|
University of Arizona - Arizona Wildcats Founded in 1885, the University of Arizona at Tucson enters the 2007 season without a winning record since 1998. Long known for their signature “Desert Swarm” defense, the Wildcats face lingering questions on the offensive side of the ball. Last year’s upsets of BYU, California and Oregon provide a glimmer of hope for a team that seeks both its first bowl appearance and winning season in nearly a decade. 2007 Arizona Wildcats Outlook On the defensive side of the ball, the team seeks to build upon last year’s strength by returning 10 defensive starters. Led by their linebacker corps of Dane Krogstad, Ronnie Palmer and Spencer Larson, the Wildcat defense has a knack for finding the ball and delivering big hits to opposing offenses. Offensively, the Wildcats’ new offensive coordinator, Sonny Dykes brings a new system similar to the one at Texas Tech where he was a member of the offensive staff. This new spread system seeks to benefit the Wildcats quick but undersized receivers led by Mike Thomas and transforms the team’s attack from a run-first to a pass-first quick-strike offense. Most important for the Wildcats’ success in 2007 is the health of junior starting quarterback Willie Tuitama. In last year’s pro-style offensive scheme, Tuitama, due to a young offensive line, suffered three concussions. The new system’s heavy use of three-step drops should allow Tuitama to get rid of the ball faster and remain standing for significantly more of the season. 2007 Arizona Wildcats Schedule Arizona Wildcats Head Coach Profile Arizona coach Mike Stoops is entering his fourth year with the Wildcats. With a career record of 12-22, Stoops is coming off his best season as a head coach and aims to improve upon the Wildcats’ 6-6 record last season. His ability as a defensive coach has never been questioned as the Wildcats’ defense has consistently been called upon to carry the team. With a complete overhaul of the offensive staff, Coach Stoops seeks to give his defensive unit some time on the sidelines for a breather. After averaging 16.6 points per game last season, Stoops hopes the newly revamped offense will allow the team to play from ahead more often. Arizona Wildcats – Key Departures/Players to Watch The biggest hole to be filled is the one left by the early departure of running back Chris Henry. By forgoing his senior season in favor of entering the NFL draft, Henry left behind two backs, senior Chris Jennings and sophomore Xavier Smith who look to have breakout seasons not only running but catching the ball out of the backfield in the new spread offense. Red-shirt freshman receiver Delashaun Dean could have a huge impact in the new offense and is slated to be the team’s third receiver. Tall and fast, Dean provides Tuitama with a legitimate deep threat that can go up and get the ball from defensive backs. Defensively, seniors Antoine Cason (CB), Spencer Larsen (OLB), and Louis Holmes (DE) look to make noise anchoring a potentially top ranked defensive unit. |
Arizona
