Arizona went back to work Tuesday. There was of course a lot going on around campus with the basketball news but there was still a work day for the football team to get through. Here is a rundown of what we learned today during Rich Rodriguez's time with the media, which was a smaller group for obvious reasons.
* To start Rich Rodriguez, said to no real surprise, that Brandon Dawkins will be the starting quarterback still pretty much putting to bed any talk of a change during the bye week. He did say that Dawkins needs to get better over the next few practices going into the Colorado game a week from Saturday but for now his job is safe.
Rodriguez added that Khalil Tate still needs to get healthy saying "he hasn't been able to throw the ball" but he was a "full go" in Tuesday's practice. The UA head coach came back to the same thing he usually does about Tate with a lot of what's keeping him on the sideline being what is going on between the ears.
"He's just gotta take the next step too as far as understanding, not just the offense, but what defenses we go against," Rodriguez said. "We put a lot on their plate mentally, but ain't nothing they can't handle. These guys are all smart guys, and they can handle it."
Rodriguez said if there are going to be any changes at any of the positions that this would be the week for it to happen but added he doesn't believe the team is looking at doing too much differently in that regard.
* Rodriguez didn't really change his tone about the loss to Utah on Friday night now having had a chance to watch film. He still thought there were too many self-inflicted mistakes and things that are going to bother Arizona for a while.
"Disappointing that we had some opportunities that we didn't take advantage of," he said. "Some of it was their doing but some of it was our doing. Things that were our doing we've gotta fix in a hurry. After watching the game sometimes you feel better and sometimes you feel worse, and after watching the game I felt worse. That's usually the case if you lose."
* This is a big recruiting week for Arizona with the bye week and Rodriguez said all of his coaches will be on the road Thursday and Friday night. Some, including himself, will stay local but all the coaches will be somewhere this weekend trying to make a move on the recruiting side of things.
"It's our only open date and because of the way our schedule runs up playing night games, it makes it a little more challenging to get on the road," he said. "With the December signing period it probably makes it more important because they have to get out there and evaluate some guys in a hurry."
* I asked Rodriguez about the bye week and how it could help the health of the team and he said he is hopeful the Wildcats will "get a couple guys back" who missed the last game and he thinks have a chance to get back for the Colorado game. He said he will know more by Friday.
Sione Taufahema continues to be a scout team player and missing the start of camp really put him behind.
"He was behind from the start because he was injured and he wasn't in shape," Rodriguez said. "He's gotten in better shape. You know he's still gotta drop a little bit of weight to get in shape and help us, but he's working hard. He's getting better. He's dropped a little bit of weight each week."
This is not necessarily pointed at Taufahema, but Rodriguez said there could be a couple of the scout team players who make a move onto the active roster after the bye week is over. He said it will be something the team looks at this week.
* Dawkins said looking back it was more of "us beating us" in his mind with the Utah game. He said it was clear the turnovers were an issue and that is the biggest element that lost the team the game. One adjustment that Dawkins mentioned is staying in the pocket a bit more to make stronger throws. He felt there were times when he decided to leave the pocket rather than staying in there a little longer and impacted his throws. It's something he's working on this week.
He also clarified some more about the play when he missed a wide open Trevor Wood.
"It was busted coverage and I wasn't expecting it," he said of his mistakes Friday night. "I got off him too quick and I didn't see him again after they busted. What else? There's a lot to go through."
He added that he just "got a little careless with the ball at the end of the play going down to the ground" about his fumble late in the game.
"I shouldn't have made it as close as it should have been. Do I think it was a fumble? Personally, no but you just gotta not make it close. If I would've held onto the ball we could have gone down on that drive and scored. Little things like that change the course of a game."
* To start Rich Rodriguez, said to no real surprise, that Brandon Dawkins will be the starting quarterback still pretty much putting to bed any talk of a change during the bye week. He did say that Dawkins needs to get better over the next few practices going into the Colorado game a week from Saturday but for now his job is safe.
Rodriguez added that Khalil Tate still needs to get healthy saying "he hasn't been able to throw the ball" but he was a "full go" in Tuesday's practice. The UA head coach came back to the same thing he usually does about Tate with a lot of what's keeping him on the sideline being what is going on between the ears.
"He's just gotta take the next step too as far as understanding, not just the offense, but what defenses we go against," Rodriguez said. "We put a lot on their plate mentally, but ain't nothing they can't handle. These guys are all smart guys, and they can handle it."
Rodriguez said if there are going to be any changes at any of the positions that this would be the week for it to happen but added he doesn't believe the team is looking at doing too much differently in that regard.
* Rodriguez didn't really change his tone about the loss to Utah on Friday night now having had a chance to watch film. He still thought there were too many self-inflicted mistakes and things that are going to bother Arizona for a while.
"Disappointing that we had some opportunities that we didn't take advantage of," he said. "Some of it was their doing but some of it was our doing. Things that were our doing we've gotta fix in a hurry. After watching the game sometimes you feel better and sometimes you feel worse, and after watching the game I felt worse. That's usually the case if you lose."
* This is a big recruiting week for Arizona with the bye week and Rodriguez said all of his coaches will be on the road Thursday and Friday night. Some, including himself, will stay local but all the coaches will be somewhere this weekend trying to make a move on the recruiting side of things.
"It's our only open date and because of the way our schedule runs up playing night games, it makes it a little more challenging to get on the road," he said. "With the December signing period it probably makes it more important because they have to get out there and evaluate some guys in a hurry."
* I asked Rodriguez about the bye week and how it could help the health of the team and he said he is hopeful the Wildcats will "get a couple guys back" who missed the last game and he thinks have a chance to get back for the Colorado game. He said he will know more by Friday.
Sione Taufahema continues to be a scout team player and missing the start of camp really put him behind.
"He was behind from the start because he was injured and he wasn't in shape," Rodriguez said. "He's gotten in better shape. You know he's still gotta drop a little bit of weight to get in shape and help us, but he's working hard. He's getting better. He's dropped a little bit of weight each week."
This is not necessarily pointed at Taufahema, but Rodriguez said there could be a couple of the scout team players who make a move onto the active roster after the bye week is over. He said it will be something the team looks at this week.
* Dawkins said looking back it was more of "us beating us" in his mind with the Utah game. He said it was clear the turnovers were an issue and that is the biggest element that lost the team the game. One adjustment that Dawkins mentioned is staying in the pocket a bit more to make stronger throws. He felt there were times when he decided to leave the pocket rather than staying in there a little longer and impacted his throws. It's something he's working on this week.
He also clarified some more about the play when he missed a wide open Trevor Wood.
"It was busted coverage and I wasn't expecting it," he said of his mistakes Friday night. "I got off him too quick and I didn't see him again after they busted. What else? There's a lot to go through."
He added that he just "got a little careless with the ball at the end of the play going down to the ground" about his fumble late in the game.
"I shouldn't have made it as close as it should have been. Do I think it was a fumble? Personally, no but you just gotta not make it close. If I would've held onto the ball we could have gone down on that drive and scored. Little things like that change the course of a game."
