Pickin' Splinters » Arizona Wildcats

This Date in College Football Belt History – August 31

Casey — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:33:55 +0000

August 31, 1996

Texas El-Paso at Arizona

The Texas-El Paso Miners of coach Charlie Bailey met the Arizona Wildcats of coach Dick Tomey in the 1996 opener for both teams. Arizona’s PK Matt Peyton connected on 3 field goals & All-Pac 10 CB Chris McAllister intercepted 2 passes to lead the Wildcats to a 23-3 victory. Neither team scored in the 1^st quarter but Arizona broke things open in the 2^nd quarter. Wildcats’ QB Keith Smith scored on a 5-yard touchdown run before Peyton hit a kick from 52 yards making the score 10-0 Arizona. QB Brady Batten found WR Mike Metzler on a 17-yard touchdown pass as the Wildcats took a 17-0 halftime lead. Peyton’s 49-yard field goal was offset by Texas-El Paso’s PK Jon Olsen’s 49-yard field goal for the only points of the 3^rd quarter. Peyton’s final kick, a 33-yard connection, came with 12:56 to play. Smith finished with 24 yards passing with his rushing touchdown, Batten threw for 85 yards with a touchdown as well as an interception & RB Gary Taylor finished with 106 yards rushing for the Wildcats as they held the ball for 37:25 of the game. Texas-El Paso’s QB Leonard Lilja threw for 95 yards with 2 interceptions in the loss. Arizona finished the season 5-6 while the Miners finished 2-9. Texas-El Paso would play for The Belt again in 9 weeks.

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Arizona – Texas thread

Smitty — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:20:13 +0000

A trip to the Sweet Sixteen is on the line when the Pac-10 goes toe to toe with the Big 12. Fifth seeded Arizona Wildcats (28-7) faces the 4th seeded Texas Longhorns (28-7) on Sunday in the third round of the 2011 NCAA Championship at the Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa, OK. The winner gets a trip to the Western Regional in Anaheim, California. To get here Texas defeated 13th-seeded Oakland, 85-81, in Friday’s second round, while Arizona held off No. 12 seed Memphis, 77-75. The game features two former AAU teammates now on opposing teams with Jordan Hamilton (Texas) and Derrick Williams ( Arizona).

PROBABLE STARTERS – Texas

F – #3 Jordan Hamilton (6-7,220,So.)
F – #1 Gary Johnson (6-6 , 238, Sr.)
F – #13Tristan Thompson (6-8, 225, Fr.)
G – #4 Dogus Balbay (6-1, 175, Sr.)
G – #5 Cory Joseph (6-3,185, Fr.)

PROBABLE STARTERS – Arizona

G- #3 Kevin Parram(6-6,205,So.)
G- #12 Lamont Jones (6-0 , 196, S0.)
F – #23Derrick Williams(6-8, 241, So.)
F- #33 Jesse Perry (6-6, 210, Jr.-Tr.)
F- #44 Solomon Hill (6-6,226, S0.)

Team Statistics ARZ            TEX
Points per game    76.5               75.2
Rebounds       34.4                       40.

3-point FG pct .396 .455

Free throw pct        .750                       .650
Rebounds per game 34.4                     40.5
Turnover       12.9     11.8
Steals per game 5.1 5.8
Blocks per game                        2.6 5

All-Americans Taking The Super Out Of Super Size

Casey — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:00:54 +0000

By Paul Gotham

The hits just keep coming for the Golden Arches. It was bad enough when Morgan Spurlock released his documentary exposing the ills of fast food. Like any of us needed a movie to prove that a steady diet of Big Macs, fries, and Coke would lead to poor health. Did Spurlock really need to put himself through 30 days of three meals a day from McDonald’s? Wouldn’t fifteen have sufficed? Has anybody heard from Spurlock since the 2004 release? What kind of detox did he have to endure?

Back to the subject.

Yeah, we knew McDonald’s food was suspect, but now it looks like McDonald’s All-Americans are not all they are cracked up to be.

Once was a time when McDonald’s All-American on a resume meant a freshman was ready to contribute. Of recent years, if a program was honored enough to keep a McDonald’s All-American for a sophomore or junior season, it meant multiple wins in the NCAA Tournament. After this season’s results, a few teams might modify their recruiting channels.

A quartet of McDonald’s nominees couldn’t keep the long running Arizona Wildcat streak intact. The last time Arizona didn’t get an invite to The Dance, Ronald Reagan ruled the Oval Office. The Wildcats were to the NCAA Tournament what The Guiding Light was to day time television. Not that I am trying to compare the Wildcats to a soap opera. Or, am I? After all, there was that whole escapade with Lute Olson and Kevin O’Neill. Then came Olson’s recruiting gaffe.

Sean Miller walked into a tough situation in the desert. Maybe that’s why he could only get McDonald’s nominees Jamelle Horne, Lamont Jones, Kevin Parron, and D.J. Shumpert. Maybe that’s why Arizona finished 16-15 and 10-8 in the Pac 10 and out of the NCAA Tournament.

A coaching change and McDonald’s All-Americans nominees might not be the best example.

The UConn Huskies had their own share of problems this season. Health issues caused Coach Jim Calhoun to take a leave of absence. Upon his return, the Huskies looked ready to make a run. UConn bonked, and Kemba Walker and Alex Oriakhi could not do enough to merit their high school status. Jonathan Mandeldove is still getting a scholarship at Connecticut. That’s about it.UConn finished 17-15 and 7-11 in the Big East.

Is UConn going to the NIT?

UCLA and the NCAA Tournament go together like hamburger and cheese. Along with that comes the Bruins pick of the west coast crop – guys like Malcolm Lee, Jerime Anderson, and James Keefe. UCLA went 14-18 and 8-10. UCLA did not receive a mercy at-large bid like they did last year.

Arizona, UConn, and UCLA all pale in comparison to another school that has a stable of McDonald’s All-Americans.

North Carolina’s roster is loaded down with not one, not two, not three, four, five, or six. No, seven, count them seven Tar Heels have Ronald McDonald’s on the resume.

Ed Davis, Larry Drew II, John Henson, Dexter Strickland, David Wear, Travis Wear, and Tyler Zeller could not save the Heels from a 16-16 ledger.

Common logic says fast food lacks nutrition. Maybe it is time to consider that student-athletes who achieve early success aren’t necessarily ready to compete at a high level.

This Date in College Football Belt History – November 9

Casey — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:23:16 +0000

After losing The Belt earlier in the season to Washington, the 14^th ranked, 6-1-1 UCLA Bruins of Terry Donahue traveled to Tucson to try & claim it from the 6-2 Arizona Wildcats of coach Larry Smith. UCLA’s RB Gaston Green scored 3 touchdowns & the Bruins withstood a 4^th quarter rally by the Wildcats to take The Belt back to California with a 24-19 win. UCLA scored midway through the 1^st quarter on a 27-yard drive that was set-up by a mishandled snap on a punt attempt. Green scored on a 7-yard touchdown run giving the Bruins a 7-0 lead. Midway through the 2^nd quarter, UCLA drove 53 yards in 9 plays with Green again scoring on a 7-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 Bruins’ lead. UCLA’s All-American PK John Lee hit a 39-yard field goal with 2:38 left in the half & the Bruins took a 17-0 lead to intermission after having held the Arizona offense to just 26 total yards in the half. Midway through the 3^rd quarter, Arizona’s special teams set-up the Wildcats’ first score when S Chuck Cecil blocked a punt out of bounds at the UCLA 7-yard line. The Wildcats scored two plays later when RB James DeBow carried in from 2 yards making the score UCLA 17 Arizona 7 with 7:21 left in the 3^rd quarter. The Bruins responded with a 9-play, 80-yard drive that was highlighted by a 3^rd & 9 play from the UCLA 44-yard line. As QB David Norrie scrambled to find an open receiver he saw WR Karl Dorrell. After Dorrell made the catch he was hit at the Arizona 20-yard line & fumbled the ball forward. It appeared Arizona would recover the ball as 4 Wildcats’ defenders closed in but Green got into the pile & covered the ball for the Bruins at the Arizona 4-yard line. Two plays later, Green’s 1-yard touchdown run put UCLA ahead 24-7 with 3:53 left in the 3^rd quarter. In the 4^th quarter it appeared the Bruins had thwarted a Wildcat scoring drive when UCLA’s CB Dennis Price intercepted Arizona’s QB Alfred Jenkins at the UCLA 10-yard line. After returning the pick 14 yards, Price fumbled & DeBow recovered for the Wildcats at the UCLA 24-yard line giving Arizona a new set of downs. Arizona drove for the touchdown in 5 plays with DeBow scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. The missed 2-point conversion attempt left the Wildcats trailing 24-13 with 7:05 left to play. The Bruins recovered the on-side kick & ran almost 4 minutes off the clock before Norrie made a mistake that led to another Arizona score. On first down from the Arizona 29-yard line with 3:18 left, Norrie decided to try a pass but the Wildcats’ rush was on him quickly & he tried to throw the ball while being tackled. Arizona’s DT Dana Wells caught the ball & ran 61 yards for a touchdown but the missed 2-point conversion attempt still had the Bruins in front at 24-19. UCLA managed to hang on to the ball the rest of the way to secure the win. Norrie threw for 162 yards with 2 interceptions while Jenkins threw for 102 yards with an interception in the loss. The Wildcats finished the season 8-3-1 while the Bruins finished 9-2-1, Pac-10 Champions & ranked 7^th nationally. Arizona would play for The Belt again in 1990.

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This Date in College Football Belt History – August 31

Casey — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:09:53 +0000

The Texas El-Paso Miners of coach Charlie Bailey met the Arizona Wildcats of coach Dick Tomey in the 1996 opener for both teams. Arizona’s PK Matt Peyton connected on 3 field goals & All-Pac 10 CB Chris McAllister intercepted 2 passes to lead the Wildcats to a 23-3 victory. Neither team scored in the 1^st quarter but Arizona broke things open in the 2^nd quarter. Wildcats’ QB Keith Smith scored on a 5-yard touchdown run before Peyton hit a kick from 52 yards making the score 10-0 Arizona. QB Brady Batten found WR Mike Metzler on a 17-yard touchdown pass as the Wildcats took a 17-0 halftime lead. Peyton’s 49-yard field goal was offset by Texas El-Paso’s PK Jon Olsen’s 49-yard field goal for the only points of the 3^rd quarter. Peyton’s final kick, a 33-yard connection, came with 12:56 to play. Smith finished with 24 yards passing with his rushing touchdown, Batten threw for 85 yards with a touchdown as well as an interception & RB Gary Taylor finished with 106 yards rushing for the Wildcats as they held the ball for 37:25 of the game. Texas El-Paso’s QB Leonard Lilja threw for 95 yards with 2 interceptions in the loss. Arizona finished the season 5-6 while the Miners finished 2-9. Texas El-Paso would play for The Belt again in 9 weeks.

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