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Notes From The Margins, West Coast Style
By Vince Mullins | August 28, 2008
Pac 10
Arizona Wildcats
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From the Tucson Citizen of Monday, August 18, 2008 comes the evaluation by offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes that starting quarterback for the Arizona Wildcats, Willie Tuitama, is “really seeing some things now” and during a recent 61-play scrimmage on Saturday, “was out there calling plays on his own.” Tuitama seemed to concur, telling reporters, “I’m more comfortable. It is something that comes along with the offense. Once you learn this offense more and understand what is happening, it is going to be a whole lot easier.” Subsequently, expect the senior to, as John Moredich writes in this article, to “have more freedom to make calls at the line” and become “even more dangerous” as one of the Pac-10’s best passers in 2008.
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Rob Gronkowski, sophomore tight end for the Arizona Wildcats, continues to get love from UA’s offensive coordinator, Sonny Dykes, as noted in an article printed Sunday, August 17, 2008 by the Arizona Daily-Star. States Dykes, He may be out for the first few weeks as he deals with possible mononucleosis.
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Two quick notes on Wildcats’ starting tailback Nic Grigsby, as covered in an article carried in the Tucson Citizen on Saturday, August, 16, 2008: First, Grigsby acknowledges that the punch he threw at cornerback Devin Ross last weekend was “a dumb play by me” and that Ross actually made what the sophomore tailback considered “a good tackle” when Ross brought him down. Second, Grigsby has changed his number from #23 to #5, the former number of Antoine Cason; fantasy owners, let’s hope that he plays to the same All-American level Cason did in his final season last year.
California Bears
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Fantasy owners may rightfully have their doubts about sophomore tailback for the Cal Bears, Jahvid Best, but the Contra Costa Times for Tuesday, August 19, 2008 may begin to allay some of the concerns surrounding the speedy rusher, as head coach Jeff Tedford recently told reporters that his tailback will “be the starting tailback and could return kicks and punts” and will likey see the ball “25 times per game” this year. Notes Tedford of the need to get Best the ball in a variety of ways in the upcoming season, “Everybody has talent, but not everybody has a gift. He has a gift. God blesses everybody with some kind of ability, but everything he does is effortless.” That being said, the question should be asked: Are fantasy owners looking at the next coming of Reggie Bush at Berkeley?
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According to Jonathan Okanes of the website InsideBayArea.com, while senior quarterback for the California Bears, Nate Longshore, has “been outplaying” sophomore Kevin Riley thus fair in fall practices, Riley over the last week seems “to be closing the gap.” Riley tells Okanes that he had early on focused “a little too much [on] the battle for the first-team nod” and was “thinking I had to make a play,” forcing himself to make throws that in hindsight should not have been made. At the start of last week, however, the young quarterback says he “just started playing football again,” a circumstance which has allowed him to once again perform “a lot beter.”
Oregon Ducks
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The website OregonLive.com hosts a piece on August 19, 2008 that suggests fantasy owners may very well want to take down the name of Oregon Ducks’ tailback LaMichael James. Writes Bob Rickert, James, an incoming freshman this year, has put together a string of strong practices over the last few days.
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Also worthy of note from the above article on OregonLive.com is the fact that freshman quarterback Chris Harper has been seen taking snaps at the slot receiver position, and was on occasion used as a tailback in the Oregon Ducks’ backfield. Says Bob Rickert on the subject, “It’s blatantly obvious that they want to [use] his athleticism and get him on the field and use it wherever they can.”
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The same article in The Seattle Times also perhaps deflates some of the excitement surrounding JUCO transfer to the Oregon Ducks at tailback, LeGarrette Blount, and the upside he may have in the 2008 season. Notes the piece’s author, Bud Withers, Blount, who “made a big splash in spring drills,” has since leveled-out in fall practices, a circumstance which Blount himself attributes to fall camp being “a lot harder” than spring. States the junior rusher, “We have two-a-days, it’s really hot and you’re in full gear. You have to go out and get everything done.”
Oregon State Beavers
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The Oregonian for Monday, August 18, 2008 carries an article highlighting the latest addition to the Oregon State Beavers’ already outstanding backfield, freshman Jacquizz Rodgers. A 5′6″, 180 pound tailback out Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas (and brother of former standout at wide receiver for the Beavers, James Rodgers), Rodgers comes to OSU according to the article “one of the most decorated recruits” in school history, with accolades ranging from Parade All-American and EA Sports All-American to Texas Athlete of the Year. He compiled more than 8000 yards rushing in high school and set a record for the state of Texas with 136 touchdowns total scored and is currently pushing to become the backup to redshirt freshman Ryan McCants. Head coach Mike Riley notes that Rodgers will “definitely play as a freshman,” and after scoring two touchdowns of 60 yards or better in a scrimmage held last Thursday, there is no doubt that, as Riley says, the team will “sit down and figure out the best way to use him.”
UCLA Bruins
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The Daily News out of Van Nuys, California notes on Sunday, August 17, 2008 that last week, when head coach of the UCLA Bruins Rick Neuheisel told redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Forcier that the needed to start getting “a better off-the-field commitment” in preparation to potentially run the offense come this fall, Forcier didn’t balk or protest, but instead started working furiously to understand Norman Chow’s new approach to the Bruins offensive attack and seek the trust of the entirety of the team’s coaching staff. That Forcier is doing so may be of extreme necessity, the article notes, as since 2005, the Bruins have yet to make it through an entire season with just one quarterback, and only once in the last six seasons has only one quarterback started each game for UCLA. That being said, and considering that the Bruins face physical games against Tennessee and BYU to start off their 2008 schedule, Forcier could easily be forced to enter the game, although Kevin Craft is currently considered the team’s current leader under center.
Mountain West
Wyoming Cowboys
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An update to a story carried in this column last week comes out of the Gillette News-Record for Sunday, August 17, 2008: An article carried in the News-Record confirms that as of last Friday, junior college transfer at quarterback for the Wyoming Cowboys, Dax Crum, has in fact been named the starter at the position for the 2008 season. Crum - a National Junior College Athletic Association Co-Region One Athlete of the Year and First Team All-Western States Football League selection for 2007 - played last season at Mesa Community College, and was at one time also listed on the roster of the Arizona State Sun Devils. Head coach of UW, Joe Glenn, noted in a statement to the press that while “we fell we have two very good quarterbacks . . . . we have to get on guy ready for the opener against Ohio. Dax will get the start, but Karsteen Sween needs to stay sharp and I know he will.”
Topics: College Football, Jason Roberts, Pac 10 |
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