Arizona met with the media for the last time this week before Saturday's game against UCLA. Things continue to move along for the Wildcats in preparation for their first true road game. Here are some quick notes after chatting with coaches and players.
* The mood has been better than I remember it in recent years after a loss like UA had Saturday night. I'm not sure if it's just the makeup of this year's group and its collective personality, but it has been more upbeat of a week than I can remember after a loss like that. For as upbeat as he is going to be during the season Rich Rodriguez has been pretty positive this week as well.
* No new running backs today for Arizona as Samajie Grant is the last one to make the move and at this point there really isn't a plan to move anybody else over. As far as Anu Solomon goes he is continuing to practice, but it remains Brandon Dawkins' show right now at quarterback.
* I caught up with DC Marcel Yates for a bit again today and he is getting a little frustrated with things right now. He said Arizona is "giving up points its shouldn't be giving up" right now and he seemed particularly peeved with the reverse Washington ran. He felt Arizona had guys in the right spots to make a play but it just didn't take care of business. He used the word "frustrating" quite a bit today and it really centers around feeling he has the right call put in place but team is having missed assignments or missed tackles and not making the play.
* To remedy things he is taking some of the power away from the players. He started it last week, but you can expect it to continue for the time being. Yates said he is simplifying things because "we've gotta be on the same page as a unit." The hope from Arizona's DC is that simplifying things especially on the back end is going to help eliminate some of the mistakes.
* Yates talked a lot about communication and it being somewhat of an issue right now. Jarvis McCall didn't completely agree with that but he did say the defense needs to all be on the same page. For McCall he said it really is centered around things happening faster. He feels it is taking a little bit too long for every member of the defense to recognize things and so players are end where they aren't supposed to be.
"Recognize it faster and be right ... or even wrong. If we're going to be wrong we'll at least be all wrong together" he said.
* The mood has been better than I remember it in recent years after a loss like UA had Saturday night. I'm not sure if it's just the makeup of this year's group and its collective personality, but it has been more upbeat of a week than I can remember after a loss like that. For as upbeat as he is going to be during the season Rich Rodriguez has been pretty positive this week as well.
* No new running backs today for Arizona as Samajie Grant is the last one to make the move and at this point there really isn't a plan to move anybody else over. As far as Anu Solomon goes he is continuing to practice, but it remains Brandon Dawkins' show right now at quarterback.
* I caught up with DC Marcel Yates for a bit again today and he is getting a little frustrated with things right now. He said Arizona is "giving up points its shouldn't be giving up" right now and he seemed particularly peeved with the reverse Washington ran. He felt Arizona had guys in the right spots to make a play but it just didn't take care of business. He used the word "frustrating" quite a bit today and it really centers around feeling he has the right call put in place but team is having missed assignments or missed tackles and not making the play.
* To remedy things he is taking some of the power away from the players. He started it last week, but you can expect it to continue for the time being. Yates said he is simplifying things because "we've gotta be on the same page as a unit." The hope from Arizona's DC is that simplifying things especially on the back end is going to help eliminate some of the mistakes.
* Yates talked a lot about communication and it being somewhat of an issue right now. Jarvis McCall didn't completely agree with that but he did say the defense needs to all be on the same page. For McCall he said it really is centered around things happening faster. He feels it is taking a little bit too long for every member of the defense to recognize things and so players are end where they aren't supposed to be.
"Recognize it faster and be right ... or even wrong. If we're going to be wrong we'll at least be all wrong together" he said.
