Wildcat Sports Report Ezine Issue !

Wildcat Sports Report Staff:

Brad Allis - Editor-In-ChiefGary Randazzo - ColumnistChris Bonney - Football EditorJavier Morales - Senior EditorAnthony Gimino - Lead WriterCanyon Allis - Staff WriterBlake Phillips - CFOTony Melendez - The Man behind the ManBrittany McMorris - ReporterVinny Vinzetta - Contributor

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What you have here is a celebration of the latest chapter in the crazy saga of Wildcat Sports Report. In August we re-launched the website as part of the 247 Sports Network. This was after a summer that saw our site get hacked, and es-sentially destroyed.That was the latest mishap in a series of unfortunate events.But that should not matter to you. What should matter to you is that you are reading what we feel is the most accurate, complete breakdown of the Wild-cat football team that you will find. We put this togther as late as we could so we could get the latest news and watch all of fall camp, talk to all of the coaches and gather as much of the latest intel as possible. What Wildcat Sports Report can boast is the most experi-enced staff in terms of University of Arizona coverage you will find anywhere, and that includes the daily papers. We boast a professional staff of journalsists who have provid-ed content for the Tucson Citizen, Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Republic, CBS Sportsline, ESPN.com, Scout.com, Rivals.com, Fox Sports Arizona and the Associated Press. If you are familiar with Wildcat Sports Report/WildAboutA-ZCats/TucsonCitizen.com, then thanks for joining us in this newest outlet for our Wildcat coverage. If you are new to us, welcome, check out the website, join our awesome, rapidlt growing messageboard community. If you think you know someone who would enjoy this e-zine, pass it on! Just forward it to all of your Wildcat loving friends.We’d appreciate it, and they just might as well. Inside the e-zine you’ll get in-depth breakdowns of the of-fense, defense and special teams as well as an interview with Nick Foles and the staff’s predictions. Bear Down!

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Arizona offense poised for big things

Rick Faust/Rick Faust Photography

With a full offseason as the starter under his belt, Nick Foles will try to lead the Wildcat offense to greater heights this season.

By Brad Allis

THERE are not a ton of questions surrounding the Arizona offense heading into

the season. The unit was good last year and seems poised to be even better this season. The Cats return the bulk of the unit that averaged 27.4 points a year ago and have replaced most of the loses. Many felt the biggest loss would be offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. Dykes is now the head coach at Louisiana Tech but he leaves two of his disciples, who are also disciples for former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, to man the Arizona offense. While co-coordinators is not the norm, both Bill Bedenbaugh and Seth Littrell have spent the bulk of their coaching careers in this offense and have worked together for most of that time. Littrell will do the actual play calling, but he and Bedenbaugh will work with the rest of the offensive staff to put the gameplans together. It may be unconventional, but so far the move has generated positive reviews and no one seems to be concerned about the two sharing the role. “A lot of people put too much into that,” said Littrell. “We have the same philosophies as an offense and we work well together as a staff. We’ll tinker with some things here and there and play to our personnel.” Littrell Dykes’ departure also opened up a spot on the staff for a quarterbacks coach. Mike Stoops went out and tabbed Frank Scelfo to work with the signal callers, the first quarterback-only coach in the last decade. So far

the players are reacting positively to Scelfo’s teaching “He knows so much,” said Foles. “He knows so much about the fundamentals of quarterback. I am just very lucky to be working with him, I am so excited.” While Matt Scott has greatly improved from last year, the job is still Foles’. Scelfo has tweaked both passers’ mechanics and the

fine-tuning has suited both players well. Foles had a strong spring and despite some minor injuries during fall camp, the junior appears ready to improve upon his strong sophomore campaign. Foles has a great grasp on the offense, fantastic pocket presence and a strong arm. He makes good decisions and is the type of quiet leader players have really gravitated

toward. Last year he had some issues when teams made a concerted effort to shut down the middle of the field and had a tendency to check down into conservative plays, but as his confidence grows and his feel for the offense improves, those issues should decrease. Scott is the better runner of the two and has done a nice job improving his passing acumen. He is showing more patience in the pocket, not taking off on a sprint the moment things bog down, but he can still do a lot of damage with his legs and may still be an option in some short-yardage situations. “A lot of times, the third year in the program is when it clicks for guys,” said assistant coach Dave Nichol. “And that’s where Matt is. Our system is not easy for a quarterback. … He has complete understanding of everything that is going on. That’s my opinion.” Bryson Beirne gives the team a heady back-up with a work ethic that has endeared him to his teammates. Last year the running game was really good, but battled the injury bug. Four different players led the team in rushing and the top four backs all missed time with injury. Nic Grigsby will get the opportunity to get the most touches, but you can bet Keola Antolin and Greg Nwoko will also get their chances. All three are different enough that there are a variety of things the staff can do with them. Grigsby is more of a speed runner, who can get to the outside. He is not afraid to run up the gut, but he’s at his best with some daylight. The best news is that Grigsby remained mostly healthy in camp. The shoulder and groin that plagued him last season and in the spring look healed and other than a stepped-on toe that cost him a handful of plays,


Sophomore running back Greg Nwoko gives the Cats a bruising runner.Grigsby was the model of perfect health in fall camp. “He wants to win,” said Littrell. “He wants to lead this team to a Pac-10 championship.” Antolin may lack height, but he gives the Cats a power runner who can still break away for a big gain. The junior did miss some time in fall camp, but should be at full strength for the season opener. The only question is can he remain healthy during the season? With Antolin ailing, it was Nwoko who benefited. One fumble aside, Nwoko looked very strong in the final fall scrimmage and Wildcat coaches have been raving about the big, bruising runner behind the scenes. Expect Nwoko to challenge

for carries and could be a serious option in short-yardage situation. Redshirt freshman Daniel Jenkins has looked good in his opportunities, but is behind the other players at this time. One of the stars of spring ball was fullback Taimi Tutogi. The physical sophomore not only showed that he could play fullback and H-Back, but could play some halfback as well. Unfortunately, Tutogi did not get a chance to showcase his skills in the fall. He suffered a bad ankle sprain early in camp and has been limited throughout. Without Tutogi, tight end A.J. Simmons has had to play some fullback and the Cats will also experiment with linebacker C.J. Parish at the spot.


Wildcat coaches have dubbed wide receiver Juron Criner a “big-time talent”.

Before the fall camp even started the Cats were dealt a blow at receiver, and the early reports show it may not make a difference. Senior Delashaun Dean was dismissed from the team over the summer and highly touted junior college receiver Dexter Ransom had some paperwork issues with his academics that delayed his arrival and eventually led to him winding up at Utah. Even with these losses, the Cats look to have great depth at all the receiver positions. Juron Criner was a breakout star last season, and seems poised to be one of the league’s top pass catchers. He did battle a concussion in the middle of fall camp but will be good to go at the start of the season. “The guy is a big-time talent,” said Bedenbaugh. “There are not many guys like him in the country. He really understands the offense now. He’s confident. To be a great football player, you have to be confident.” The team has a number of other outside receivers who have a chanced to contribute. Travis Cobb may be the team’s most improved player and David Douglas is able to play either outside or inside and was one of Foles’ favorite targets a year ago. “Travis Cobb, great speed, great ability, just needs to get a lot better, more comfortable at his position,” Littrell said prior to fall camp. True freshman Tyler Slavin was one of the top stories in fall camp and he made the two-deep. One player who has been a bit of an enigma is transfer Gino Crump. Crump has shown some real flashes of being an outside threat, but his wild inconsistency has the former West Virginia Mountaineer sitting at third on the depth chart to start the

season. “Just up and down,” Nichol said. “Gino is a guy who is going to make plays. Right now, he’s a guy who is going to make plays for both teams, and we have to cut that out. He has to make plays for us and not bust. Consistency. It sounds boring, but that is what he has to do.” The offensive line was a strength a year ago, and should be again, provided the injury situation mellows out. Projected starting guards Vaughn Dotsy and Conan Amituanai both missed the bulk of fall camp but are poised to start against Toledo. Dotsy has battled back issues most of the year and conditioning could be an issue. Amituanai suffered a knee injury the first day of fall practice, but appears to be fine. Both will start, if healthy, but heading into the Toledo game senior Jovon Hayes could get the nod over Dotsy. Chris Putton will back up Amituanai. The real strength of the line will be in the middle where senior Colin Baxter is not only one of the best centers in the Pac-10 but one of the top centers in the nation. He and USC’s Kris O’Dowd could battle for first team All-Pac-10 and first team All-American. Baxter is a smart player with the type if mean streak the Bedenbaugh loves. At left tackle senior Adam Grant takes over. Grant was the starting right tackle a year ago, but he was granted a sixth year of eligibility and takes over for Mike Diaz protecting Foles’ blindside. The big question is at right tackle where seniors Phillip Garcia and Jack Julsing may be competing even after the season starts. Neither player has staked a definitive

claim to the spot and it may be a few weeks into the season before a clear-cut starter emerges. There is some quality depth on the line. Hayes can play either guard spot, while Kyle Quinn is the center of the future. The future also looks bright as the Cats added four quality freshmen. Tackle Mickey Baucus could see the field this season, although they prefer to redshirt him and Fabians Ebelle and Trent

Spurgeon also have the frame and athleticism to be big time players down the line. “These guys, there are all in the 6-6 to 6-8 range, and they all have long arms, and they are all 290 to 300 pounds. They’re athletes,” said Bedenbaugh.Guard Carter Lees was briefly second on the depth chart when the injury bug hit and also looks like a future starter at one of the guard spots.

Brad Allis/WildcatSportsReport.com

Adam Grant hopes to make the most of the season after being granted a sixth year of eligibility.

5 questions with Nick Foles

by Anthony Gimino

IT has been a long time since Arizona boasted an All-Pac-10 quarterback. Arizona’s

quarterback tradition is hardly one to write home about, but this year that may change. After a fantastic sophomore campaign, Nick Foles showed that he was as good as any passer in the league.

The nation has taken notice of the transfer from Michigan State. He was one of four passers invited to the East Coast to represent the Pac-10 on a media tour and has the NFL taking notice.

After his performance against Oregon State last year Foles undoubtedly became the leader of the Wildcat football team.

We caught up with Foles recently:

“Have fun. Play like you’re a kid.”

Q: Receiver Delashaun Dean has transferred. What does that mean to the passing game?

A: “Our passing game is going to be fine. I’m confident in the receivers and I’m confident throwing the ball. Delashaun Dean is a great receiver. He was really trying to step into a leadership role this summer as a fifth-year senior, and I thought it was the best he had ever worked out, best he had ever practiced. His body was starting to form into what it should be.

“I wish I could have thrown to him for his last year, but he had to move on. He’ll be fine, and we’ll be fine. Last year, we were without Rob Gronkowski, one of the top tight ends in the draft. The great thing about our guys is, we lose someone, someone else steps up.”

Q: Wide receiver Juron Criner said this spring you were much improved with your eyes. Explain what that means to you.

A: As a quarterback, you want to have great eye control. This summer, I have gone back to just feeling the plays, and I can use my eyes to move the defenders. If you stare down a route, the defense is going to be able to jump it. You can move a safety one way and throw another. Just using my eyes and my body to turn the defender the other way. As a quarterback, you can open up routes that aren’t open initially with that coverage. That is what you have to do as a quarterback.”

Q: What do you think the biggest difference in Juron was this spring?

A: “When Juron got here, you could always tell this guy was going to be good. And then last year when he started catching some balls, making some huge catches, his confidence started

going up. Toward the end of the year, he made some amazing plays and became our go-to receiver.

“I think what happened during the spring was he knew what he could do, so his confidence level went up. When you have confidence, at any position, all of a sudden, your workouts

Hard work in practice paid off for the one-time walk-on transfer from Michigan State.

-Foles On his advice to teammates.


change, how you handle yourself off the field changes. I think that is his big thing. He knows that no matter who is up against him, he is going to take it to them. I have all the confidence that no matter who is on him, or if it’s triple coverage, he can make a play.”

Q: What do you know about Toledo?

A: “The big thing about Toledo is that they are 5-1 vs. BCS schools at home. So they know how to play at home and they know how to beat BCS schools bad at home. You really have to stay focused.

“Their defense is going to do a lot of things. It’s a new season, and that’s another thing you have to remember -- teams change things in the offseason, so you have to be ready for anything. I’m ready for them to mix things up and just come at us full speed. It’s their home opener, on national television, so they are going to be coming at us hard.”

Q: As the team leader, what do you tell the team before that first game?

A: “Just everybody take a couple of deep breaths because everybody gets a little anxious before a game. Close your eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths.

All you guys have to do is focus on one play at a time, focus on your responsibility. And that’s really the key. That is what I told the guys all last year. Just focus on your responsibility for that one play and execute it. You can’t go three plays in advance. You have to focus on that one play as hard as you can. Have fun. Play like you’re a kid.”

In addition to writing for Wildcat Sports Report, Anthony Gimino provides content for TucsonCitizen.com, Fox Sports Arizona and is an editor for Lindy’s football and basketball publications. Follow him on Twitter @AGWildcatReport

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Working with a full-time quarterbacks coach has helped Nick Foles’ mechanics.


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Big questions surround Arizona defenseBy Brad Allis

REPLACING seven starters on either side of the ball is tough and

that is exactly what the Arizona defense is needing to do. The Wildcats lost some key players off the team, including all three linebackers and both starting defensive tackles and also bid goodbye to defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.

Longtime associate head coach Tim Kish and newcomer Greg Brown step in to guide the defense, but despite bringing a lot of man-to-man principles in, it is still Mike Stoops’ version of the Tampa 2 defense.

Things will look different, both from Kish and Brown’s influence, as well as some issues with personnel. Due to some uncertainty at linebacker, the Cats could go with a lot of nickel and dime coverages.

The strength of the defense is at defensive end, where the team returns a pair of All-Conference caliber players. Ricky Elmore led the Pac-10 in sacks a year ago, and Brooks Reed has been a standout performer, although he was hampered by a severe ankle sprain a year ago.

“Ricky, I think, is a technician, Brooks is probably a little bit

Brooks Reed, No. 42, wants to terrorize opposing quarterbacks this sea-son after being limited last season with an injury.


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Though not a starter, Mana Mikaele gives the Wildcats some experience on the interior defensive line.


more of a speed guy, a get-on-the-edge guy,” said Kish. “Ricky does a really good job of anticipating some things. But it’s hard to distinguish those guys apart.”

There is a lot of depth at the position as well. D’Aundre Reed is another senior, and gives the Cats a very athletic, long pass rusher who can also drop back into coverage when the team utilizes a zone blitz. Apai Tuihalamaka is experienced, while JC transfer Mohammed Usman has really

turned some heads in fall camp. The team has experimented with

the “cheetah formation” which puts all four ends on the field at once and utilizes their speed to disrupt things. While this does not look like it will be a frequent strategy, it could prove interesting from time to time.

The Cats lose two starting defensive tackles, but return some experienced players and inject the position with some promising players. Mana Mikaele is a senior, who has seen a lot of playing

time. He was a rotation player a year ago and brings a toughness to the position.

Right now, Sione Tuihalamaka is expected to get the start next to Mikaele. Tuihalamaka redshirted a year ago, but has been one of the talks of camp. He has bulked up over the offseason and has really impressed coaches.

Backing up Tuihalamaka will be newcomer Willie Mobley, and experienced junior Dominique Austin. Mobley is a transfer from Ohio State who did not play football last season, but played very well in fall camp. Austin saw a lot of action a year ago, but missed all of spring ball with an injury.

Justin Washington redshirted a year ago, but has had a great fall camp and will get some reps behind Mikaele. He is a fireplug defensive tackle, not unlike last year’s starter Donald Horton. The biggest question mark is at linebacker. The Cats lose all three starters, and only have two players who have seen any time at the position. They are poised to start two junior college players, who will take their first D-I snaps when they take the field against Toledo. Sophomore Jake Fischer saw time as a true freshman a year ago, but most of it was on special teams. What he lacks in height, he makes up in quickness and instinct. He’s deceptively athletic and can make plays.

“That’s a guy who is a little bit of a throwback,” Kish said. “I tell you what, I just think his potential is great because he’s such a tough nut and he can do so many things for you. He can come off the edge. He can be in the gap in the core in run situations. He’s quick enough to help on the perimeter in

pass situations. His flexibility and his toughness overshadow any lack of size he might have.”

Junior college transfers Derek Earls and Paul Vassallo may lack experience, but they make the Wildcats bigger at linebacker. Both are over 240 pounds and are strong, tough players.

“That gives us a little more size, some range, we haven’t had in there,” said Stoops.

Earls will anchor the defense at middle linebacker and has had to get a crash course in the defense since enrolling back in January. He was a little behind in the concepts following spring ball, but actually adjusted fairly well.

“I have never had a guy come in from a JUCO situation and be able to transition that quickly at that position,” said Kish. “He made a few mistakes, but he did them playing fast. If you’re going to make a mistake early, make it playing fast.”

Vasallo was in a dogfight for the WILL Linebacker spot with R.J. Young after spring drills ended, but has won the job during fall ball.

Redshirt Freshman Trevor Erno will back-up Earls, while little used senior C.J. Parish will play behind Fischer.

Because of the uncertainty at linebacker, don’t be shocked if the Wildcats don’t play a lot of nickel and dime packages. They Cats do not have the pure hybrid nickel they did last year with Corey Hall, but they do have some big safeties who can fill the role.

When the Cats are in their base package, they will start two experienced players at corner, and two older, but not overly experienced players at safety.

Trevin Wade returns for his third year as a starter, and is expected to be the team’s lockdown corner. Wade has a nose for the ball and this has caused teams to avoid throwing

to his side. When fall camp began most

felt Marcus Benjamin would assume the other cornerback spot. Benjamin is a senior, JC transfer who had a big game against USC, but could not show enough consistency to make the coaches comfortable. Because of that Robert Golden moves from strong safety back to cornerback, the position he was first recruited for. Although Golden has bulked up for safety, he feels he is best

suited for the cornerback spot. “I feel a lot more comfortable

at cornerback because that’s the position I have been playing my whole life,” Golden explained. “When I started to play safety, I was really getting the feel for it, learning the position a lot. But playing the corner position, that is where I feel most comfortable.”

Two more junior college seniors will get the call at the safety spot. Anthony Wilcox gets the call at strong safety, but will be looking

Junior College transfer Derek Earls will get the start at middle lineback-er for the Wildcats.


over his shoulder as freshman phenom Marquis Flowers is pushing for playing time and will certainly see time this year.

Joe Perkins locked down the free safety spot, but will also slide over to nickel back when the Cats add the fifth defensive back. In that scheme sophomore Adam Hall will

get the call at free safety.“Who we have on the field

depends on who they have on the field,” Hall said. “It works really well for us because we have a lot of good athletes in the secondary.”

The defense will still be a question mark for the Cats heading into the regular season. The defense

struggled quite a bit the first part of camp. Although coaches and players have been touting the vast improvements of the unit over the final week and a half leading into the season, it is still a scary proposition to enter the season with seven new defensive starters.

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One of the big questions is whether or not opposing offenses will try to throw on cornerback Trevin Wade.


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By Brad Allis and Anthony Gimino

THERE are not going to be a lot of changes when it comes to Arizona special

teams and that’s a good thing. The Cats were among the better teams in the league in returns and have two solid kickers.

Kenyn Crier is back for his senior season as the Wildcats’ punter. He averaged a decent 41.5 yards a kick, but it was the worst average of his career. He was over 43 yards a kick his first two seasons.

Criner has been working hard on the offseason with special teams coach Jeff Hammerschmidt on directional punting, in an effort to limit returns. The two have also been working hard on consistency. Crier has lacked a consistent

rhythm to his pre-kick delivery and he is working on how to kick in games with the same pace as he kicks in practice.

“It didn’t even make sense how I would punt the ball like that,” Crier said. “All I have to do is calm down and focus, and the ball is going to go.”

Alex Zendejas is back as the team’s place kicker. He has a big leg, but was inconsistent early in the season. However, he had the game winner against Arizona State and seems to have built up a lot of confidence.

“The big thing is the confidence we have in him,” Hammerschmidt said. “For a while last year, we tried and tried and it was like, ‘Holy cow, we’re trying to believe in you,’ and it was hard. And then he proved he can do it. That was

great for him.”One thing Zendejas never got

the hang of was kickoffs. Walk-on John Bonano replaced him early in the year and will resume that role this season.

Both primary kick returners are back and big things are expected out of both.

Bug Wright was the league leader in punt returns, averaging 17.5 yards a return, while Travis Cobb set a school record for kick off return yards. He averaged 25.4 yards a return, while Keola Antolin was over 28 yards a return with far fewer touches.

One of the few new faces on special teams is a key one. Freshman Chase Gorham will get the nod at long snapper and should hold the spot for the next four years.

Lack of change for Wildcat special teams

Staff PredictionsGary RandazzoPublisherBold Prediction: Arizona will emerge from non-conference play with a perfect 3-0 record for the first time in the Stoops Era. In doing so, the

Wildcats will snap an eight-game losing streak in road openers by downing Toledo on Sep. 3.

Conference Champion: Arizona WildcatsBreakout Player: Sione TuihalamakaOffensive MVP: Nic GrigsbyDefensive MVP: Trevin Wade

Prediction:Arizona has a favorable schedule and a strong start is a must if the Wildcats expect to contend for the Rose Bowl. After opening the season at Toledo, five of its next six tilts are at Arizona Stadium and the lone away game is at Washington State. A 7-0 start to the season is definitely attainable, but probably not realistic as the Wildcats always seem to find a way to stumble. Much will depend on Arizona’s durability as the Wildcats have been one of the most injury-prone teams in the Pac-10 of late.Nic Grigsby is the key. A healthy Grigsby can have a 1,000 yard rushing season. With Grigsby leading a deep pool of talented tailbacks, Arizona’s passing game will be that much more effective and will make Arizona’s offense that much tougher to slow down. Defensively, a mix of speed and power should serve the Wildcats well. Fans can expect some broken plays, but they can also expect to see Arizona’s defense flying around the field with greater intensity thanks to a man-to-man coverage schemes and a more aggressive blitz package. Arizona is 10-3 at home the past two seasons and I’m predicting Arizona’s first undefeated home record under Stoops in 2010. This will place added emphasis on road games at Wazzou, UCLA, Stanford and Oregon to determine whether or not the Wildcats reach the Rose Bowl for the first time in school history. I think they will by finishing the season 3-2 on the road and edging Oregon in a tie-breaker thanks to a head-to-head victory over the Ducks on Nov.26 in Eugene.

Chris “FIB” BonneyFootball EditorPrediction:The Cats have some question marks on the roster as the defense looks to shift gears and schemes and are doing so while changing coordinators and losing a lot of talent. The Cats will give up a lot of big plays on defense but will also create more havoc and turnovers than in any other year of the Stoops era.Where the schedule shapes up nicely for Arizona is they get to open on the road against a team in Toledo that will challenge their weaknesses from the first whistle of the season, and on the road in a mostly hostile rust belt stadium. It is the perfect opening for a young defense and veteran offense to open with. After NAU, Iowa comes to Tucson and the Cats, who have a very good defensive line, will have no qualms about going Big 10 to get a win.The Arizona offense, anchored by one of the best and deepest line in the country, will be improved in 2010 despite the coordinator change thanks to Nick Foles at quarterback and a set of skill players that rival most rosters in both talent and experience. Juron Criner will be needed to continue to grow into the receiver that he showed flashes of being last year. They are absolutely loaded at running back.Breakout Player:The guy has had some tough times at Arizona, but Mana Mikaele is one tough, crazy S.O.B., just like I like in the middle of the defensive line. Offensive MVP: Colin Baxter anchors the line that keeps “Saint” Nick upright. Give me the “Big Nasty” in the middle. Defensive MVP:Ricky Elmore was the sack man in 2009, and will only be better with Brooks Reed back.PAC-10 Champion: 2010 will be the year of the Wildcat in the Pac-10 Conference. In the final year of the best conference in the country the Arizona Wildcats will finally get to the promised land in Pasadena. Stoops has slowly matured into an effective manager and the program has grown every step of the way with him and they have grown enough to get Stoops and the Wildcats to the Rose Bowl for the first time.Bold Prediction:What could be bolder than picking the Cats for the Rose Bowl?

Staff PredictionsJavier MoralesBaskeball EditorPREDICTION/OVERVIEW:Arizona’s football team is not necessarily having an identity crisis – the program finally seems to be on solid ground under Mike Stoops

– but serious questions remain after the 33-0 loss to Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl eight months ago. Is that performance an indication of what Arizona might show this season, especially early in the year with Iowa coming to Tucson? Or is that more of an example of Arizona getting its feet wet on a national stage again after a decade of miserable football?The first three games will be a good gauge. Arizona opens with a decent test on the road against Toledo, plays a tune-up game against The Citadel, and similar to last season, plays the Hawkeyes in the third game. If Nick Foles, whose performance tailed off toward the end of last season, shows that he is capable of guiding the UA’s potent offense to a 3-0 start, the season will be a success.The uncertainty mostly lies on defense. Other than junior cornerback Trevin Wade, the secondary is young, but with very capable players. The Wildcats will start three new linebackers and the defensive line – led by senior ends Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed – can ill-afford injuries this season. Again, a good barometer will be the first three games, especially against Toledo and Iowa. I believe the UA will get off to a strong start and compete well against a balanced Pac-10. Given the inexperience on defense, I foresee no better than an 8-4 record with the possibility of a rosy future next year.BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR:The position with the greatest chance for a breakout player is linebacker, in my opinion, and the Wildcats have a promising one in Derek Earls, who adequately combines the intelligence and brut qualities needed from a starting middle linebacker in the Pac-10. Earls will be thrust into a leadership role at middle linebacker, although this is his first year in the program. OFFENSIVE MVP:Juron Criner. Despite some preseason concerns with a concussion, Criner appears ready to evolve into an elite all-Pac-10 receiver. The loss of Delashaun Dean in the preseason only enhances Criner’s value to Foles and the Wildcats.

DEFENSIVE MVP:Ricky Elmore. As a senior with decent credentials, Elmore is a natural captain of the defense. Elmore posted a team-high 10 ½ sacks last year. If he remains healthy, he could challenge Tedy Bruschi’s 14 ½-sack total in 1995.PAC-10 CHAMPION: Oregon. Talent and depth on each line of the ball and the skill positions is unparalleled in the Pac-10.BOLD PREDICTION:Arizona will start the season at 6-0, winning a tough road game at Toledo to start the season and defeating quality opponents Cal and Oregon State at home along the way.

Canyon AllisStaff WriterOffensive MVP:

Juron Criner has all of the tools to be a successful wide receiver at any level. First of all he stands tall at 6’4. Second, he has blazing speed and quickness. He was the teams leading receiver last year with 582 yards and 9 touchdowns to add. Against Oregon he had 5 receptions for 93 yards and 3 touchdowns and against Stanford he had 12 receptions for 152 yards. Criner has been one of Nick Foles favorite receivers and a lot of Criner’s success will depend on Foles’ progress.Defensive MVP:Trevin Wade. A few division 1 programs missed the bus by not offering Trevin Wade. Which ones you ask, try all of them. Out of high school only Sam Houston State had given Wade a scholarship offer. After the coaches saw his highlight reel they offered him a scholarship and then Wade was a wildcat. Wade has turned into one of the top cornerback in all of college football. Coach Stoops calls him a “Ball Hawk”; probably do to the fact that he had 14 passes defended, including 5 interceptions. Pac-10 Champions:Oregon might have lost Jeremiah Masoli, but they are still loaded with talent. They should have a good defense that returns six starters.Prediction:The Cats have done nothing but improve under Coach Stoops. Last year they were a double overtime loss away from being in their first Rose Bowl If the Cats address some holes on defense, they will find themselves in the Rose Bowl hunt again this year.

Staff PredictionsBlake PhillipsWSR CFOI have balanced the books on the 2010 football season’s budget and it looks rosy to me. I see our

Arizona Wildcat’s taking the Pac 10 title in a runaway 12-0 season, while watching our neighbors to the North spend a wonderful year battling Washington State for the conference basement. Stanford holds off Cal for 2nd place, while the down, but not quite out USC Trojans squeak past crosstown rivals UCLA to round out the top half of the conference. On the player front, Robert Golden lives up to his name and becomes 2010’s breakout player and goes on to win Defensive MVP. On the other side of the ball Nick Foles shares Offensive MVP honors with his all-conference offensive line, while taking conference QB of the year honors. Most improved player goes to Alex Zendejas, who in his 2nd year lives up to the fame of the family name in Wildcat lore.In a move that only the BCS committee can do the Wildcats are denied their first trip to the Rose Bowl when, thanks to the Mackovic disaster, they don’t earn enough points to make the National Title game and the committee, in a money making move put them in the Fiesta Bowl to play Oklahoma.

Vinnie VinzettaKMSB Fox 11 Sports DirectorBreakout Offensive Player: Greg Nwoko

Breakout Defensive Player: CJ ParishOffensive MVP: Juron CrinerDefensive MVP: Trevin Wade Conference PicksOregonArizonaOregon StateWashingtonUSCStanfordUCLACaliforniaArizona State

Brad AllisEditor-In-ChiefPREDICTION: It all comes down to the defense. If the Wildcats can stop people they have a chance to be very good. The Cats’ schedule breaks the right way, most of their tough games are at home and they have created a home field advantage of late. I believe they will get enough out of the defense to win their fair share of games and will be in the Pac-10 title hunt until the end. My guess is the Cats will win eight or nine and return to a bowl game for the third straight season. BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR:Sione Tuihalamaka. All indications are that this redshirt freshman has been killing it. He’s bulked up, learned the system and has ascended up the depth chart. He’ll be a centerpiece of the Wildcat defensive line for some time. OFFENSIVE MVP:Juron Criner is my call here, but you could probably name any one of five players. In the end I chose Criner because he is the team’s homerun hitter and arguably the most talented player on the offense. I think he doubles last year’s totals and opens things up for the rest of the receiving corps. DEFENSIVE MVP:Trevin Wade is the only sure thing in the defensive backfield. If he does things the right way, he’ll hardly be tested this year as teams will avoid throwing his way. He looks like another shutdown corner for the Wildcats. PAC-10 CHAMPION: USC and Oregon have the most talent, but both have huge questions. I truly believe that any one of eight teams can win this league and any of those teams can finish eighth. My guess is that Oregon will get good enough quarterback play to sneak out a league championship but they will be sweating it until they play the Civil War. BOLD PREDICTION:A strange loss will cost the Wildcats the Rose Bowl. The Wildcats will lose at UCLA when the referee misinterprets a rule, allowing the Bruins to win. The Pac-10 will admit the mistake, but even though the Cats lodge a formal protest, it will not work and they will lose a tiebreaker for the league title.

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