South Carolina State at #24 Arizona. Arizona wins 56-0.
When little known South Carolina State came into Tucson, they may have been unaware at just how great Arizona’s momentum was, and still is. Motivated by new coach Rich Rodriguez, the reappearance of Senior QB Matt Scott, and an upset win against Oklahoma State, the Wildcats were unrelenting in their victory over the 5000 student HBCU.
Arizona moved up the AP rankings again this week by being awarded the #22 spot, up from #24 last week. QB Matt Scott completed 30 of his 36 attempted passes for 288 yards (83%, avg 9.6 yards per pass). Known for his running abilities, Scott rushed 9 times for 61 yards, including a touchdown. Arizona as a team achieved 43 first downs, which is a school record. In comparison to SCST’s meager 8 first downs, the numbers clearly show who was in charge of this game. The Wildcats are taking critics by storm, not just in the AP poll, but also statistically as they are ranked 4th in the nation in total offense. Arizona’s next opponent is #3 Oregon in their first road game of the season. A win in that match up is critical to keep building momentum. With Oregon also being the first PAC-12 game of the season, the Cats will have to show they can keep up with all teams, not just expected wins.
Some points of concern have still yet to be corrected by Arizona. Early in the first quarter, Richard Morrison fumbled the ball after a pass from Scott. In each of their games, the Cats have had fumble issues, which would have caused more trouble had they not recovered the majority of them (Morrison has fumbled 4 times, but only turned the ball over twice). The act of protecting the ball, as simple as it sounds, could prove to be a breaking point for the Cats in the future. Pass defense still needs a makeover as well. Arizona was only able to sack SCST.’s QB once (and they are currently ranked 99th in the nation in sacks). The defensive line, however, did act strongly against this FCS team, not allowing Scott to be sacked.
Arizona has proven itself in two expected-win games and proven highly capable against an expected-loss game, but this weekend’s game against Oregon will be a strong indicator of where the Wildcats will be headed for the rest of the season.
With 8 home games, Arizona’s ZonaZoo has big shoes to fill this season. The opening series of 3 home games has given new students time to find their place in the Zoo, in addition to giving returning students time to get back in the swing of things. I took this opportunity to gather some responses from some ZonaZoo members to see what they have to say about their experiences in the 10,000 seat student section. Anyone who has been in the ZonaZoo knows three things: You should be wearing red, you should be standing, and you will probably interact with at least one drunk person during the game. 23% of survey responders said they always “Pre-game” (drink alcohol) before football games, with another 44% of responders saying they sometimes pre-game. When asked if they enjoy the ZonaZoo experience, one responder said, “I enjoy the ZonaZoo experience because the energy from all the students is something unique that you just can’t get from sitting in regular admission seats or watching the game from home.” Another student surveyed said, “Yes, when it is a good game and ALL the students stay and cheer for the team!” As mentioned in previous articles, the students section is notorious for emptying out before the game is over. 30% of students surveyed said they leave at halftime because they get bored of being at the game. Arizona Athletics have been trying to get more students to stay longer and get more involved in the games; sometimes it is not enough. With students tailgating as early as 1pm, then waiting for a 7:30pm game to let out around 11pm, many fans leave early to get a nap in before going out for the night. That means the pressure is on for the 70% of ZonaZoo fans who do stay the whole game to cheer the loudest and make the most noise to support our Wildcats.
From the heart of Wildcat Country, Bear Down.
Upcoming Game Details:
Wildcats will play at Oregon, Saturday September 22nd, at 7:30PM. The game will be aired on ESPN.
