The pass reception that could have been...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: When Nick Foles retreated to the pocket, set up, and then unleashed a bomb that sailed 60 yards down field during the second half of last Saturday's 34-17 Arizona Wildcats' win over NAU, 50,623 fans followed the flight of the ball.

It turned out to be a 51-yard pass attempt that went awry as Wildcats' receiver Juron Criner couldn't hold on to the pigskin. In his defense, Criner did have to dive for the ball, but it could have been a reception which would have sent the crowd into a frenzy, but instead the ball sailed through his hands and bounced off his chest.

I wonder what would have happened, in the minutes that followed, if Criner had hauled in the pass?

Would we then have a quarterback controversy? Let's say, Criner had caught Foles' north-to-south bomb, and then moments later found Criner alone in the end zone for a Wildcats' touchdown, would the crowd be yelling out, "We want Nick" the rest of the game. Instead, both quarterbacks, Matt Scott and Foles, will probably see action at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City next Saturday. And that's the way it should be. Both quarterbacks are talented and bring a lot to the table.

As for the Wildcats' win over NAU at Arizona Stadium last Saturday, it turned out to be a bit boring, except for Foles' bomb that went awry and Nic Grigsby's electrifying 94 yard run in the third quarter that set up an Arizona score, which gave the Wildcats a 27-10 lead. But when you look at the final statistics, it's difficult to use the word "boring" as the Wildcats recorded 559 yards of total offense,giving them 1,007 yards for their two games at Arizona Stadium this season.

As for the Arizona quarterbacks, they combined for 240 yards and two touchdowns. We'll need that and much more in Iowa City on Saturday.