"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

What players to watch at the Glass Bowl on Friday night

>>24/7 Network message boards are active >>Scouting Toledo: Wildcats vs. Rockets >>Commentary: Vinzetta on Arizona’s defense

The talent rundown for the game according to CBSSports.com. NOTE: Players are ranked by their position in each class. For example, Colin Baxter is the fourth-rated center among senior centers. The *-asterisk denotes player projected to be drafted in first three rounds:

ARIZONA SENIORS			TOLEDO SENIORS
No. 4 Colin Baxter, C, 6-3, 295			No. 7 Kevin Kowalski, C, 6-3, 298
No. 5 Keenyn Crier, P, 6-1, 200			No. 41 Archie Arnold, ILB, 6-1, 242
No. 16 Ricky Elmore, DE, 6-5, 260			No. 77 Desmond Marrow, CB, 6-2, 202
No. 23 Nic Grigsby, RB, 5-11, 195			No. 94 Nate Cole, OG, 6-2, 305
No. 24 Brooks Reed, DE, 6-3, 255			No. 109 Alex Johnson, DE, 6-2, 259
ARIZONA JUNIORS			TOLEDO JUNIORS
No. 4 Nick Foles, QB, 6-5, 245			No. 15 Danny Noble, TE, 6-5, 233
No. 7 Robert Golden, CB, 5-11, 200			No. 19 Bill Claus, P, 6-0, 189
No. 8 Trevin Wade, CB, 5-11, 182			No. 34 Isaiah Ballard, SS, 5-11, 210
No. 13 Alex Zendejas, PK, 5-11, 190			No. 38 Mike VanDerMeulen, OT, 6-7, 315
No. 16 Matt Scott, QB, 6-3, 195			No. 62 Mark Singer, SS, 6-1, 195
ARIZONA SOPHOMORES			TOLEDO SOPHOMORES
No. 11 Taimi Tutogi, FB, 6-1, 250			No. 12 Jermain Robinson, FS, 6-2, 195
No. 21 Adam Hall, SS, 6-4, 212			No. 23 Eric Page, WR, 5-10, 165
No. 30 Kyle Quinn, C, 6-2, 310			No. 40 Austin Dantin, QB, 6-2, 190
No. 56 Greg Nwoko, RB, 6-2, 228			No. 40 Robert Bell, OLB, 6-0, 227
No. 59 Jake Fischer, ILB, 5-11, 220			No. 53 Dan Molls, ILB, 6-1, 222
ARIZONA FRESHMEN			TOLEDO FRESHMEN
No. 6 Marquis Flowers, FS, 6-3, 200			No. 41 Ross Madison, SS, 6-0, 198
No. 6 Trevor Erno, ILB, 6-1, 230			No. 49 Erik Carlson, C, 6-2, 285
No. 44 Trent Spurgeon, OT, 6-7, 276			No. 60 James Green, WR, 6-2, 204
No. 54 Jack Baucus, TE, 6-6, 250			No. 81 David Fluellen, RB, 6-0, 198
No. 73 Austin Hill, WR, 6-3, 200			No. 103 Ben Pike, DT, 6-3, 254

TALENT SCORE
The average ranking by position in this chart is 24 for Arizona. The number is 49.9 for Toledo. What it means: CBSSports.com scouts believe the Wildcats have superior overall talent than Toledo, which is a no-brainer considering this is a Pac-10 school facing a Mid-American Conference program. Arizona, which beat Toledo in Tucson 41-16 two years ago, is expected to win soundly. It is a 16-point favorite. But this is a season-opener on the road at a smaller stadium than the Wildcats are accustomed to playing in (26,242 is the listed capacity at the Glass Bowl). It will take a couple of games for the young and inexperienced defense (with new coordinators) to get in sync. Prediction: Arizona 34, Toledo 21.

Colin Baxter

CENTERS OF ATTENTION
Two of the higher rated players in the game will be Arizona senior center Colin Baxter and Toledo senior center Kevin Kowalski. Anthony Gimino of TucsonCitizen.com reported recently that Baxter’s size might hinder his future with the NFL. “Here’s the thing: He’s listed at 6-4 and 295 pounds … but he might not really be that tall … and that could be the problem,” Gimino writes. “Not for this season at Arizona, but his future beyond it in the NFL. He and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh admit that.”

MATCHUP BEHIND THE SCENES: One aspect of the game to watch is how Arizona punter Keenyn Crier neutralizes dangerous punt returner Eric Page. Crier has a 42.9-yard punting average. Page averaged 25.4 yards per kick return as a freshman last season. He returned only nine punts, including one for 41 yards.

DID YOU KNOW?: The University of Toledo procured a genuine rocket from the U.S. Army missile program in 1961 and placed it outside the Glass Bowl? The one-ton rocket is aimed to hit the 50 yard line of arch-rival Bowling Green’s Doyt Perry stadium.

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This is part of a reprint from an Aug. 17 blog published at TucsonCitizen.com

By Javier Morales
TucsonCitizen.com

Arizona’s football team usually starts camp banking on another team traveling to arid Tucson to play the Cats in their environment to start the season.

In their first 10 seasons in the Pac-10 (and throughout the Larry Smith era), the Wildcats opened their season at Arizona Stadium. The UA did not fare all that well, winning only six of those games and suffering upset losses to Fresno State and Colorado State in the process.

Dick Tomey did not care about the supposed advantage of starting the season in front of the home crowd. In his 14 seasons as head coach, the UA opened the season seven times on the road, including four consecutive years at the end of his tenure (from 1997 to 2000).

In that four-year span, the UA opened at Oregon, Hawaii, Penn State and Utah. The UA beat Hawaii and Utah, but the losses to Oregon and Penn State took a toll on Tomey’s program.

Revisit the entire blog at TucsonCitizen.com

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What’s more beautiful? The Catalinas in the background or the scoreboard indicating Arizona 31, ASU 10, after Chuck Cecil’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in 1986. Photo courtesy of Anne Greasley

Arizona by the numbers with only 1 day until kickoff:

Robert Golden

• No. 1 for Arizona is junior cornerback Robert Golden, who was a 13-game starter at strong safety in 2009 after switching to the position from cornerback in spring ball. Highlight to season was 79-yard interception return for a touchdown two and a half minutes into the victory over Stanford. It was the seventh-longest INT return for a touchdown in school history and longest in 13 seasons.
• Arizona won its first game against a No. 1-ranked team on Oct. 10, 1981. The Wildcats upset USC and Marcus Allen 13-10 at The Coliseum. Overall, the UA is 2-6 against No. 1 teams in the history of the program.
• Twice, Arizona has attempted only one pass in a game and both were against Oregon in 1978 and 1993.
• The renowned Desert Swarm defense was No. 1 in the nation in 1993 with only 236.9 yards allowed.
• Other national rankings of which the UA finished No. 1:
  • Team rush defense, 30.1 yards allowed, 1993
  • Scoring defense, 8.9 points a game, 1992
  • Team passing offense, 177.7 yards a game, 1941
  • Punt returns, 17.7 yards per return, 1960
  • Kickoff returns, 26.7 yards per return, 1954
  • Fourth-down conversion defense, 10 percent allowed, 2006
  • Total offense (individual), Fred Enke, 1,941 yards, 1947
  • Rushing offense, Art Luppino, 1,359 yards, 1954
  • Rushing offense, Art Luppino, 1,313 yards, 1955
  • Passing efficiency rating, Eddie Wilson, 140.8, 1960
  • Passing efficiency rating, Eddie Wilson, 134.2, 1961
  • Pass receiving, Hank Stanton, 50 for 820 yards, 1941
  • Pass receiving, Dave Hibbert, 61 for 606 yards, 1958
  • All-purpose rushing, Art Luppino, 2,193 yards, 1954
  • All-purpose rushing, Art Luppino, 1,702 yards, 1955
  • Scoring, Art Luppino, 166 points, 1954
  • Punt returns, Dennis Northcutt, 18.96 yards
  • Kickoff returns, Art Luppino, 20 for 632 yards, 1954

NOTE: Statistics and records reflect information provided in the 2009 Arizona football media guide online. The 2010 media guide has yet to be made available on the Internet.

No. 1 best play in UA history

(in my lifetime, according to me … By Javier Morales)
And the winner is … Chuck Cecil‘s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against ASU in 1986. Arizona Stadium has never been more loud in my almost 35 years of experience attending games there. The legendary interception came with 8:56 remaining, as the fourth-ranked Sun Devils, unbeaten and heading to their first Rose Bowl, drove for a touchdown that could have narrowed Arizona’s lead to 24-17. Cecil stepped in front of Jeff Van Raaphorst‘s pass 7 yards deep in the end zone. He eluded a few ASU tacklers, broke free to the right sideline, and then sprinted to the end zone in what is the most electrifying moment in UA football history, especially in Tucson. The Wildcats won 34-17 and afterward, Cecil remarked: “I hate ASU.”
Why is this play No. 1?: It is the signature play of “The Streak” which turned the tide in the modern era of the series following ASU’s dominance of Arizona in football in the 1960s and 1970s. How often does a former walk-on intercept a pass and run the entire length of the field for a touchdown? Answer: Practically once in a lifetime. Last-second kicks happen all the time — not to take anything away from Max Zendejas and his numerous, important clutch performances — but what Cecil did in 1986 may never happen again in our lifetime. It has not to this point.

TOLEDO BLADE: >>A familiar name on Cats’ staff >>Dantin named starting QB for Toledo vs. Arizona >>Lake High graduate Mathews pushes past tough times. >>Back to basics: UT’s Beckman returns to defensive roots >>Rockets use grayshirts to boost depth Toledo Truth: >>This will mark the first time in history that a Pac-10 school will visit a MAC school’s stadium for a football game. Toledo is also the first MAC school to host a Big Ten school when Indiana visited the Glass Bowl in 1996. In 1997, Toledo became the first MAC school to beat a Big Ten school at a MAC stadium when the Rockets defeated Purdue 36-22. Purdue finished 9-3 and played in the Alamo Bowl that year. Toledo is also the first MAC school to host a game with Ohio State. It was not at the Glass Bowl, but Toledo hosted a neutral site game against Ohio State last season, the first of its kind for a MAC program against the Buckeyes. Toledo is also the first MAC school to defeat Penn State in 2000, a 24-6 win at Happy Valley. Toledo was also the first MAC school to defeat Pittsburgh, when the Rockets shocked the No. 9 Panthers 35-31 in 2003. Lastly, in 2008, Toledo became the first MAC school to defeat Michigan, when the Rockets beat the Wolverines at the Big House with a final score of 13-10.

E-mail WILDABOUTAZCATS@GMAIL.COM to inquire about placing an ad for thousands of Wildcat fans to read. >>Dish HD for Life: Great specials on HD TV from Dish. >>Arizona Cancer Center: Ways to give. >>St. Baldrick’s Organization: Help children with cancer.

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Pac-10 rival UCLA enters recruiting picture for UA’s coveted prospect

Arizona’s coveted Class of 2011 recruit Josiah Turner, a 6-2 point guard from Sacramento (Calif.) High, has crossed UConn off his list and will officially visit UCLA the weekend of Sept. 10-11, according to his mother Doris Ward.

Turner will also officially visit Louisville on Sept. 3-4, Arizona on Sept. 17-18, Oregon on Oct. 8-9 (tentatively) and Kansas on Oct. 15-16.

Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy guard Quinn Cook is still scheduled to visit Arizona Sept. 24-25 despite a knee injury that might potentially sideline him for the upcoming season.

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Arizona by the numbers with only 2 days until kickoff:

Michael Turner

Keola Antolin

• No. 2 for Arizona includes senior cornerback Mike Turner and junior running back Keola Antolin. Known for his crucial play at ASU last year. He raced downfield and recovered a muffed punt in the closing seconds the Sun Devils, giving Arizona the ball at the 22-yard line. Alex Zendejas later drilled the game-winning 32-yard field goal as time expired. Third on the team with 10 special teams tackles among his 11 total.
  Antolin also had a significant play against ASU, breaking free on a career-best 67-yard touchdown run. He is Arizona’s leading returning rusher with 637 yards on 114 carries in 2009. He earned the Bob Moran MVP Award in Territorial Cup game against ASU thanks to touchdown burst. He is tied for the school rushing record with four TDs at Oregon (2 carries, 87 yards), also a freshman record.

• Max Zendejas, whose name litters the UA record book, holds the record for most 50-yard-plus field goals in a game. He made a 51- and 53-yarder against UCLA on Nov. 12, 1983.
• On only two occasions have the Wildcats scored two points via the safety in a game: 1941 at New Mexico and 1982 against ASU. The opponent record for safeties is also two, achieved by TCU in 1999.
• Arizona ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring margin in 1954 — 38.5 points, a record that will likely never again be broken.
• Floyd Hudlow scored a school-record two TDs on a punt return in one game, vs. BYU on Sept. 21, 1964. The returns were for 61 and 69 yards.

NOTE: Statistics and records reflect information provided in the 2009 Arizona football media guide online. The 2010 media guide has yet to be made available on the Internet.

No. 2 best play in UA history

(in my lifetime, according to me … By Javier Morales)
Max Zendejas‘ game-winning 48-yard field goal at the hallowed grounds of Notre Dame in 1982 could legitimately be the No. 1 play in school history. But in my mind, it’s just behind the top play that will be revealed tomorrow. Zendejas made three field goals after halftime against the Fighting Irish, including the game-winner against an untimely strong wind gust as the clock expired. Zendejas told me last year, “I kid around with people that Rudy is not the only one who got carried off the field at South Bend.”

The Wildcats won 16-13 over the ninth-ranked and previously unbeaten Fighting Irish in what is perhaps the greatest victory in school history. Arizona was playing its way out of NCAA probation because of violations committed by the previous staff. That kick came against a storied program and propelled the Wildcats on to the national stage in a positive light after the negativity suffered through the probation.

RELATED LINK FROM 2009: Zendejas informs WildAboutAZCats.com a story that was never told before about his game-winning kick at Notre Dame.

TOLEDO BLADE: >>A familiar name on Cats’ staff >>Dantin named starting QB for Toledo vs. Arizona >>Lake High graduate Mathews pushes past tough times. >>Back to basics: UT’s Beckman returns to defensive roots >>Rockets use grayshirts to boost depth Toledo Truth: >>The University of Toledo announced Tuesday that approximately 5,000 single-game tickets remain to sell for its home opening football game vs. Arizona at the Glass Bowl on Friday (5:00 p.m./ESPN). UT also announced that Ultimate Fan Plan football season tickets are sold out. Other season ticket plans are still available for sale. A total of about 10,500 season tickets have been sold so far this season, including 4,500 ultimate Fan Plan seats. That far surpasses last year’s total of 7,429 and is very close to the all-time season ticket mark of 10,851 set in 2004. Season tickets and single-game tickets may be purchased at the UT Athletic Ticket Office, online at utrockets.com or by calling 419-530-GOLD (4653).

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Arizona by the numbers with only 3 days until kickoff:

Daniel Jenkins

Anthony Wilcox

• No. 3 for Arizona includes senior safety Anthony Wilcox and freshman running back Daniel Jenkins.
  Wilcox is like starter at safety and will figure prominently with special teams play. He will see much more playing time than last year, in which he only saw action in four games. He is 24 years old. He originally attended high school in Florida and then later played with Compton (Calif.) Junior College before attending Arizona.
  Jenkins is a redshirt freshman who figures to be in Arizona’s running back rotation. Has big-game capability.
  While playing for Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, Calif., he had 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns against St. John Bosco, and three TDs and 191 yards against Arcadia in 2008.

• Arizona’s highest climb in the Associated Press college football poll is No. 3 in 1983 when the Cats, featuring All-American linebacker Ricky Hunley, started 4-0. They fell to No. 10 after tying Cal 33-33 in one of the school’s greatest collapses. California rallied at home from a 26-3 deficit with four touchdowns and a field goal in the second half to tie the game. A 22-yard field goal by Randy Pratt with 48 seconds tied the game.
• The most players to rush for more than 100 yards in a game is three, which occurred in 1993 against Oregon. The rushers: Chuck Levy (19-156), Ontiwaun Carter (15-160), and Billy Johnson (18-100).
• The most players to receive more than 100 yards in a game is three, which occurred in 2007 against New Mexico. The receivers: Mike Thomas (7-137), Terrell Turner (7-109), and Anthony Johnson (7-102).
• Six receivers share the UA record for most touchdown receptions in a game with three. The list:
  • Mike Thomas at Washington, 10-27-07
  • Bobby Wade at California, 11-3-01
  • Scott Piper vs. Northwestern, 10-4-75
  • Charlie McKee vs. Wyoming, 11-21-70
  • Joe Hernandez vs. New Mexico, 10-21-61
  • Bill Glazier vs. New Mexico, 11-5-49
• In five different games in UA history the Wildcats and their opponents have combined for only three receptions. All those contests were in the 1930s.
• Michigan State returned three interceptions for a touchdown in 1949, a UA-opponent record. The three picks for a TD also ties a UA-opponent season record that was matched in 1982, 2001, 2003 and 2006. Arizona’s record is also three, achieved in 1996 against Illinois.
• The record for most touchdowns via a punt return in a season is three, achieved by Floyd Hudlow in 1964 and Jackie Wallace in 1971.
• Arizona’s defense was porous in 1999 and 2003 as evidenced by its school-record three games exceeding 500 yards or more allowed in a season.
• The most consecutive games without scoring is three in 1915 against New Mexico State, Western New Mexico and Whittier.

NOTE: Statistics and records reflect information provided in the 2009 Arizona football media guide online. The 2010 media guide has yet to be made available on the Internet.

No. 3 best play in UA history

(in my lifetime, according to me … By Javier Morales)
In 1985, before the largest sporting event crowd in Arizona history at ASU, 72,345, Max Zendejas tied a school record with a 57-yard field goal knotting the score at 13 with 5:29 left in the game. He then booted the game-winner — a 32-yarder — with 1:27 to play. That gave the Wildcats a 16-13 win, their fourth straight over the Devils in “The Streak”. The 57-yarder is more incredible considering Zendejas had just made a 52-yarder but Arizona was penalized for illegal procedure. UA coach Larry Smith did not hesitate to allow Zendejas to try from 57 yards. The kick easily cleared the cross bar by at least 10 yards and was dead-center, tying him with Lee Pistor for the longest field goal in UA history. Moreover, Zendejas’ performance thwarted ASU from going to the Rose Bowl for the second time in three years.

TOLEDO BLADE: >>Dantin named starting QB for Toledo vs. Arizona >>Lake High graduate Mathews pushes past tough times. >>Back to basics: UT’s Beckman returns to defensive roots >>Rockets use grayshirts to boost depth >>10 questions with Mike Ward Toledo Truth: >>Toledo trails 2-0 vs. Arizona, its most recent game a 41-16 defeat in 2008. Just five Rocket starters were in the starting lineup for that game: C Kevin Kowalski, OL Mike VanDerMeulen, LB Archie Donald, CB Desmond Marrow and P Bill Claus.

E-mail WILDABOUTAZCATS@GMAIL.COM to inquire about placing an ad for thousands of Wildcat fans to read. >>Dish HD for Life: Great specials on HD TV from Dish. >>Arizona Cancer Center: Ways to give. >>St. Baldrick’s Organization: Help children with cancer.

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Arizona by the numbers with only 4 days until kickoff:

Matt Scott

Marquis Flowers

• No. 4 for Arizona includes junior quarterback Matt Scott and freshman safety Marquis Flowers.
  Athletic ability and running skill put Scott as the No. 1 quarterback after spring ball and fall camp last season. He started the first three games. UA coach Mike Stoops has indicated that Scott will switch with starter Nick Foles often this season to keep defenses honest. He rushed for career-high 91 yards on career-high 10 attempts against Washington State, and another 83 yards in opener against Central Michigan. He finished third on the team in rushing with 309 yards with an eye-popping 7.5 yards per carry.
  Flowers is one of the more decorated recruits in Arizona football history. He played in the U.S. Army All-America game in January in San Antonio. He was selected to the USA Today Tom Lemming’s Top 25 safety list. He tallied 46 tackles, four passes defended, a field-goal block and two interceptions as a senior. On offense, he rushed for 1,247 yards and 16 TDs while catching 13 passes for 162 yards.

• The Wildcats’ best finish in the AP college football is No. 4 following a 12-1 season in 1998 (see accompanying YouTube video) that culminated with a win over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.
• Five UA players share the record for most rushing touchdowns in a game with four:
  • Keola Antolin, at Oregon, 11-15-08
  • Richard Hersey, vs. Pacific, 11-15-80
  • Harry Holt, vs. UTEP, 10-9-76
  • Art Luppino, vs. New Mexico St., 11-3-54
  • Don Beasley, vs. ASU, 11-28-53
• Five place-kickers share the record for most field goals in a game with four:
  • Alex Zendejas vs. Central Michigan, 9-5-09
  • Doug Pfaff vs. Stanford, 9-2-89
  • Max Zendejas vs. Washington St., 9-14-85
  • Max Zendejas at LSU, 9-22-84
  • Max Zendejas at California, 10-1-83
  • Charles Gorham vs. Indiana, 9-22-73
  • Steve Hurley vs. UTEP, 10-5-68
• Pfaff. Hurley, Gorham and Zendejas (against LSU) each made all four of their attempts, also a school record.
• The 1971 team returned a school-record four punts for a touchdown that season. Jackie Wallace, had three of those and finished with a record four punt returns for a TD in his career (1970-72).
• Antoine Cason had the most touchdowns by a return in a season with four (two punt and two interception) in 2007.
• Chuck Cecil’s four interceptions against Stanford in 1987 is the most in a game for Arizona.

No. 4 best play in UA history

(in my lifetime, according to me … By Javier Morales)
I yield this portion to Anthony Gimino’s description of the renowned “Leap by the Lake” play in 1998 (WILDABOUTAZCATS.COM’s YouTube video included above):
Arizona was at the Washington 9-yard line. Dennis Northcutt and tight end Mike Lucky were split to the left. Malosi Leonard and Brandon Nash were to the right. Washington had 3-on-2 coverage on both sides. Jenkins took the snap, looking left for Northcutt, his top receiver. Double-covered. He looked right into the end zone. Nothing. Jenkins continued to drift back. Running back Trung Canidate swung out to the right, taking a defender with him. Also covered. Jenkins, still backpedaling, was in trouble, retreating all the way to the 20-yard line. His only choice seemed to be an incompletion to stop the clock. Well, there was one other option. All the defensive pass coverage was deep or to the outside. The middle was invitingly clear. Jenkins could run. Do or die. Score or lose. Hero or goat. With Dick Tomey’s words still echoing – “If you run, you better make it” – Jenkins planted his right foot and charged into history.

TOLEDO BLADE: >>Lake High graduate Mathews pushes past tough times. >>Back to basics: UT’s Beckman returns to “>defensive roots >>Rockets use grayshirts to boost depth >>10 questions with Mike Ward >>UT’s Marrow all about play-making Toledo Truth: >>Toledo’s likely starting quarterback, sophomore Austin Dantin, wears No. 4 and he played in seven games at quarterback last year, starting three.. He completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 962 yards and four TDs. Also ran for 51 yards.

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