Why not us?

It was quit the night last night for fans of Pac-10 football. USC started what everyone thought would be a walk in the park to a conference championship. I guess everyone was wrong. Last night, by beating USC, Oregon State kicked in the door for what really amounts to seven teams who though they were contending for second place. Now there is a eight team race for first. It seems to be anyone's race.

So the million dollar question for the Wildcats should be, why not us?

There really is no reason why Arizona couldn't win the Pac-10. That's not something I would have thought twenty four hours ago. But the Beaves changed all that.

Let's take a minute to think about. First lets look at few of the players Arizona plays USC, Cal, Arizona State and Oregon State in Tucson. There really is no reason Arizona couldn't win all those games. That would also knock out Oregon State and USC since they would each have at least two conference losses with the one they already have plus Arizona. If they beat all those teams, they would have the tie breakers over ASU and Cal.

The only real player Arizona plays outside of Tucson is Oregon. But fear not. The Cats have had some good luck in Eugene. No reason that couldn't carry over!

Of course it should go without saying that Arizona also needs to win the games it should, namely against Washington, Washington State and Stanford.

The million dollar question is does Arizona have the heart to get it done? I think they do. I think they better.

And if they don't they should listen up now.

This is the year. This is our year. The door is wide wide open. Are you going to go threw it? If not why not? Go in damn it! The door is open! Why not, Why not US!!! The cards are set up on the table, it's our hand. We can win it. If we play it.

Why does it have to be ASU, Cal, Oregon or USC? Why not Arizona?

YouTube Clip of the week

It's a week without football and I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe drink and gamble (wink wink). And if you really need something to brighten up your day why not poke a little fun at hippies crying over dead trees! I mean if they are this sad when a tree dies, what about dogs? Or cats? or Humans for that matter? Enjoy this weeks YouTube Clip o' the week!

News and Notes

Kerley Out

Arizona guard Blake Kerley's season looks to be over after a knee injury early in the fourth quarter in Saturday's game against UCLA. Stoops said U.A. medical staff is “99 percent” sure that Kerley tore or sprained his ACL. If that is the case he face a nine month to one year recovery.

In the meantime, Colin Baxter will move from guard to center and Mike Diaz will take over for Baxter. This couldn’t happen at a better time for the Cats who have a bye this week, allowing over a week for the the offence to get use to the look.

Two U.A. Players Win Awards

Nickel back Corey Hall was named Pac-10 defensive player of the week Monday. Hall had six tackles and one sack during Saturday’s win at UCLA.

Hall wasn’t the only to be honored this week. Wide receiver and kick return specialist Mike Thomas was named special teams player of the week. He returned six punts for 107 yards Saturday, including a 26 yard run that played a major part in allowing Arizona to score a touchdown to blow the game open.

Rants, Rants, Rants.

Arizona's win Saturday at UCLA made things all better in Wildcat land. At least for another few weeks. With the first of three byes this weekend, the Arizona Wildcats are more or less where a lot of us thought they would be at the one third mark of the season.

The talk of firring Mike Stoops has stopped for a few weeks. The talk of sending Willie to the bench has stopped for a few weeks.

While the Cats haven't looked as good as say, USC, they have looked as good as they have in years. While they should be undefeated, they aren't. But they also recovered from what could have been a season ending less to New Mexico by beating New Mexico.

With the as good as dead Washington Huskies coming to town after the upcoming bye week, the Cats have a real chance to build something in Tucson-as long as they don't blow it.

By the way, nice red pants! Walking into the Rose Bowl this past weekend was one of the coolest Wildcat trips of the year and then bam! Things got much cooler! Real cool red, pants. Seriously where do you get a pair of bright red pants like that? I've seen red basketball shorts. I've seen red sweat pants. Never red football pants.
Red pants, awesome, awesome, awesome.

Speaking of the Rose Bowl, what a place. If you've never been to game at the giant bowl it's kind of weird. It's real big and seats 90 thousand plus. But when your in your seat it doesn't seem as big. It seemed kind of empty, despite the fact that there was way more people at this game then any U of A home game. More then could even fit at Arizona Stadium.

Speaking of, let's sell out the stadium October 4 versus Washington.

Arizona Game Day

What Arizona Wildcats @ U.C.L.A. Bruins

When Saturday, kickoff 12 noon

TV Fox Sports Net

Radio 1290am, 107.5fm

Weather 78-81

What to expect Both Arizona and UCLA lost to Mountain West teams last weekend. At least for the Arizona Wildcats it wasn't a 59-0 beat down like UCLA suffer at the hands of BYU. So lets get real here. Both team need a win, bad. The loser might have a blown a season already, in September. We don't really know a lot about the coaching match up between Mike Stoops and Rick Neuheisel-but by the end of the first quarter the teams should be done feeling one another out. This would be true of any football game, but the team with the most hart and most guts are going to win.

Prediction This is a hard one to call. Arizona stops it's suddenly sinking ship by beating UCLA 54-34.

It's Just Not Fair!

Dear whomever wants to read this,

Saturday night I felt like giving up. Quiting. I'm not quiting on the Cats, I'm still following the the team to Los Angles next weekend, still going to every home game-this year and next.

But I quit caring. I'm tired of calling for, then backing off, and then calling again, for Mike Stoops to be fired. Same goes for Jim Livegood. And if Willie T should be benched and on and on.

Saturday night I wasn't pissed. I was just sad. At the end of the game I felt the need to curl up into a little ball, pound on the bench like a five year old and scream "It's not fair! It's not fair, it's just not fair!!!!!!!"

It really isn't fair. What did we do to the football gods to be punched with this? Was it because we fired Dick Tomey? Or did it start before that? Did we sell our sole to the devil in 1998 in order to come this close to going to the Rose Bowl?

It's just not FAIR!

I'm not 100 percent sure yet what the loss to New Mexico means for the rest of the season. I do know it's going to make it a lot harder to go to bowl game. I know thanks to one game-one game Arizona should have won, yet didn't-the chance of a post season game is much smaller then it was just one week ago.

It's just no FAIR!

Like a little kid who's big brother gets to to drink a Coke with dinner, instead of milk-we've seen ASU be good, bad and good again-yet were stuck losing to New Mexico, Utah, Stanford and Washington.

It's just not FAIR!

While other schools have been able to talk about great coaches they've had. While Oregon, Arizona State and USC all feel like they have been done over by the BCS at one time or another we've been stuck fighting about who's worse-Livegood or Stoops and if Tomey should have been fired eight years ago....eight years ago! Eight years ago I was more worried about how much a 10am class sucked 'cause I had to get out of bed before noon. Eight years ago Bill Clinton was president and the World Trade Center still stood. Yet we're arguing about what happened in 2000! Why? Because we have nothing better to talk about.

It's just not FAIR!

Now, once again, Arizona is stuck, counting wins. Thinking we most win five out of nine. It's just TOO HARD! THIS IS SO UNFAIR!

I'm going to curl up and suck my thumb for a while, the world is so mean.

What Arizona Wildcats at New Mexico Lobos

When Saturday, kickoff 5pm

TV CSTV

Radio 1290am, 107.5fm

Weather 78-67

What to expect New Mexico is 0-2 and needs a win bad. It could be a season ending loss for the Lobos if they can not get it done. That being said this is not the Arizona team that lost to UNM last year. This isn't the same New Mexico time ether. Look for this to be the start of the who can score more battle that Arizona is going to be in for the rest of the season. Arizona is not going to put up 70, but they might put up 70 combined.

Prediction Might be close for a while...but.....Arizona wins. Arizona 38 New Mexico 20.

For Cats: New Mexico Key to the Season

When you play college football, every game is important. You want to win every game. But let's get real. Some games are more important then others and for the Arizona Wildcats this game is key if they have any plans to go bowling at the end of the season.

Let's just take a minute to think why that would be the case.

If Arizona wins:
That would put the Cats at 3-0, four wins short of a bowl, with nine games to go. Washington State, Washington, Oregon State, and Stanford are all very winnable games. Other then that, it would (as of today) need to be an upset, but all the same four wins is realistic.

If Arizona losses:
That would put the Cats at 2-1, five wins short of a bowl, with nine games to go. That means, realistically, Arizona would need to win all four of the "winnable" games and pull at least won upset. Much, much, harder-almost unlikely.

There is no question, any team that dreams of finishing in the top half of the Pac-10 has no place losing to New Mexico, in New Mexico or otherwise. Let's hope Mike Stoops and the boys are keeping that in mind. We've seen them lose games like this is the past, but there is something diffrent about this team this year.

So as as the Oakland Raiders motto say: "just win baby!"

News and Notes

Keola Antolin Wins Award
Arizona freshman Keola Antolin was named the Pac-10 special teams player of the week. Saturday, Antolin returned three kicks for a total of 98 yards and was one of several standout players versus Toledo.


Rob Gronkowski back?
Tight End Rob Gronkowski practiced Monday after missing the first two games with ether strep throat or mono. In his Monday morning meeting with the press Arizona head coach Mike Stoops said Gronkowski might play a limited role in Saturday's game at New Mexico. The Arizona Athletic department has had bad experiences with mono as of late, basketball player Kurt Walters missed a lot of season thanks in part to mono. Lucky for Stoops, it would not appear that Gronk has as bad a case.

Terrell Reese out two games
Wide receiver Terrell Reese-who was serving a suspension Saturday night for missing too many classes (how you do that in two weeks I don't know) will miss at least two more games for his arrest Saturday night for DUI. According to the UAPD and The Arizona Daily Star Reese was arrested Saturday morning at a Circle K on sixth street. Police say he hit a wall and air filling station.

Arizona 2-0 for the First Time in Stoops Era

Arizona head coach Mike Stoops woke up on Sunday morning in a place he hasn't been since he moved to Tucson five years ago. Two wins-no losses. I'll bet it feels good, because I know I felt good Sunday morning. Nay, I felt great.

Arizona defeated Toledo Saturday 41-16 in another more or less dominating performance. And heck, it was even rain free. Toledo scored it's only touchdown when the game was more or less over and Arizona turned it over inside the ten yard line. So far this season Arizona has out scored it's opponents 111-16.

111-16. Think about that for a secound. Does anyone remeber the last time and Arizona team that season out like that? I know I don't.

Good news/bad news on all this. The Cats have yet to play a team that's going bowling. Next week Arizona goes to New Mexico that won't likely change. That's a long winded way of saying Arizona hasn't played anyone.

Yet they are 2-0, with two blow outs. Toledo dropped at least two, maybe three, wide open catch that should have been Toledo touchdowns. Yet if Toledo scores three more touchdown Arizona still wins (granted only by three but a W is a W).

There is no question that Arizona is going to have to wait until September 20 against UCLA to see how good they really are. Then we can talk about how good is good and all the rest.

If, by any luck, they are 3-1 or 4-0 after that point, save your pennies because Arizona is going bowl!

Game Day

What Toledo Rockets at Arizona Wildcats

When Saturday, kickoff 7pm

TV None

Radio 1290am, 107.5fm

Weather 92-83, clear

What to expect Arizona put up 70 points against Idaho, but let's be honest Idaho is one of the worst teams in college football. In years past this would be a game that could be a let down. But there is something about this year that makes me think it's not going to happen. Look for Arizona to dominate again-but not as strongly as last week.

Prediction Toledo is better, way better then Idaho. In years past this would be a close game. Not this year. Arizona wins 44-10.

YouTube Clip of the Week

Itssss baccccck! That's right the reason you wake up on Thursdays is back. Where have you been all summer, you might be asking. Well, the YouTube clip of the week has been island hopping in the pacific. But have no fear-it's back, tanned, hung over, and well rested. So let's do it.

This weeks topic.....who are you voting for? If the answer is McCain Palin then you should know that she was once a sportscaster. How good was she? Well take a look and you be the judge!

Cats must put Saturday behind them

Saturday night could not have gone any better for Arizona. Arizona's first team didn't need to play the entire game. No one got hurt. They put up 70 points in the poring rain-perhaps the worst weather they'll see all year. The second team put up 21 points too. They stayed healthy too. It was all good.

Anyone who follows sports closely will already know this, but as of Sunday morning the Cats need to put Saturdays game against Idaho behind them.

Don't believe the press clippings.

Don't listen to your peers.

Turn off the radio.

Think to yourself that we'll need to play better Saturday (vs Toledo)to go to 2-0 for the first time in the Mike Stoops era.

“Minnesota barely beat Northern Illinois. Bowling Green beat Pittsburgh," Stoops said Monday. "There is enough out there to understand that Toledo will be a much improved football team."

If Arizona has a let down and losses to Toledo at home-it's going to be really bad news. The 70-0 win is gone just like this, it like putting ice cream in the microwave-it's ruined, it's nasty. But for the first time in nearly a decade you get the feeling that Stoops and company are not underestimating anyone.

Ohio is one of America's great football states and while Toledo is no Ohio State ( or should I say The Ohio State), they are a Ohio team.

“It has been a way of life, with a lot of tradition and a lot of blue collar people. It is what you get from these types of kids. That was a way of going to the field and it was a big deal and still a big deal,” Stoops said Monday.

He should know, the Stoops brothers grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. He should also know the team needs to put Idaho behind them.

If only I could do the same thing.

Arizona Idaho, 70-0, What a Night!

Saturday night at Arizona Stadium might have been one of the greatest slash weirdest nights I've ever had Arizona Stadium.

First things first. I've never, ever, ever, ever seen the Cats kick someone's teeth in like they did Idaho on Saturday night. The Cats scored early and often and didn't stop even when the game was clearly over. By the end of the game the FOOTBALL team had scored 70 points! 70! Can you believe it?

Then they stopped Idaho ever time they had the ball. Every time! Can you believe it? 70 to 0 was the final. Let me say that again, Arizona won a game 70-0!

The game was delayed for more then an hour due to lightning in the area. It rained and rained and rained, raining more or less from the time the game was delayed until the end.

Man of the fans stuck it out, even when they go soaked from head to toe. Even when the P.A. guy asked fans to leave or take cover, a lot of fans, a lot of students never did. This fan got so wet his cell phone died from water damage! It really was unlike anything I've ever seen in Tucson.

This weekend was just awesome!