ARIZONA FOOTBALL

We’ve learned little from the Arizona Wildcats’ routs

Sep 17, 2013, 9:48 PM | Updated: 9:49 pm

TUCSON, Ariz. — Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green’s rant at a 2006 press conference earned a spot in the pantheon of famous sports quotes: “The Bears are who we thought they were!”

It appears we almost always feel like we can judge how good teams are, starting with the preseason conference and national rankings. So when one team upsets another, it is based on our perception of who was supposed to win.

Arizona opened the season with three blowouts. But did we learn anything, other than that Tucson and the ZonaZoo don’t like “gimme” games?

“We can only play who is in front of us,” senior quarterback B.J. Denker said. “Obviously, we were expected to win these games but we still had to come and play. Now we are ready to get in to Pac-12 play.”

It’s fun to joke about whether Pima Community College could beat UNLV, or that Arizona opened the season with four bye weeks, but do the Wildcats’ wins over those teams tell us there’s improvement?

Against UTSA, Denker threw for a career high 158 passing yards, just 10 less than his total yardage through the air in both the NAU and UNLV games. So were the concerns over Denker’s throwing ability overblown?

After an unimpressive showing last year, the UA defense already has six interceptions in the 2013 season, compared to 12 over 13 games in 2012. Does this mean the Desert Swarm is back?

“This was a better team this week compared to UNLV,” junior running back Ka’Deem Carey said after the UTSA game. “I feel like our schedule is getting tougher and tougher, but that was a good squad out there. They came out, they were ready to hit and they didn’t back down. I felt like it was a good game for us to get ready for Washington.”

ASU came into the season as a favorite to win the Pac-12 South. The hype was based on going 8-5 last year and a large number of returning starters this season, but their only win over a decent team in 2012 was over an 8-5 UA squad.

ASU was gifted a win over then No. 20 Wisconsin last week — aided by officiating that was, at best, inept, but they tested themselves and showed that they can play against a ranked team.

The UA is just outside the top 25 in both polls, 32nd in both, so maybe they’re good? The answer to those questions is, of course, “who knows?” We don’t have enough information.

Arizona’s victims were basically FCS teams. NAU literally plays in the lower division, UNLV is a program in shambles, which lost to NAU last year and had the look of a team that hasn’t improved, and the UTSA program is in its third year.

Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez said the line between BCS teams and mid-majors is blurring, as is the line between FBS and FCS. Still, it is very much there.

NAU, UNLV and UTSA are all at least a step below Arizona. Now it’s time for the Wildcats to face more recognized football programs.

Are the Wildcats good or did they look good because they faced light competition? What did we learn from Arizona’s non-conference schedule about their 2013 squad?

Nothing, except that they can easily beat teams below their caliber.

&#149This story was courtesy of the Arizona Daily Wildcat.

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Football

Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan #4 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates with Noah Fifita #11 after ca...

Arizona Sports

ESPN’s Rittenberg: Arizona Wildcats’ QB room ranks 10th in nation

Led by the final Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Noah Fifita, the Arizona Wildcats' quarterback room was ranked 10th in the nation.

11 days ago

Grand Canyon forward Duke Brennan...

Vincent DeAngelis

Duke Brennan uses inspiration from family and high motor to propel GCU basketball

Grand Canyon's Duke Brennan has strong Arizona connections and comes from a family of athletes in Colt and Brent Brennan.

19 days ago

Jordan Morgan...

Arizona Sports

Arizona OL, potential 1st-round pick Jordan Morgan shows off speed at NFL Draft Combine

Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan had the opportunity to show off his speed and athleticism at the NFL Combine on Sunday.

25 days ago

Jacob Cowing...

Arizona Sports

Arizona’s Jacob Cowing shows off elite speed at NFL Scouting Combine

NFL Draft prospect Jacob Cowing from Arizona put up one of the fastest 40-yard dash times among wide receivers at the combine.

26 days ago

An empty podium is seen at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by...

David Veenstra

What to watch for: 2024 NFL Scouting Combine schedule, preview and more

The NFL Scouting Combine begins this week in Indianapolis. Here's a complete guide for college and professional fans across Arizona.

1 month ago

Quarterback Jayden de Laura #7 prepares for a game at Arizona Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Tucson...

Tom Kuebel

Former Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura declares for NFL Draft

Jayden de Laura declared for the NFL Draft and will forego his fifth season of college football eligibility.

1 month ago

We’ve learned little from the Arizona Wildcats’ routs