Opinion: Tucson is not an easy place to win at for Arizona Football
10 HRS AGO - It’s not easy being an Arizona Football fan, and as just a fan with no expertise, I can Expand
10 HRS AGO - It’s not easy being an Arizona Football fan, and as just a fan with no expertise, I can voice my opinion, but in reality Tucson isn’t an easy place to win. Let me preface this by saying, this is a warning for those who don’t like strong opinions, especially when it comes to the realities […]
Opinion: Tucson is not an easy place to win at for Arizona Football - Zona Zealots - Zona Zealots - An Arizona Wildcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more. Collapse
Stanford is latest Arizona opponent dealing with significant injuries
15 HRS AGO - Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Injuries are a major part of college Expand
15 HRS AGO - Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Injuries are a major part of college football, and at this point in the season it’s hard to find a team that isn’t hampered by ailments to key players.
The Arizona Wildcats are well aware of this, having had to play their last game minus two starting offensive linemen, while starting (for now) quarterback Khalil Tate and starting running back J.J. Taylor have both missed games due to injury.
“Injuries are not an excuse, we’re not going to use that an excuse in our program, anywhere on this team,” Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin said Monday. “Because that’s football. Everybody’s like that.”
Arizona’s next opponent, Stanford, is not immune to the injury bug. The Cardinal played their last game, a home loss to UCLA, with only six healthy offensive linemen and with their third-string quarterback under center.
Stanford may again be using third-stringer Jack West when it hosts Arizona on Saturday, according to coach David Shaw, while also Collapse
Arizona Basketball: The 2019-20 redemption season
17 HRS AGO - The 2019-20 version of Arizona Basketball is ranked No.21 in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, which Expand
17 HRS AGO - The 2019-20 version of Arizona Basketball is ranked No.21 in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, which motivates this team, even more, to prove all doubters wrong. The 2018-19 Arizona Basketball season was one many would like to forget. Luckily we soon can as tipoff for the 2019-20 season starts with an exhibition game on […]
Arizona Basketball: The 2019-20 redemption season - Zona Zealots - Zona Zealots - An Arizona Wildcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more. Collapse
Arizona Soccer Returns Home to Play Oregon
22 HRS AGO - Arizona heads back home after two consecutive weeks away to take on Oregon on Thursday Oct. 24 at Expand
22 HRS AGO - Arizona heads back home after two consecutive weeks away to take on Oregon on Thursday Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. MST. Collapse
Arizona WR Brian Casteel named to PFF’s Pac-12 Team of the Week
1 DAY AGO - Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Three Wildcat defenders made the Second Team Hey, there was a Expand
1 DAY AGO - Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Three Wildcat defenders made the Second Team Hey, there was a bright spot in the Arizona Wildcats’ 41-14 loss to USC!
Junior wide receiver Brian Casteel was named to Pro Football Focus’ Pac-12 First Team of the Week after hauling in five of six targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns against the Trojans.
Arizona linebacker Tony Fields II and defensive backs Lorenzo Burns and Jace Whittaker received Second Team honors. (Note that the strength of the opponent and PFF’s player grades also factor into these weekly honors, not just counting stats.)
Next up we have the Pac-12 Team of the Week for week 8! The entire team can be seen below. https://t.co/g0ABn44tRu pic.twitter.com/Wg2QUPYv0o— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 22, 2019
Unfortunately, Casteel’s play had little impact on the game as both touchdowns came in the fourth quarter when the Wildcats were trailing by 34 points.
The first touchdown was a 56-yard swing pass from Grant Gunnell Collapse
How Arizona’s quarterback situation looks heading into Stanford game
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin reiterated Monday that Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin reiterated Monday that there is no change in the quarterback pecking order heading into Saturday’s road game at Stanford.
Khalil Tate will start against the Cardinal and freshman Grant Gunnell will be an option off the bench should things go sour.
When Sumlin was asked how Arizona can help Tate get back on track after consecutive rough outings, he said: “It’s called practice and study and then ultimately it’s performance. What you do during the week, you try to simulate certain situations and different things but ultimately life plays off on results, right?“
The results were discouraging at USC, with Tate completing 6 of 10 passes for 47 yards. He was not a factor on the ground, either, being held to minus-27 rushing yards thanks, in part, to six sacks.
That was on the heels of rough outing against Washington in which Tate went 13 for 25 for 184 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the 51-27 Collapse
Arizona Football has a huge conference showdown with Stanford
1 DAY AGO - This week comes as a very important one for the Arizona Football team (4-3, 2-2), as the Wildcats Expand
1 DAY AGO - This week comes as a very important one for the Arizona Football team (4-3, 2-2), as the Wildcats enter a crucial game against Stanford (3-4, 2-3). It’s been a rough couple weeks for the Arizona Football team, as the Wildcats are in the midst of a two-game losing streak, and now face a bit of a crossroads […]
Arizona Football has a huge conference showdown with Stanford - Zona Zealots - Zona Zealots - An Arizona Wildcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more. Collapse
Served Up with Gitte Heynemans
2 DAYS AGO - Q & A with Heynemans
Roundtable: Who should be Arizona’s starting quarterback vs. Stanford?
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Do the Arizona Wildcats have a quarterback controversy?
Not Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Do the Arizona Wildcats have a quarterback controversy?
Not according to Kevin Sumlin who after UA’s 41-14 loss to USC said the depth chart remains the same heading into next Saturday’s road game at Stanford.
It came on the heels of senior Khalil Tate having a second consecutive rough outing, completing 6 of 10 passes for 42 yards before being relieved by freshman Grant Gunnell, who completed 16 of 26 passes for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception—albeit most of those numbers were posted when the game was out of reach.
Is continuing to start Tate the right move or should Arizona give way to the future and let Gunnell take the reins? Our staff picked their QB of choice. We’d love to get your opinions in the comment section below.
Brian J. Pedersen — Grant Gunnell
I think the time has come for the torch to be passed, but there’s a caveat: if the offensive line can’t get back on track, the risk of Gunnell getting hurt because of lack Collapse
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Arizona pummeled in trenches in last two losses
10 HRS AGO - Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Sure, turning the ball over seven times, including twice on Expand
10 HRS AGO - Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Sure, turning the ball over seven times, including twice on muffed punts, has gone a long way toward the final score of the Arizona Wildcats’ last two games. But those are one-off mistakes, the kind that are just as much the product of luck as execution.
The same can’t be said for how Arizona’s offensive and defensive line have performed. There’s not much luck involved in regularly getting to the quarterback or being able to keep your passer from running for his life.
Arizona’s offensive line the last two games—in which it has played without left guard Robert Congel both times and without right guard Cody Creason at USC—has allowed 11 sacks. That’s four more than the Wildcat defense has managed for the entire season, with no more than two in any contest.
So much for the trenches on both sides of the ball being a strength for Arizona this season.
“We’ve got to take more ownership of our D-line and get to the quarterback,” said redshirt sophomore Collapse
These former Arizona Wildcats are on NBA rosters in 2019-20
15 HRS AGO - Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images
NBA rosters have been finalized for the start of the 2019-20 Expand
15 HRS AGO - Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images
NBA rosters have been finalized for the start of the 2019-20 season, and 11 Arizona Wildcats will be active on opening night.
Here’s a list of them.
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images
2018-19 stats: 33.8 MPG, 15.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 44.9 FG%, 34.9 3PT%, 73.1 FT%
Contract status: In second year of four-year, $80 contract
Year in league: 6
Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
2018-19 stats: 32.3. MPG, 18.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 43.0 FG%, 36.1 3PT%, 87.2 FT%
Contract status: In third year of three-year, $13.7 contract (has $6.7M team option for 2020-21)
Year in league: 3
T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
2018-19 stats (with Sixers): 19.3 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.3 RPG, 52.5 FG%, 33.3 3PT%, 78.4 FT%
Contract status: In first year of two-year, $7 million contract
Year in league: 5
Deandre Collapse
Arizona Football Visits Diamond Children's Hospital
19 HRS AGO - Members of the Arizona Football program spent their morning visiting patients at Diamond Expand
19 HRS AGO - Members of the Arizona Football program spent their morning visiting patients at Diamond Children's Hospital. Collapse
Aari McDonald Named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List
1 DAY AGO - Aari McDonald was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List on Tuesday.
Kevin Sumlin discusses Stanford, QBs, blitzes and punting in weekly press conference
1 DAY AGO - Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Where do the Arizona Wildcats go from here? Besides another Expand
1 DAY AGO - Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Where do the Arizona Wildcats go from here? Besides another road game, that is.
On the heels of two consecutive losses by a combined 51 points, Arizona (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12) is at a crossroads for the 2019 season. With a brutal finish the schedule—the last three opponents are all ranked in the latest Associated Press Top 25—how the Wildcats fare Saturday against the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto, Calif. may ultimately determine if a bowl bid happens.
After the 41-14 loss at USC, most of the questions coach Kevin Sumlin faced were about the quarterback situation after Khalil Tate was replaced by true freshman Grant Gunnell early in the second half. Sumlin said Tate is still the starter, something he reaffirmed Monday, and when asked what kind of response he was hoping to get from the senior this week Sumlin noted he was looking more big-picture.
“The first thing I’m hoping to get a response is out of our team,” Sumlin said. “We just lost a game on the Collapse
Day game on tap for Arizona’s Homecoming clash with Oregon State
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Adjust those body clocks, Arizona Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Adjust those body clocks, Arizona Wildcats fans, because the next home game is going to be starting a lot earlier than normal.
The Homecoming game against the Oregon State Beavers on Nov. 2 has been scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. PT kickoff, with the Pac-12 Network handling the broadcast.
Schedule Update @arizonafball will kick off vs. Oregon State at : on Nov. 2 for the Homecoming Game#BearDown | #BackTheA ️ pic.twitter.com/Le6WbalK7t— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) October 21, 2019
Arizona is scheduled to wear special throwback uniforms to commemorate the Desert Swarm era.
This will be Arizona’s first home day game since the 2018 finale, when the Wildcats infamously blew a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter in the Territorial Cup to ASU.
And combined with this week’s 12:30 p.m. game at Stanford it will mean Arizona will be playing consecutive day games for the first time since 2014 when it happened in three Collapse
Arizona favored for visit to Stanford despite recent slump
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s been a bad last two games for the Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s been a bad last two games for the Arizona Wildcats, losing by 27 at USC after falling to Washington by 24 at home the week before. And with a second consecutive road game on the horizon, things could get even worse.
But apparently Vegas doesn’t think so.
Arizona (4-3, 2-2 Pac-12) has opened as surprising 3-point favorite for Saturday’s game against the Stanford Cardinal (3-4, 2-3) in Palo Alto, Calif., according to VegasInsider.com. The line has as much to do with Stanford, which was blown out 34-16 at home by UCLA on Thursday and has an even more uncertain quarterback situation than Arizona, as it does with any confidence in the Wildcats’ play.
It is the second time this season Arizona is favored on the road, the other being for the opener at Hawaii when the Wildcats closed as 10.5-point favorites but lost 45-38.
The last time Arizona was a road favorite in Pac-12 play was the 2018 conference opener at Oregon State. UA Collapse
Wildcats Back From ITA Regionals
2 DAYS AGO - Weekend Wraps Up in San Diego
Arizona volleyball pushes No. 10 Washington, but falls in 4 sets
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s been a tough opening four weeks for Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s been a tough opening four weeks for the Arizona Wildcats.
Cobbling together a lineup around injuries while playing six of eight matches on the road has left them in a 1-7 hole in Pac-12 play. As they finally return home, they can at least take solace in the fact they are capable of pushing a top-10 team even while playing a 5-foot-7 libero at outside hitter.
The Wildcats (11-9, 1-7) struggled against their own slow starts and the power of Washington (15-3, 6-2) on Sunday, but mounted their own runs in three of the four sets to avoid the straight-set loss. The Huskies eventually closed out the match for a 3-1 (25-23, 25-14, 21-25, 25-18) victory.
Furious defense was the order of the day for Arizona. The Wildcats had 84 digs in the match, including 29 by libero Emi Pua’a. Setter Julia Patterson and stand-in outside hitter Kamaile Hiapo had 16 and 15, respectively. Katie Smoot and Paige Whipple each threw in 8 digs each.
It Collapse
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Arizona softball’s new first baseman could be determined by center field, speed
12 HRS AGO - Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the last several years, first base has Expand
12 HRS AGO - Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the last several years, first base has been somewhat of a merry-go-round for Arizona softball. The Wildcats will have a change at the position in what has been an almost annual occurrence, but who takes over in 2020 may have less to do with first base than other parts of the line-up and even overall offensive strategy.
As a freshman in 2017, senior shortstop Jessie Harper was a first-team NFCA All-American at first. The next season, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza moved in from centerfield after her second knee injury. Once again, Arizona had a first-team NFCA All-American at the position. Last season, it was senior transfer Rylee Pierce.
Now, the position is up for grabs again.
Watching the Wildcats in fall ball, it appears that the competition is wide open. Players have been rotated in and out of the position almost every other inning in both games—at least five players have seen time there—and coach Mike Candrea is certainly Collapse
Aari McDonald named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list
17 HRS AGO - Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Point guard or shooting guard? The Expand
17 HRS AGO - Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Point guard or shooting guard? The question came up on Monday when Arizona Wildcat Aari McDonald was noticeably absent from the preseason watch list for the Nancy Lieberman Award that goes to the nation’s top point guard. At least for this year’s award season, McDonald is a shooting guard.
On Tuesday, the nation’s leading returning scorer was named to the preseason watch list for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award that goes to the nation’s top shooting guard.
The argument for her as a shooting guard is pretty simple. As a redshirt sophomore, McDonald was third in the nation in scoring with 24.1 points per game while breaking Arizona’s single-season scoring record with 890 points. The previous record of 653 points had been set by her coach 21 years before. Her eight games with at least 30 points set a school record, as did her free throws attempted (269) and made (203).
McDonald’s 890 points in 2018-19 didn’t just place her in Collapse
Arizona treads water in bowl projections despite blowout loss to USC
20 HRS AGO - Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After going 4-1 against their paper-thin Expand
20 HRS AGO - Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After going 4-1 against their paper-thin schedule the first five weeks, the Arizona Wildcats started cropping up in bowl projections pretty heavily.
After two straight losses to vastly more talented teams, those same experts still see Arizona as a bowl team, but the destinations have gotten noticeably less desirable.
Here are all major bowl projections for the Wildcats after week 8:
247Sports: Redbox Bowl vs. Indiana (played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA)
CBS: No bowl
CollegeFootballNews: Cheez-It Bowl vs. Kansas State (played at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ)
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: Cheez-It Bowl vs. TCU
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Air Force (played at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX)
SB Nation/Banner Society: No bowl
Sporting News: Redbox Bowl vs. Nebraska
Stadium’s Brett McMurphy: Cheez-It Bowl vs. Oklahoma State
Six of eight predicted Arizona to make a bowl last week, Collapse
Arizona Football: The coaching staff needs to wake up and adjust
1 DAY AGO - Arizona Football offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone needs to take a page out of NFL and other Expand
1 DAY AGO - Arizona Football offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone needs to take a page out of NFL and other playbooks and build an offense around the strengths of his players. It’s like the Arizona Football coaching staff doesn’t know what they have in their back pocket. Coming in after the firing of Rich Rodriguez, they did not capitalize […]
Arizona Football: The coaching staff needs to wake up and adjust - Zona Zealots - Zona Zealots - An Arizona Wildcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more. Collapse
Arizona soccer falls in RPI ahead of critical homestand vs. Oregon, Oregon State
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Ryan Kelapire
The Wildcats need good results this weekend Arizona soccer has suffered Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Ryan Kelapire
The Wildcats need good results this weekend Arizona soccer has suffered a setback after weeks of rising up the RPI.
The Wildcats fell three spots, from 34 to 37, after battling to a scoreless draw with Utah on Friday in Salt Lake City. The Utes are 54th in RPI.
It sets up a critical homestand for Arizona (8-4-1, 2-3-1) this weekend against Oregon and Oregon State. The Ducks (4-5-5, 0-4-2) are one of two teams still searching for their first Pac-12 win (ASU being the other).
At 49th in RPI, a loss or even a draw to Oregon would send Arizona further down the rankings. Same if the Wildcats fall short against Oregon State, though to a lesser extent since the Beavers (9-3-2, 1-3-2) are 33rd in RPI.
The top 32 teams host the first round of the NCAA Tournament, so Arizona needs a strong finish if it hopes to earn an additional home game. The Wildcats still have work to do to secure their place in the field of 64 too.
Arizona is 6-0 against Oregon State in the Tony Collapse
Arizona ranked 21st in AP Preseason Top 25
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Oregon is the only Pac-12 team ranked higher The Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Oregon is the only Pac-12 team ranked higher The national media views the Arizona Wildcats in a better light than Pac-12 media members.
UA checks in at No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll, making them the second-highest ranked team in the Pac-12 and just one of two Pac-12 teams inside the Top 25. The Oregon Ducks are No. 15 in the country.
The Washington Huskies received 164 votes and the Colorado Buffaloes received 152 votes, the most among non-Top 25 teams.
Arizona was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 in the conference’s preseason media poll behind those three teams.
Three other UA opponents—Gonzaga (8), Baylor (16), and Utah State (17)—are in the AP preseason Top 25.
Here is the full poll:
Michigan State Spartans
Kentucky Wildcats
Kansas Jayhawks
Duke Blue Devils
Louisville Cardinals
Florida Gators
Maryland Terrapins
Gonzaga Bulldogs
North Carolina Tar Heels
Villanova Wildcats
Virginia Cavaliers
Seton Hall Pirates
Texas Tech Red Collapse
Arizona Faces Road Test at Stanford
1 DAY AGO - News, notes, and information about the Wildcats road matchup against the Stanford Cardinal on Expand
1 DAY AGO - News, notes, and information about the Wildcats road matchup against the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, Oct. 26 Collapse
Pac-12 roundup Week 8: Oregon beats Washington, Utah stymies ASU to stay in Playoff conversation
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
Chaos continued to leave the Pac-12 alone this weekend Last Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
Chaos continued to leave the Pac-12 alone this weekend Last week, it felt like the chaos gods of college football forgot to visit the West Coast for the first time in a long time. This week, while the lower parts of the conference saw some churn, and the Midwest and South saw plenty of weird stuff happen, the top of the Conference of Champions remained immune to the chaos.
It took just seven weeks for the Pac-12’s playoff contention to be whittled down to one, maybe two teams. After eight weeks, those two are still barely in the hunt, while the rest of the conference keeps chugging towards its ultimate goal of every team going 6-6. Here’s the roundup of Week 8’s Pac-12 games.
UCLA 34, Stanford 16
UCLA and Stanford were both disappointing heading into this game, but there was no doubt that the Cardinal were favored heading into the matchup. Somehow though, UCLA ended up dominating the Cardinal in Palo Alto.
Stanford appeared to be stabilizing a Collapse
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