Arizona went back to work Tuesday with its usual full-pads practice and Rich Rodriguez was in a better mood. I really do think he liked what he saw on film better than he saw the game live and even with some more injuries he was in the best mood I've seen him in in a few weeks. Now, will that translate to a win this weekend we'll see, but the team had a good mood about it today. You can tell getting a win has given the team some confidence. It's a loose group right now, but not loose in an "I don't care" way like I sensed at times last year.
Here are today's quick notes with a lot of newsy items to get into.
* We'll start with the injury news since I know that's where a lot of people are always concerned with the team. Khalil Tate was in full pads today and wearing a green jersey meaning he wasn't as limited as other injured players and should be fine moving forward. Rhett Rodriguez had on the red "no contact" jersey as it looks like he will be that third guy for now stepping in for Tate with the second unit should he not be able to go on Saturday.
I mentioned in the War Room that starting tight end Trevor Wood left the game in the second half against NAU and it's not good right now. He was in a boot on his left foot and a yellow jersey today, so it could be some time before he's back on the field. That leaves Arizona in a tough spot with freshman Bryce Wolma being the healthiest of the group. However, Rodriguez said Jamie Nunley returned to the field this week after missing the first game with a back issue. That will at least give UA some flexibility at the tight end spot, which is important to helping the running game.
Rodriguez didn't give an update on Wood or linebacker DeAndre' Miller who also remains in a boot and yellow jersey as he recovers from his late offseason foot surgery. Barring a miraculous next couple days it doesn't look like he will back this week. Rodriguez referred us to the injury report that will come out on Thursday when it comes to Miller's injury.
* Rich Rodriguez stressed technique again today in dealing with Houston's defensive line and defensive tackle Ed Oliver. The UA head coach said there are a lot of guys playing the Oliver role for the scout team and in addition to that Arizona has even used some of its starters against the other starters to help replicate with the team will see this weekend with guys like Dereck Boles and Parker Zellers going against the first-team offensive line in practice. That's not something Arizona likes to do too often but this week presence a different circumstance.
"He's a freak," Rodriguez said of Oliver. "He's a great player."
*Arizona's offensive line is going to be in full focus this week with Oliver coming to town and Rodriguez liked some things the group showed against NAU but he also wants things to be just a bit more crisp this Saturday.
"I thought they played hard," Rodriguez said. "The effort was good. Fundamentally we had a few things to pick up. Assignment wise there was a couple busts here and there, but Jim (Michalczik) usually makes sure they're pretty assignment sound. We've gotta get better fundamentally at times, and sometimes it's because they want to be so aggressive that their technique will fail them a little bit because they just want to go out and hit somebody. They're a very, very conscientious group and that's why we know we've gotta bet better this week.
"This is going to be a whole different challenge for them for sure."
* Center Nate Eldridge has the big task this week as he draws the assignment on Oliver. I had a chance to speak with the redshirt sophomore and it was the most excited I've seen him maybe in his entire career. He is clearly up for the task and wants to see if he really can compete with a player who will eventually be a first-round draft pick and NFL player. Excited might even be an understatement for the UA offensive lineman.
"I'm gonna have to go back to my fundamentals and make sure that I'm practicing that all week so when I get to the game it's just natural," he said. "I'm gonna go fast, so I'm just really excited for it. ... This is my true test right here. I always love guys that come in who are really hyped up. I know he's a really good player, but I'm excited to see what I can do as well."
Leverage has been the word of the week when it comes to Oliver and with Eldridge's background as a wrestler his old skill set has come in handy as he prepares for his task on Saturday.
"It helps a lot," he said. "In the summer we do a lot of wrestling stuff too, so I still have that background and I really apply it on the field. Coach always tells me to do that, so that's one of my strengths that I do everyday."
* With Houston coming to town it is a good time to talk about recruiting in Texas and for Rodriguez he doesn't see Saturday's game as a chance to really impact Arizona's efforts in the state as much as one would think. He said unless it's a game like Florida State and Alabama the chances of one game impacting things or recruits really going out of their way to watch a single game is not very high so he's not worried about it from that standpoint, but he does want the team to continue to look at Texas as a big base for what it wants to do in recruiting moving forward.
"It was a mistake on my part," Rodriguez said of the team's hesitation to recruit Texas over the first few years of his tenure at UA. "Just saying, 'folks in Texas or other areas that aren't traditional West Coast don't really know Arizona and won't come here for a visit' and I think that's true for some guys but we've got too good of a place to be too close-minded with that. ... Even though it's heavily recruited there's so many good football players and football is so important to them that we can still recruit the West Coast and expand our recruiting base a little bit."
* Arizona wore its chrome red helmets Tuesday, but we'll see if that's what the team wears Saturday as there have been some hints that the matte blue version could be making its debut against Houston considering both teams have red in their color schemes.
Here are today's quick notes with a lot of newsy items to get into.
* We'll start with the injury news since I know that's where a lot of people are always concerned with the team. Khalil Tate was in full pads today and wearing a green jersey meaning he wasn't as limited as other injured players and should be fine moving forward. Rhett Rodriguez had on the red "no contact" jersey as it looks like he will be that third guy for now stepping in for Tate with the second unit should he not be able to go on Saturday.
I mentioned in the War Room that starting tight end Trevor Wood left the game in the second half against NAU and it's not good right now. He was in a boot on his left foot and a yellow jersey today, so it could be some time before he's back on the field. That leaves Arizona in a tough spot with freshman Bryce Wolma being the healthiest of the group. However, Rodriguez said Jamie Nunley returned to the field this week after missing the first game with a back issue. That will at least give UA some flexibility at the tight end spot, which is important to helping the running game.
Rodriguez didn't give an update on Wood or linebacker DeAndre' Miller who also remains in a boot and yellow jersey as he recovers from his late offseason foot surgery. Barring a miraculous next couple days it doesn't look like he will back this week. Rodriguez referred us to the injury report that will come out on Thursday when it comes to Miller's injury.
* Rich Rodriguez stressed technique again today in dealing with Houston's defensive line and defensive tackle Ed Oliver. The UA head coach said there are a lot of guys playing the Oliver role for the scout team and in addition to that Arizona has even used some of its starters against the other starters to help replicate with the team will see this weekend with guys like Dereck Boles and Parker Zellers going against the first-team offensive line in practice. That's not something Arizona likes to do too often but this week presence a different circumstance.
"He's a freak," Rodriguez said of Oliver. "He's a great player."
*Arizona's offensive line is going to be in full focus this week with Oliver coming to town and Rodriguez liked some things the group showed against NAU but he also wants things to be just a bit more crisp this Saturday.
"I thought they played hard," Rodriguez said. "The effort was good. Fundamentally we had a few things to pick up. Assignment wise there was a couple busts here and there, but Jim (Michalczik) usually makes sure they're pretty assignment sound. We've gotta get better fundamentally at times, and sometimes it's because they want to be so aggressive that their technique will fail them a little bit because they just want to go out and hit somebody. They're a very, very conscientious group and that's why we know we've gotta bet better this week.
"This is going to be a whole different challenge for them for sure."
* Center Nate Eldridge has the big task this week as he draws the assignment on Oliver. I had a chance to speak with the redshirt sophomore and it was the most excited I've seen him maybe in his entire career. He is clearly up for the task and wants to see if he really can compete with a player who will eventually be a first-round draft pick and NFL player. Excited might even be an understatement for the UA offensive lineman.
"I'm gonna have to go back to my fundamentals and make sure that I'm practicing that all week so when I get to the game it's just natural," he said. "I'm gonna go fast, so I'm just really excited for it. ... This is my true test right here. I always love guys that come in who are really hyped up. I know he's a really good player, but I'm excited to see what I can do as well."
Leverage has been the word of the week when it comes to Oliver and with Eldridge's background as a wrestler his old skill set has come in handy as he prepares for his task on Saturday.
"It helps a lot," he said. "In the summer we do a lot of wrestling stuff too, so I still have that background and I really apply it on the field. Coach always tells me to do that, so that's one of my strengths that I do everyday."
* With Houston coming to town it is a good time to talk about recruiting in Texas and for Rodriguez he doesn't see Saturday's game as a chance to really impact Arizona's efforts in the state as much as one would think. He said unless it's a game like Florida State and Alabama the chances of one game impacting things or recruits really going out of their way to watch a single game is not very high so he's not worried about it from that standpoint, but he does want the team to continue to look at Texas as a big base for what it wants to do in recruiting moving forward.
"It was a mistake on my part," Rodriguez said of the team's hesitation to recruit Texas over the first few years of his tenure at UA. "Just saying, 'folks in Texas or other areas that aren't traditional West Coast don't really know Arizona and won't come here for a visit' and I think that's true for some guys but we've got too good of a place to be too close-minded with that. ... Even though it's heavily recruited there's so many good football players and football is so important to them that we can still recruit the West Coast and expand our recruiting base a little bit."
* Arizona wore its chrome red helmets Tuesday, but we'll see if that's what the team wears Saturday as there have been some hints that the matte blue version could be making its debut against Houston considering both teams have red in their color schemes.
