovered that we have a pretty good trio of skill guys:

Arizona is coming off one of its best offensive years in school history, and the key was having amazing balance. After being very run-oriented the previous season thanks to Ka'Deem Carey's production, in 2014 the Wildcats averaged more than 180 rushing yards and 280 passing yards per game.

And it was a youthful trio that led the way, as the combination of Solomon, Wilson and Jones had never started a college game before 2014. Wilson was in his true freshman season, while Solomon and Jones had sat out the previous year (with Jones seeing little action in 2012 at Texas before transferring).

Solomon threw 28 touchdowns with just nine interceptions in 540 pass attempts, and while his completion rate was low (58 percent) and he took too many sacks, he threw for more yards (3,793) than any other freshman in the country. Wilson was the nation's fourth most-productive freshman back, with 1,375 yards and 16 TDs despite missing all or parts of three games with injury, while Jones was far and away the top target of a receiving unit that had seven players catch at least 23 passes.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:19 am

Another Bruin site (Bleacher Report) rates their schedule based on toughness. Arizona is rated behind ASSu, Utah, USC, and Stanford.

Mora is undefeated (3-0) in his career versus the Arizona Wildcats. For whatever reason, Rich Rodriguez's team matches up poorly with UCLA from a personnel perspective.

However, UCLA will have to make the Trip to Tucson this season. It will also mark the first true road test in the Rosen era.

UCLA will have to try and bottle up an explosive and unconventional offense. With the contest versus BYU the prior week, the Bruins may be a bit beaten-up heading into this affair versus the reigning division champions.

It's a dangerous game, to say the least.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:32 am

AZ Desert Swarm with some Will Parks videos based on an interview he did with Campus Insiders.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 4:55 pm

Todaysu.com with an Arizona preview. Didn't even know this site existed and didn't learn anything knew from the article.

Best/Worst Case Scenarios: 11-1/7-5

Sage&Silver · Post by **Sage&Silver** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 7:29 pm

ANGCatFan wrote:Todaysu.com with an Arizona preview. Didn't even know this site existed and didn't learn anything knew from the article.

Best/Worst Case Scenarios: 11-1/7-5

Nothing new, but one of the better informed writers.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:24 am

Casual P12 preview from 2 of the SB Nation guys.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:37 am

SB Nation predicts how the P12 will do in its non-conference schedule. Here are the 2 blurbs on Arizona's games.

UTSA at Arizona - September 3 - The Wildcats were challenged by UTSA in San Antonio last year, but I doubt they give them a tough time in Tucson. Prediction: Arizona

Arizona at Nevada - September 12 - Nevada can sneak up on you in Reno (ask Washington State in 2014), but the Wildcats are good enough in 2015 that they should take care of business and shouldn't overlook it as it is their toughest non-conference game. Prediction: Arizona

UALoco · Post by **UALoco** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:40 am

For some reason, UCLA brings an extra level of intensity against UA. We need to so the same this year since our entire season hinges on beating the Bruins. I can't wait for this game.

azpenguin · Post by **azpenguin** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:46 pm

I'll be curious to see come fall how Dawkins and Randall have come along. Depth is a huge concern with this schedule and being able to give Solomon some rest if the Cats have a big lead, or if he's hurting, would be a big big help.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:01 pm

NFL.com lists the most important revenge games for the power 5 conferences. For the P12 they picked:

Pac-12: Arizona at Arizona State

The hunter: Arizona State

The hunted: Arizona

The date: Nov. 21

The rub: The Sun Devils suffered a heartbreaking 42-35 loss to the Wildcats last year with a berth in the Pac-12 title game on the line. The national championship was already out of reach for both, but the loss still came with plenty of sting. Arizona didn't exactly acquit itself well in the Pac-12 title game rematch with Oregon (Arizona beat Oregon in the regular season), falling 51-13. ASU had to be thinking it could have put up more of a fight. The Sun Devils get their chance for revenge at home this year in a season finale that could again come with postseason stakes.

UALoco · Post by **UALoco** » Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:34 pm

ANGCatFan wrote:NFL.com lists the most important revenge games for the power 5 conferences. For the P12 they picked:

Pac-12: Arizona at Arizona State

The hunter: Arizona State

The hunted: Arizona

The date: Nov. 21

The rub: The Sun Devils suffered a heartbreaking 42-35 loss to the Wildcats last year with a berth in the Pac-12 title game on the line. The national championship was already out of reach for both, but the loss still came with plenty of sting. Arizona didn't exactly acquit itself well in the Pac-12 title game rematch with Oregon (Arizona beat Oregon in the regular season), falling 51-13. ASU had to be thinking it could have put up more of a fight. The Sun Devils get their chance for revenge at home this year in a season finale that could again come with postseason stakes.

Rivalry games are always big "revenge" games. Of course ASU is gonna come at us hard.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Mon Jul 06, 2015 5:23 pm

Bleacher Report on the most underrated players for each top 25 team. For Arizona:

20. Arizona WR Samajie Grant

Arizona had a breakthrough campaign in Rich Rodriguez’s third season last fall, going 10-4 with a Pac-12 South Division title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. One of the biggest reasons for that success was a fast-paced offense led by sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon, who passed for 3,793 yards and 28 touchdowns.

While Cayleb Jones was a 1,000-yard receiver, junior Samajie Grant deserves some attention as well. Grant made 45 receptions for 718 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 16 yards per reception (the best on Arizona’s roster).

Grant stands just 5’9” and 177 pounds, but he plays much bigger with speed and excellent deep-threat ability. He’ll be expected to take an even bigger role in the offense this fall and can use that speed to great effect.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Mon Jul 06, 2015 5:25 pm

ANGCatFan wrote:Bleacher Report on the most underrated players for each top 25 team. For Arizona:

20. Arizona WR Samajie Grant

Arizona had a breakthrough campaign in Rich Rodriguez’s third season last fall, going 10-4 with a Pac-12 South Division title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. One of the biggest reasons for that success was a fast-paced offense led by sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon, who passed for 3,793 yards and 28 touchdowns.

While Cayleb Jones was a 1,000-yard receiver, junior Samajie Grant deserves some attention as well. Grant made 45 receptions for 718 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 16 yards per reception (the best on Arizona’s roster).

Grant stands just 5’9” and 177 pounds, but he plays much bigger with speed and excellent deep-threat ability. He’ll be expected to take an even bigger role in the offense this fall and can use that speed to great effect.

Casper the friendly ghost is committing a blatant PI in that pic.

azpenguin · Post by **azpenguin** » Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:13 pm

Yep, it was his only chance to stop that one and it didn't work. That was a TD.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:29 pm

Bleacher Report with Arizona's best and worst case scenarios.

Best case

Defending South Division champion Arizona retains its crown, this time losing only one conference game after dropping two last season. That only loss comes on Nov. 7 at USC at the back end of a two-game road trip that started in Seattle, but by knocking off rival Arizona State on the road in the regular-season finale, the Wildcats finish atop the crowded field.

Arizona's bye week comes after 12 consecutive games, which makes it fresh and rested for the Pac-12 title game against a less battle-tested North Division team that just played a week earlier. The Wildcats roll to victory, but even with a 12-1 mark don't earn a playoff bid because of their weak nonconference schedule.

Instead, the Wildcats earn their first-ever bid to the Rose Bowl, making them the last of the schools from the Pac-10 era to play in the game.

Worst case

Arizona's issues with playing on natural grass—it has lost seven of eight on that surface under Rich Rodriguez—continue, as the Wildcats play four times on grass during the regular season and drop three of those contests. The only win comes at Colorado, and even that one is a struggle, mostly because Arizona's defense can't make any stops.

Scooby Wright's production takes a major dip at linebacker, as injuries to other players around him enable opponents to take him out of the equation. Arizona's offense can't produce enough to overcome the defensive breakdowns, with quarterback Anu Solomon falling back to his old habits of holding on to the ball too long and taking sacks.

Arizona ends up dipping to 7-5 after a 10-win season in 2014 and is relegated to the Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara, California...which happens to played on grass.

I'm an unabashed homer, but I would add one victory to each case. There is not a sure loss on the schedule and 12-0 is not just a homer's dream, but a real best case possibility.

Also, 8-4 is where I would put the worst case, but that is a harder case to make. Ucla, Stanford, Usc, and ASSu all make someone's top 25 so those are all losses for the worst case. Add one upset from Washington or Utah and the 7-5 is not that hard to imagine. It actually speaks well of Arizona that our worst case scenario is only 7-5.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:41 pm

Undefeated in the south just isn't realistic, even with red and blue glasses. Worst case can be much much worse however...

But I'm talking about massive injuries to key players throughout the season (Solomon, Scooby, Jones, Wilson) all having long stints injured or out for the season. Bad luck along the way, inopportune turnovers, etc...if everything goes wrong and we don't get any luck, this could be a 5 win team. As of now though we look like a 9-3 team to me.

ANGCatFan · Post by **ANGCatFan** » Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:32 pm

Remember, I am not predicting 12-0, I am just saying it is a not unreasonable best case scenario. I agree that it is going to be extremely difficult to go undefeated in a no bye week season in the toughest division in CFB, but you will have to make a better case than it just isn't realistic. Which team can't we beat?

I know it is hard to imagine an undefeated season, but remember the vast majority of Arizona fans had Oregon penciled in as a loss the last 2 seasons and couldn't imagine 10 wins last year. If Arizona brings its' A game against the top teams and doesn't drop any games to lesser teams it is certainly possible to go undefeated.

Now, I think your 9-3 prediction is very reasonable. It is more optimistic than Vegas and takes into account we have to play our toughest appoints back to back at the start of the P12 season and also at the end. We have strong starters, but I also think that our lack of depth could be a problem when our hard games are played together.

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