Arizona Wildcats
Overall Rank: #32
#6 Pac-12
Arizona Team Page
2010 Record: (7-6, 4-5)
2010 Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (L 10-36)
Coach: Mike Stoops (40-45 at Arizona, 40-45 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Seth Littrell
Defensive Coordinator: Tim Kish
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Keola Antolin, RB, 668 yards
Passing: Nick Foles, QB, 3,191 yards
Receiving: Juron Criner, WR, 1,233 yards
Tackles: Paul Vassallo, LB, 102
Sacks: Justin Washington, DT, 6.0
Interceptions: Adam Hall, S, 2; Shaquille Richardson, CB, 2
Other Key Returnees: WR David Douglas, LB Derek Earls, LB Jake Fisher, CB Robert Golden, WR David Roberts, K Alex Zendejas
Key Losses: G Conan Amituanai, C Colin Baxter, DE Ricky Elmore, OT Phil Garcia, OT Adam Grant, G Jovon Hayes, DT Lolomana Mikaele, CB Joe Perkins, DE Brooks Reed, TE A.J. Simmons, S Anthony Wilcox
Arizona lost their last five games in 2010, most in heart wrenching or blowout fashion. The schedule got tougher and the Wildcats were not up to the task. This is now a team that needs to regroup and refocus if they hope to make some noise in the Pac-12 South. And that could very well be possible with the return of experienced quarterback Nick Foles.
Strengths:
Foles threw for 3,191 yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago and has already proven to be a great quarterback and leader. His toughest leadership job may come this year, but he has plenty of familiar faces to pass the ball to in 2011. Juron Criner will be a star in the NFL and should be in for another big year after catching 82 passes for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. The scary thing is that David Douglas and David Roberts are a couple more quality receivers and if the opposing defense starts focusing too much on Criner, Foles will find Douglas and Roberts. On the other side of the ball Coach Mike Stoops expects significant improvement from most positions. That is especially true of the back seven. Linebacker Paul Vassallo is a tackling machine and Derek Earls and Jake Fisher should only be better with another year of experience under their belt. However, Fisher will miss at least the beginning of the season with a knee injury. The secondary features a nice mix of experience and potential. Yet, again an injury has dampened some of the enthusiasm. Safety Adam Hall, one of those experienced options may have to give way to freshman Josh Robbins for a while. The corners are in better shape. Trevin Wade is a solid starter and Robert Golden provides the team with another experienced option. Throw sophomore Shaquille Richardson into the mix after a superb freshman campaign and passing against the Wildcats will not be easy.
Weaknesses:
However, the secondary could be exposed if Arizona cannot find a way to replace a trio of talented linemen. Defensive tackle Justin Washington is just a sophomore, but he pretty much is the only proven starter on the offense line. Fellow tackle Sione Tuihalamaka has a few career starts under his belt, but the interior of the line is very young. The ends have some more upperclassmen available, but they are less experienced. Replacing Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore will not happen right away and for now Arizona is trying to plug the holes with some seniors who have some experience. Yet, do not be surprised if a freshman like Dan Pettinato gets into the mix. Either way, the Wildcats must find an end or two who can make an impact. The line on the other side of the ball is in even worse shape. All five starters are gone and the two deep is littered with underclassmen, walk-ons and junior college transfers. While the defensive line has some experience playing together, the offensive line will be a huge question throughout the entire season.
The Bottom Line:
That causes a problem for running back Keola Antolin. He is a speedster who can make big plays, but he cannot carry the ball much more than 150 times per season. Last year he rushed for 668 yards on 143 carries and seven touchdowns. With Greg Nwoko already out with an injury, the running game could struggle with the new line and an injury prone Antolin set to take a bulk of the carries. The good news is freshman Ka’Deem Carey is a great back who has the potential to be the Wildcats main rusher with Antolin coming in as a change of pace back. That would be ideal, but putting that much pressure on a freshman with a make shift offensive line may not lead to great results.
Projected Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 131.69 (88th in nation, 8th in conference)
Passing Offense: 307.69 (9, 1)
Total Offense: 439.38 (24, 3)
Scoring Offense: 28.23 (53, 5)
Rushing Defense: 131.69 (33, 4)
Pass Defense: 209.15 (46, 4)
Total Defense: 340.85 (33, 3)
Scoring Defense: 22.69 (41, 4)
Turnover Margin: -.31 (75, 8)
Sacks: 2.54 (21, 3)
Sacks Allowed: 2.46 (88, 7)
Madness 2012 NFL Draft Rankings:
#28 Nick Foles
#83 Trevin Wade
#90 Juron Criner
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