"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

BCS championship game significant for two participants

BOWL BONANZA STANDINGS (PRE-BCS TITLE GAME)

By Javier Morales

Thirty-three bowls completed and still no winner in our first Bowl Bonanza.

With one bowl remaining, the competition is down to two participants — Ben and Memo Buelna. They are separated by one game and each picked a different winner in the BCS championship game tonight at the Rose Bowl.

Ben, the leader with a 22-11 record, predicts Texas to win 27-24. Memo, alone in second at 21-12, picks Alabama to roll over the Longhorns 35-24.

It’s simple: Texas wins and Ben captures the Bowl Bonanza title. If Alabama wins, Memo has a chance depending on the point-differential of the picks combined with their Arizona-Nebraska predicted score.

Arizona lost to Nebraska 33-0 in the Holiday Bowl (which, by the way, is the only shutout this bowl season). Memo’s point-differential from that game is 36 as he predicted Arizona to win 17-14 (17-point difference from Arizona’s score added to the 19-point difference from the Nebraska score). Ben predicted Arizona to win 34-17, which is a differential of 50 points.

Some interesting tidbits:

• Only two of 48 participants picked Nebraska to beat Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.
• Ben is among the minority picking Texas to beat Alabama. Out of 44 respondents in our Bowl Bonanza, 37 believe Alabama will defeat the Longhorns.
• Only 11 of 43 respondents thought Boise State would beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos defeated TCU 17-10.
• The Oregon Ducks were overwhelming favorites among 41 people who picked the game (34 people took the Ducks over the Buckeyes). Ohio State won the game 26-17. More Pac-10 bias: Out of 46 respondents, 40 took Oregon State over BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Cougars routed the Beavers 44-20.
• It was a rough bowl season for most participants. Teams picked by more than 80 percent of the respondents went only 9-8. Those that were picked by more than 90 percent by our respondents (Arizona 96 percent, Fresno State 91 percent against Wyoming, USC 95 percent against Boston College, Auburn 95 percent against Northwestern and Central Michigan 93 percent against Troy) went 3-2 with two of the wins coming in overtime (Auburn and Central Michigan). Alabama is favored by 84 percent of our respondents.

BOWL BONANZA LEADER BOARD (PRE-BCS TITLE GAME)

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Visit TucsonCitizen.com for description of the game

Click on TucsonCitizen.com to read Anthony Gimino‘s description of the Holiday Bowl and to provide your own commentary. Gimino, Javier Morales and Steve Rivera are in attendance to report on the game. Gimino also provided some pictures of UA fan functions before the game.

PLEASE ALSO READ:
>>Arizona, where are you? (Observations by Morales of the first half)
>>Plenty of UA fans here in San Diego, but … (Rivera’s thoughts)

THE ONLY HIGHLIGHT FOR ARIZONA IN THE FIRST HALF? ITS ENTRANCE INTO QUALCOMM STADIUM:

AND REALLY THE ONLY TIME TO CELEBRATE WAS IN THE PREGAME PEP RALLY AT QUALCOMM:

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What players to watch in the Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium

The talent rundown for the game according to NFLDraftScout.com. NOTE: Players are ranked by their position in each class. For example, Devin Ross is the 11th-rated cornerback among seniors. The *-asterisk denotes player projected to be drafted in first three rounds:

ARIZONA SENIORS			NEBRASKA SENIORS
No. 11 Devin Ross*, CB, 5-10, 176			No. 1 Ndamukong Suh*, DT, 6-4, 302
No. 13 Chris Gronkowski, FB, 6-2, 235			No. 8 Larry Asante, SS, 6-0, 215
No. 15 Earl Mitchell, DT, 6-2, 295			No. 10 Jacob Hickman, C, 6-4, 292
No. 28 Cam Nelson, SS, 6-1, 202			No. 25 Phillip Dillard, ILB, 6-1, 240
No. 48 Adam Grant, OT, 6-6, 325			No. 31 Barry Turner, DE, 6-3, 265
ARIZONA JUNIORS			NEBRASKA JUNIORS
No. 4 Keenyn Crier, P, 6-1, 200			No. 3 Alex Henery, K, 6-2, 175
No. 4 Colin Baxter, C, 6-4, 295			No. 4 Prince Amukamara, CB, 6-1, 200
No. 15 Ricky Elmore, DE, 6-5, 250			No. 5 Mike McNeill, TE, 6-4, 240
No. 27 A.J. Simmons, TE, 6-3, 255			No. 13 Eric Hagg, SS, 6-2, 205
No. 31 Nic Grigsby, RB, 5-10, 190			No. 21 Niles Paul, WR, 6-1, 215
ARIZONA SOPHOMORES			NEBRASKA SOPHOMORES
No. 4 Nick Foles, QB, 6-5, 235			No. 2 Jared Crick, DT, 6-6, 285
No. 9 Robert Golden, FS, 5-11, 195			No. 26 Alfonzo Dennard, CB, 5-10, 190
No. 13 Alex Zendejas, PK, 5-11, 190			No. 56 Marcel Jones, OT, 6-7, 310
No. 14 Trevin Wade, CB, 5-11, 182			No. 59 Terrence Moore, DT, 6-3, 285
No. 14 Matt Scott, QB, 6-3, 190			No. 110 Curenski Gilleylen, WR, 6-0, 215
ARIZONA FRESHMEN			NEBRASKA FRESHMEN
No. 5 Greg Nwoko, FB, 6-2, 220			No. 6 Sean Fisher, OLB, 6-5, 230
No. 11 Adam Hall, FS, 6-1, 230			No. 8 Baker Steinkuhler, DT, 6-6, 295
No. 16 Solomon Koehler, OG, 6-3, 335			No. 9 Will Compton, ILB, 6-2, 225
No. 18 Trevor Erno, ILB, 6-1, 230			No. 12 Cody Green, QB, 6-4, 220
No. 28 Chris Merrill, DT, 6-2, 285			No. 16 Dijon Washington, CB, 6-0, 176

INITIAL OBSERVATIONS

Ndamukong Suh

My colleague Anthony Gimino posed this question in a recent blog at TucsonCitizen: When is the last time the Cats have played a defensive talent like Suh? Washington’s Steve Emtman? Penn State’s Lavar Arrington? Arizona’s players suggest they are not in awe of Suh — UA center Colin Baxter told The Arizona Daily Star this week that “He’s not some kind of Superman.” — but Suh will be a focal point of the offensive line and quarterback Nick Foles. As great as Suh is — he could be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft — he indicated this week that he has yet to play his best game. “I haven’t played a perfect game yet so let’s try and see if I can do that against Arizona,” Suh told the Associated Press. On Dec. 5, Suh played close to perfect in Nebraska’s 13-12 loss to No. 2 Texas in the Big 12 title game. Among his 12 tackles were 4 1/2 sacks, increasing his season total to 12. UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price, a first-team All-American selection by th American Football Coaches Association and Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, had a relatively quiet game against the Cats this season with two tackles, one for lost yardage, and no sacks.

ARIZONAN TOP NEBRASKA DEFENDER

Prince Amukamara

Nebraska junior cornerback Prince Amukamara hails from Glendale but he never visited Arizona during the recruiting process. Amukamara, an All-Big 12 selection, is tied for the team lead with five interceptions. He also leads the Huskers with 11 pass breakups. He also has two sacks. Amukamara consider ASU but not seriously. He also considered UTEP, Colorado, UNLV and Oregon State. Nebraska sophomore offensive tackle Marcel Jones (6-foot-7, 310 pounds) of Phoenix Trevor Browne was orginally interested in playing for Lute Olson but as he started to excel more in football he never considered the Cats. Junior safety Eric Hagg, of Peoria Ironwood, took only one trip to Arizona — for a basketball camp, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Hagg and UA sophomore place-kicker Alex Zendejas were teammates at Ironwood.

CRICK OR TREAT

Jared Crick

Nebraska sophomore defensive tackle Jared Crick, after producing only two tackles in nine games as a freshman in 2008, won the starting job next to Suh in fall camp. Crick responded by setting the school record with five sacks and seven tackles for losses against Baylor en route to a season with 9.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 70 tackles. “(Suh) is a good player, but I tell you what: The guy next to him isn’t far off,” said Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. “He’s a hell of a player too.”

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UA assistant coached Texas Tech’s offense before moving to Tucson

RELATED LINK: Mike Leach fired by Texas Tech (Sporting News)

By Javier Morales

SAN DIEGO — The Mike Leach firestorm at Texas Tech has implications on Arizona and the Holiday Bowl in general.

Sonny Dykes

Former Red Raiders offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, who fills the same capacity with the Cats, will undoubtedly become the top candidate to replace Leach as Texas Tech’s coach. Dykes established a successful spread offense at Texas Tech that produced Heisman hopeful Michael Crabtree, and his father Spike Dykes is legendary in Lubbock as a former Red Raiders coach.

It so happens that Craig James, the father of the Texas Tech player embroiled in the controversy involving Leach’s treatment of players, will be announcing tonight’s game for ESPN. How long will it take for play-by-play guy Chris Fowler to ask James, “So what do you think about the coaching situation at Texas Tech?” It’s a topic that should be discussed in the booth by James if ESPN is to be considered a legitimate news outlet.

Some other Holiday Bowl observations, including input about Nebraska’s perception of the game and Arizona’s ball-control offense vs. the Huskers’ defense, are available via a “Facts You May Not Know” segment at TucsonCitizen.com. Here are more Holiday Bowl offerings from our sister site:

• Facts You May Not Know: Nebraska vs. Arizona
• Holiday Bowl notes: Anybody up for some trick plays
• Holiday Bowl: No style points necessary, just win
• Breaking down the Holiday Bowl inside and out
• UA’s Horton hoping a dream comes true in Holiday Bowl
• Stopping Nebraska not complicated for no-name Arizona defense
• UA’s offense more of a challenge for Pelini this time around
• Wildcats ready to shed the blue helmets for Holiday Bowl
• Satisfied: Arizona does not need to win the Holiday Bowl
• Arizona football players bring holiday cheer to local first grade classroom
• Arizona football’s All-Decade Team (Offense)
• The Holiday Bowl and much more
• Tomey talks about the Nebraska “N”
• Q&A with ESPN’s Bob Davie
• Color bind: How should the Cats dress for Holiday Bowl success?
• Cats beat Huskers for recruit
• Holiday Bowl flashback: What the Nebraska “N” really stood for

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Assortment of links, stories to UA-Nebraska game

As the 2009 Holiday Bowl approaches, reports from The Arizona Daily Star to the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star and all points in between will offer their latest tidbits on the game. WILDABOUTAZCATS.com will put the information at your fingerprints by offering links to all the pertinent information that will be reported about the game from now until kickoff. We start with this week’s reports and provide a complete lists of posts at our sister site, TucsonCitizen.com.

• Breaking down the Holiday Bowl inside and out
• UA’s Horton hoping a dream comes true in Holiday Bowl
• Stopping Nebraska not complicated for no-name Arizona defense
• UA’s offense more of a challenge for Pelini this time around
• Wildcats ready to shed the blue helmets for Holiday Bowl
• Satisfied: Arizona does not need to win the Holiday Bowl
• Arizona football players bring holiday cheer to local first grade classroom
• Arizona football’s All-Decade Team (Offense)
• The Holiday Bowl and much more
• Tomey talks about the Nebraska “N”
• Q&A with ESPN’s Bob Davie
• Color bind: How should the Cats dress for Holiday Bowl success?
• Cats beat Huskers for recruit
• Holiday Bowl flashback: What the Nebraska “N” really stood for

• Pelini vs. Stoops in Holiday Bowl (Youngstown (OH) Vindicator)
• College band’s snowbound so high school’s bowl-bound (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Nebraska band stuck at home; Lincoln high school group to fill in (Lincoln Journal Star)
• Holiday Bowl reaches sell-out status (San Diego News Network)
• Holiday Bowl Preview (Ted Miller/ESPN.com)
• Huskers hold final practice before Holiday Bowl (KETV.com)
• Neraska primer for Holiday Bowl (San Diego Sports Examiner)

• Arizona primer for Holiday Bowl (San Diego Sports Examiner)

• Wildcats plan a new look for bowl game (Arizona Daily Star)
  • View a picture of the potential white UA helmet by clicking on this link.
• Wildcat coach FSU bound after bowl (Omaha World-Herald)
• Sometimes defensive battles turn into shootouts (Omaha World-Herald)
• Huskers beat snow, arrive in San Diego (with video analysis from Nebraska’s Husker Extra reporters)
• Cornhuskers shouldn’t sleep on a dangerous Arizona team in Holiday Bowl (Bleacher Report)

DEC. 24

• Arizona already getting to work (Omaha World-Herald)

DEC. 23
VIDEO FROM WILDCATSPORTSREPORT.COM:

• Wildcat DT has changed on field, in classroom (Husker Extra)
• Video of Sonny Dykes interview regarding Holiday Bowl prep and other matters (Wildcat Sports Report)

DEC. 22

• Holiday Bowl events tailored to Arizona fans (UA News)
• FGreg Hansen: Perception around UA is slowly changing (Arizona Daily Star)
• Suh named AP defensive player of the year (Associated Press)
• Nothing to prove and that’s the challenge (Nebraska State Paper)
• Wildcat passer is well protected (Omaha World-Herald)

DEC. 20

• ’98 and ’09 Cats: Different, but so much alike (Arizona Daily Star)

DEC. 19

• Huskers work out early, break for holidays (WOWT)
• Holiday Bowl Report: A solid week of practice for N ebraska (includes video of practice) (Scout.com)
• Practice report: Green could get snaps vs. Arizona (Husker Extra)
• Quarterbacks Lee and Green likely to play in San Diego (Omaha World-Herald)

DEC. 17

• Suh: I’ve never played a perfect game (Sporting News)
• Costly kick in the teeth to bowl teams (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Holiday Bowl Preview: Arizona offense vs. Nebraska defense (Bleacher Report)
• NU watches its dollars while planning for Holiday Bowl trip (Lincoln Journal Star)
• Officials hope for 1998 rerun (Arizona Daily Star)

DEC. 16

• Arizona-Nebraska preview (Sporting News)
• Arizona a scary opponent (Big Red Network)
• Springtime in Lincoln for Huskers (includes video interviews of Nebraska’s players about Arizona)
• Husker offense going back to basics (includes video)

DEC. 15

• Why Cody Green should start the Holiday Bowl (Big Red Network)
• ’98 game so good it demanded a sequel (Green Valley News)
• Arizona excited to face Huskers in Holiday Bowl (includes video of two Nebraska media members candidly discussing the Cats)
• Nebraska continues preparation for Holiday Bowl with Arizona game plan (Huskers.com)

DEC. 10

• Holiday Bowl teams spark surge in tickets (San Diego Union-Tribune)

H

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Coach’s LSU defense dismantled Cats in last meeting

A little background to the game within the game: Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes vs. Nebraska’s defense, charged by head coach Bo Pelini and his older brother Carl (the Cornhuskers’ defensive coordinator) …

The last time Arizona faced a Bo Pelini-coached defense in 2006, the Cats were in a world of hurt, literally. Watching the Laron Landry hit on Willie Tuitama is unsettling to this day. Tuitama suffered a concussion against LSU and Pelini, its defensive coordinator at the time.

The injury affected Tuitama’s NFL potential because teams are leery of players with a concussion history. The hit by Landry was considered a clean hit at the time. Since then, the NCAA has made it a violation if a player leads with his helmet while tackling. Don’t get me wrong, Pelini’s defenses play clean; they are simply damaging to the opposition. They play with an edge.

Please read more of this entry at TucsonCitizen.com

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Arizona’s new white helmet revealed

As the 2009 Holiday Bowl approaches, reports from The Arizona Daily Star to the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star and all points in between will offer their latest tidbits on the game. WILDABOUTAZCATS.com will put the information at your fingerprints by offering links to all the pertinent information that will be reported about the game from now until kickoff. We start with this week’s reports and provide a complete lists of posts at our sister site, TucsonCitizen.com.

• Wildcats ready to shed the blue helmets for Holiday Bowl
• Satisfied: Arizona does not need to win the Holiday Bowl
• Arizona football players bring holiday cheer to local first grade classroom
• Arizona football’s All-Decade Team (Offense)
• The Holiday Bowl and much more
• Tomey talks about the Nebraska “N”
• Q&A with ESPN’s Bob Davie
• Color bind: How should the Cats dress for Holiday Bowl success?
• Cats beat Huskers for recruit
• Holiday Bowl flashback: What the Nebraska “N” really stood for

• Wildcats plan a new look for bowl game (Arizona Daily Star)
  • View a picture of the potential white UA helmet by clicking on this link.
• Sometimes defensive battles turn into shootouts (Omaha World-Herald)
• Huskers beat snow, arrive in San Diego (with video analysis from Nebraska’s Husker Extra reporters)
• Cornhuskers shouldn’t sleep on a dangerous Arizona team in Holiday Bowl (Bleacher Report)

DEC. 24

• Arizona already getting to work (Omaha World-Herald)

DEC. 23
VIDEO FROM WILDCATSPORTSREPORT.COM:

• Wildcat DT has changed on field, in classroom (Husker Extra)
• Video of Sonny Dykes interview regarding Holiday Bowl prep and other matters (Wildcat Sports Report)

DEC. 22

• Holiday Bowl events tailored to Arizona fans (UA News)
• FGreg Hansen: Perception around UA is slowly changing (Arizona Daily Star)
• Suh named AP defensive player of the year (Associated Press)
• Nothing to prove and that’s the challenge (Nebraska State Paper)
• Wildcat passer is well protected (Omaha World-Herald)

DEC. 20

• ’98 and ’09 Cats: Different, but so much alike (Arizona Daily Star)

DEC. 19

• Huskers work out early, break for holidays (WOWT)
• Holiday Bowl Report: A solid week of practice for N ebraska (includes video of practice) (Scout.com)
• Practice report: Green could get snaps vs. Arizona (Husker Extra)
• Quarterbacks Lee and Green likely to play in San Diego (Omaha World-Herald)

DEC. 17

• Suh: I’ve never played a perfect game (Sporting News)
• Costly kick in the teeth to bowl teams (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Holiday Bowl Preview: Arizona offense vs. Nebraska defense (Bleacher Report)
• NU watches its dollars while planning for Holiday Bowl trip (Lincoln Journal Star)
• Officials hope for 1998 rerun (Arizona Daily Star)

DEC. 16

• Arizona-Nebraska preview (Sporting News)
• Arizona a scary opponent (Big Red Network)
• Springtime in Lincoln for Huskers (includes video interviews of Nebraska’s players about Arizona)
• Husker offense going back to basics (includes video)

DEC. 15

• Why Cody Green should start the Holiday Bowl (Big Red Network)
• ’98 game so good it demanded a sequel (Green Valley News)
• Arizona excited to face Huskers in Holiday Bowl (includes video of two Nebraska media members candidly discussing the Cats)
• Nebraska continues preparation for Holiday Bowl with Arizona game plan (Huskers.com)

DEC. 10

• Holiday Bowl teams spark surge in tickets (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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