Well, I finally got to watch an Arizona game in Chicago. It was on late (9:45 pm CT) but it was on network TV so I stayed up. Several of you have flattered me by asking for my opinions. For better (or worse), here they are:
Mr. Bauk
- Our defense just flies to the ball. Kudos to the unit Nansen has built. They do not give up very many big plays. I was particularly impressed with the speed and intensity of Prysocks. What an exciting player!
- Our defensive line generally held their own which means the linebackers can flow to the play unimpeded. Sorry, I don't know the players' names but it was encouraging to see the collisions at the line of scrimmage rather than being pushed back three yards.
- I would like to have seen a little more pressure on UCLA's QB, but given the play of our line, I'll take that any day of the week.
- On offense, WOW does Fifita get rid of the ball quickly. And WOW, WOW, WOW to our receivers. They get open. They catch the ball. They catch the ball even when they are covered. McMillian, Lamonius-Craig, Cowing, McLachlan. Best receiving corps I've seen in years.
- Our O-line seem to struggle a bit, especially at the tackles. This might have been due to UCLA's stout D-line, but it seemed like the best we could accomplish was a stalemate, and many times we were beat. That said, when you are zone blocking, a stalemate can create some nice seams for our running backs.
- With UA's running backs, in most cases a stalemate is all we need to get a nice gain. Wiley, Coleman, Williams are the real deal., and it didn't really seem to matter which one was in the game. They hit the hole fast, hard, and make the defense pay. And I haven't even mentioned Speedy Luke whose 66 yard run with the swing pass was a joy to watch.
- It is obvious to me that the level of our skill players is better across the board than I have seen in quite some time. If our OL can continue to develop to the point they are winning, not just breaking even, this offense could be breath-taking.
Mr. Bauk
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