Arizona wins it 42-35

Arizona Shines!

Arizona Wildcats Football

Arizona 42 Arizona State 35

Pure bedlam!

Nick Wilson 178 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns!

Anu Solomon 15 for 21, 208 yards and two TD passes to Samajie Grant.

MVP Scobby Wright 13 tackles, two sacks...and one forced fumble to ignite the Wildcats in the opening quarter.

56, 083 cheer on the Arizona Wildcats to a Pac-12 South title and the 10-2 Arizona Wildcats are heading for Santa Clara!

Wildcats win Maui Invitational

Arizona Wildcats Basketball



Freshman Stanley Johnson scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had three steals as the Arizona Wildcats hung on to beat San Diego State 61-59 tonight to win the Maui Invitational. It was the second championship in Maui for the Wildcats, who won it all in 2000.

Arizona beats Missouri, Kansas State and the Aztecs to capture the crown, but tonight's battle against San Diego State wasn't easy for the Wildcats as they spent most of the game in four trouble -- losing the services of guards T.J. McConnell and Gabe York in the first half. McConnell and York had three fouls in the half, but in the end it was Kaleb Tarczewski who fouled out in the final moments of the second half.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and McConnell also scored in double figures tonight -- Hollis Jefferson with 14 and McConnell with 11 to go along with three rebounds and three assists.

Arizona, the third-ranked team in the country, improves to 6-0 on the season.

Arizona vs. San Diego in Maui finale

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona, now ranked third in the latest Associated Press college basketball rankings, will take on 15th-ranked San Diego State in the Maui Invitational title game Wednesday night.

San Diego State knocked off BYU in two overtimes in its tourney opener on Monday and tonight rolled by Pittsburgh 74-57, while the Arizona Wildcats beat Missouri by 19 on Monday and edged a tough Kansas State team earlier today, 72-68.

Arizona (5-0) will go up against the Aztecs (5-0) and their coach Steve Fisher in the tourney finale.

The Wildcats and coach Sean Miller would love to get off to a good start against the Aztecs, something they failed to do against Missouri and Kansas State.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Brandon Ashley chipped in 15 points apiece to lead Arizona over Missouri and today it was center Kaleb Tarczewski with 18 points and guard Gabe York with 15 points leading the charge.

Team Priceless loses first-round bye in fantasy playoffs

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


Team Priceless lost again this week and drops all the way to a third seed for the playoffs of the 14-team UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

Team Priceless (9-3) holds on to a two-game lead in Division 2 with just one week of action left before the playoffs begin in Week 14. Blitz and Lazar Kats, both with 9-3 records, are tied for top honors in Division 1. Team Priceless is third in overall points scored, which is the all-important tiebreaker.

After the conclusion of next week's action, six teams will qualify for the playoffs and the two teams with the best record (including the tiebreaker if necessary) will earn a bye in the quarterfinals. The three-seed will tangle with the sixth seed, while the fourth-seed with lock horns with the fifth seed. The two winners will move on to the semi-finals, the following week.

Last year, my Team Priceless reached the championship game, but lost in the title game and finished runner up. This year I hope to win it all, but it will not be easy as I will face the playoffs without a quality running back. I drafted Adrian Petersen, but lost him early on and somehow I've compiled a 9-3 record using Steve Jackson of Atlanta. Luckily, I've had the luxury of having Andrew Luck (QB-Indy) and wide receiver Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh) in my starting lineup. Two of my losses this season have occurred on a bye week without Luck and on another bye week without Brown.

I"ll have both Luck and Brown the rest of the way. That's a plus. The trick is to find some fantasy points down the stretch from the rest of my lineup, which includes kicker Dan Bailey (Dallas), receiver Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin, along with tight end Vernon Davis -- all three from the San Francisco 49ers. My defense, the New England Patriots, is kind of shaky.

It should be interesting the rest of the way.

Cardinals at 9-2 after loss to Seattle

The Arizona Cardinals took it on the chin in Seattle on Sunday, losing to the Seahawks 19-3.

Arizona falls to 9-2 on ther season, but still own the best record in the NFL, along with the New England Patriots.

Up next: Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Wildcats ranked 12th in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Football


Arizona will head into its final regular season game on Friday against rival Arizona State ranked No. 12 in the country according to the latest Associated Press poll, which was released today.

As for the Sun Devils, they aren't far behind at No. 13, while Oregon owns the third spot and the UCLA Bruins are in ninth.

Florida State hangs on to the top spot and Alabama is No. 2.

Arizona fans are in for a real treat Friday night at Arizona Stadium with two top twenty teams in the house -- two teams with identical 9-2 records. If that isn't enough for the hometown crowd, then they can add some scoreboard watching to the agenda. An Arizona win coupled with a UCLA loss to Stanford in Pasadena will send the Wildcats to the Pac-12 championship game to face Oregon.

My, goodness. It's going to be a crazy time in the Old Pueblo.

The stage is set

Arizona Wildcats Football

The stage is set.

The UCLA Bruins beat USC 38-20 last night. Arizona beats Utah and Arizona State (9-2, 6-2) drops Washington State.

Arizona Stadium will be the place to be Friday as our 9-2 Wildcats take on the 9-2 Arizona State Sun Devils, while out in Pasadena UCLA will host the Stanford Cardinal (6-5, 4-4).

If Arizona (9-2, 6-2) wins and the Bruins (9-2, 6-2) lose, the Wildcats will win the Pac-12 South, setting up a Pac-12 Conference title matchup on Dec. 5 in Santa Clara (new home of the San Francisco 49ers) against Oregon (9-1, 7-1).

My Goodness. Way to go, Wildcats.

In the Nick of Time

Arizona Wildcats Football


The 15th-ranked Arizona Wildcats put the hurt on the 17-ranked Utah Utes in Salt Lake City today.

The Wildcats crush the Utes 42-10 and improve to 9-2 on the season and 6-2 in the Pac-12 South, setting up the BIG GAME next Friday at Arizona Stadium against the 9-2 and 13th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils.

Arizona needed a spark today offensively and they got it in the nick of time as running back Nick Wilson rushes for 218 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats led at the half 21-7 and then added three more scores in the fourth quarter to knock off the Utes.

Despite the bad weather in Salt Lake City and in front of a boisterous Utah crowd, Arizona forced the Utes into four turnovers, while getting the job done offensively with 520 yards of total offense -- 298 rushing and 222 through the air.

One downer was the loss in the second half of quarterback Anu Solomon, who got the BOOT - as in wearing one to protect his injured ankle. Hopefully, Solomon will be ready to go against the Sun Devils.

But for now, Arizona fans, enjoy the win -- the ninth of the season for the Wildcats with a chance to go 10-2 next week.

Arizona Cardinals eye win number 10

Arizona Cardinals Football


Can the Arizona Cardinals (9-1) beat the Seahawks (6-4) in Seattle on Sunday?

Yes, but it won't be easy.

My prediction: Arizona 28 Seattle 24

Scooby will need a little help today

Arizona Wildcats Football


In a land far away, Scooby will lead the way.

The Arizona linebacker Scobby Wright III will need some help.

Wright leads the Wildcats in tackles and he'll have to do it again today as Arizona battles the weather and the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City. A defensive struggle is expected between two very good football  teams. Arizona (8-2) can keep their hopes alive for a Pac-12 South title with a win over Utah (7-3).

A fumble recovery, an interception, a punt return for a TD, a jarring tackle, a blocked field goal -- any, or all of those defensive gems may be necessary if Arizona expects to get to win No. 9.

Offensively, Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon needs to have A DAY! Running back Nick Wilson needs to grind out another 100-yard game, with a little help from Terris Jones-Grigsby and wide receiver Cayleb Jones needs to soar above the defenders and produce his best game of the year.

If the Wildcats can accomplish all the above, then they'll walk away winners.

My prediction: Arizona 17  Utah  14.

Wildcats wear down Anteaters

Arizona Wildcats Basketball



The second-ranked Arizona Wildcats struggled with visiting UC Irvine at McKale tonight -- until the eight-minute mark of the second half, that is.

Arizona went on a 15-0 run and the Anteaters went scoreless for six minutes and the Wildcats pulled away for a 71-54 win to improve to 3-0 on the season. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Wildcats with 19 points, while point-guard T.J. McConnell chipped in 12 points to go along with six steals, four assists and nine rebounds. Stanley Johnson finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

As for UC Irvine's 7-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye, he scores nine points in the first half, but wasn't a factor in the second half as the Anteaters simply ran out of gas down the stretch and the Wildcats' smothering defense took its toll.

The Wildcats head for the Maui Invitational and a first-round matchup on Monday against Missouri.

Aces' bats come alive in win over Rattlers

Southwest Senior Baseball League

60-and-over Aces


The 60-and-over Aces put together a 16-hit attack and beat the Arizona Rattlers 13-8 at Mission Manor Park today. Thunder Tim Tolson reached base five times and collected four hits, while driving in three runs. Pistol Pete Peters added to the onslaught with three hits in five trips to the plate, while driving in a team-high five runs.

The Aces scored four runs in the top of the sixth and added four more in the seventh to put the Rattlers away. Doc Thompson pitched the first five innings for the Aces and picked up the win, while Lloyd Barzell hurled the final two innings.

It was the Aces second win in a row over the Rattlers, who held the early lead in the ball game at 8-5. Also hitting safely for the Aces today were Pigpen Price, Bob Daliege, Ron Petersen, Dennis Crawley, Brian Reilly,  Barzell and Thompson.

The oldest player on the field today was 85-year-old Billy Heiny. Heiny reached base on an error and scored a run.

"It was a team effort," Aces manager Jerry Hamelin said, after the game. "We were down three runs and needed to put together some hits."

That's exactly what the Aces did.

Doc Thompson gets the start in Aces' game

Southwest Senior Baseball League

60-and-over Aces

The 60-and-over Aces will head across town on Tuesday to take on the Arizona Rattlers at Mission Manor Park. Game time is set for 9 a.m.

Hard-throwing, right-hander Doc Thompson, 72, will take the mound for the Aces. Thompson, coming off knee surgery late last year, has rounded into pitching form the last three months and is beginning to control his pitches, which includes a sinking fastball, a curve and a slider, which breaks away from the right-handed batters.

"I'm working my way back into shape." Thompson said, after a recent Tucson Old Timers' game at Udall Park. "The knee feels good and I've shed a few pounds. I feel pretty good."

Thompson, who pitched for Iowa State in the 1960s, is the hardest thrower on the TOTS and the Aces. The Arizona Rattlers will be out for a little revenge after falling to the Aces in early October. The Aces won the game in the bottom of the last inning on a bases-loaded walk-off single by 69-year-old Pigpen Price.

The Aces, who recently returned from the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series, which was held in Phoenix last month, have a hard-hitting attack, led by 62-year-old Tim Tolson, the top home run hitter on the club, along with contact hitters Brian Reilly, Pete Peters, Ron Petersen, Lloyd Barzell, Dennis Crowley, Bob Daliege and Price.

Photo: Doc Thompson

Team Priceless takes over first place in fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


Week 11 in the NFL was a real nail-biter for my Team Priceless, one of fourteen teams in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

Team Priceless edges Clam Jamers 99.12 to 91.52 to improve to 9-2 in the fantasy league and will head into Week 12 as the number one team and a one-game edge over Blitz (8-3), Suh-nami (8-3) and Lazar Kats (8-3).

Blitz, Suh-nami and the Lazar Kats are tied for first in Division 1 and my Team Priceless leads the way in Division 2 and now enjoys a two-game lead over Team Arps (7-4).

One more win in the next two weeks by Team Priceless will clinch the top seed in Division 2 and an automatic bye in the first round of the playoffs, which gets underway in Week 14.

Team Priceless held on tonight on Monday Night Football to grab their ninth win of the year. My opponent had Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell on its roster. Bell rushed for 204 yards and a TD, good enough for 28.20 in fantasy points. Luckily, Tennessee ran out of time outs tonight and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger took a knee deep in Titans' territory and ran out the clock. One more score by Bell and Team Priceless would have lost. In real life, the Steelers edge Tennessee 27-24 tonight.

As for Team Priceless, it was Indy quarterback Andrew Luck (24.62 fantasy points), Pittsburgh's wide receiver Antonio Brown (15.10) and San Francisco's wide receiver Michael Crabtree (14.50) leading the way this week.

Wish me luck next week!

AP Poll has Arizona ranked 15th this week

Arizona Wildcats Football


Arizona's heart stopping win over Washington was good enough to keep the Wildcats at No. 15 this week in the AP College Football Poll. It's going to be a battle for two more weeks at least as the Wildcats tangle with No. 20 Utah in Salt Lake this Saturday and the more important battle -- the day after Thanksgiving at home against the 13th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils.

Win both and pray that UCLA loses it next two games and the Wildcats would own the Pac-12 South. The Wildcats are 8-2 overall. while Arizona State has dropped to 8-2 as well after its loss to Oregon State last Saturday. The Utes are 7-3.

Oregon (9-1, 6-1), of course, will win the Pac-12 North as they head into this week's action with a three-game lead over second-place Stanford, while the Pac-12 South is a mess and up for grabs with USC at 6-2 (7-3 overall), Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA at 5-2 and Utah at 4-3.

Go get 'em, Arizona. A 10-2 record. Now that would be very nice.

Arizona rolls over Cal-Northridge 86-68

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Stanley Johnson scored 17 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson netted 14 as Arizona rolled to an easy 86-68 win over Cal State Northridge tonight at McKale to improve to 2-0 on the season.

The second-ranked Wildcats cleared the bench in this one and it was garbage time the final few minutes. Brandon Ashley chipped in 13 points and Elliott Pitts had a career-high 10 points as Arizona  led by 28 before Sean Miller emptied the bench.

T.J. McConnell had another outstanding night running the floor for the Wildcats. McConnell scored seven points, recorded eight assists and hauled in seven rebounds.

Arizona takes on UC Irvine on Wednesday at McKale.

Skowron's boot a game-winner

Arizona Wildcats Football


Casey Skowron is now a fan favorite.

Skowron tallies 15 points, including a 47-yard field goal to win it as Arizona edges Washington 27-26 today at the Arizona Stadium to improve to 8-2 on the season and 5-2 in the Pac-12 South.

The Arizona place-kicker scored on a faked field goal -- rambling 18 yards, kicked two field goals and added three PATs to lead the Wildcats to a come-from-behind, heart-stopping victory over the Huskies.

Running back Nick Wilson pounded his way into the Huskies' defensive front over and over again, carrying the ball 30 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Anu Solomon struggled, completing 17 of 39 passes for 242 yards and two interceptions.

Way to go, Wildcats. Next up: Utah. The Utes beat Stanford today 20-17 in two overtimes to improve to 7-3 overall,  4-3 in the Pac-12 and will await the Wildcats' arrival next Saturday.

Ashley, Hollis-Jefferson shine in Arizona opener

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Brandon Ashley pours in 21 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson nets 15 points as second-ranked Arizona rolls over Mount St. Mary's 78-55 tonight at McKale Center. Ashley hits 9 of 10 from the field and Hollis-Jefferson cans 6 of 8 shots as the Wildcats open the 2014-15 season with a lopsided win.

It took a little while for the Wildcats to shake Mount St. Mary's, but Arizona finished the first half on a 12-0 run and led by 40-25 at intermission. The Wildcats substituted freely in the second half and outscored Mount St. Mary's 38-30. Kaleb Tarczewski also finished in double figures for the Wildcats -- missing a double-double by just one point. Tarczewski finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.

T.J. McConnell led the Wildcats in assists with seven, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright made the most out of his limited action with eight points, hitting 3 of 4 shots from the field and adding two assists -- one of which led to a thunderous dunk in the second half by Hollis-Jefferson.

Arizona (1-0) takes on Cal State Northridge on Sunday at McKale. Tip-off 6:00 p.m.

It's time for Arizona basketball

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The 2nd-ranked Arizona Wildcats begin their 2014-15 basketball season tonight at McKale as they take on Mount St. Mary's. Stanley Johnson, Dusan Ristic, Parker-Jackson Cartwright are three of the new players expected to see a lot of action tonight, along with returnees T.J. McConnell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Gabe York, Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley.

It'll be a 6 p.m. tipoff. Can't wait!

Will Sean Miller find his top five out of the above eight and will one of the above emerge as the new leader of the Wildcats? It may be January before we have the answer to that question. Miller has already said publicly that his Wildcats need work. We'll find out just how much work is needed in a few hours.

Mount St. Mary's is the first blip in the radar and the Wildcats should roll no matter what combination Miller sends to the floor. I, for one, expect to be all smiles by say 9 p.m. tonight.

Luck-less Team Priceless falls to 8-2 in fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless

As expected my Team Priceless lost its second game of the season last week in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League and now heads into Week 11 of the NFL with an 8-2 record.

Without the services of Indy quarterback Andrew Luck, who was on a bye week, Team Priceless falls to Team Arps, 102.34 to 71.54. Luck has been averaging between 30 and 35 fantasy points a week so I'm glad I have him back on board the rest of the way.

At 8-2, Team Priceless is still tied with the best record in the fantasy league and owns a two-game lead in Division 2 of the 14-team league. Su-nami is the front runner in Division 1 and has a 50-point edge in total points over my team after 10 games.

Still in pretty good shape for a top seed in the playoffs, two more wins and I'll gain the top seed and a first round bye when the league's playoffs begin in Week 14.

Arizona 17th in latest AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Football

The Arizona Wildcats moved up to No. 17 in this week's Associated Press Poll.

Way to go, Wildcats! Now let's take down the Washington Huskies.

The state of Arizona football 2014

Things are looking good for football in Arizona.

The Arizona Cardinals are 8-1 after their victory Sunday over the St. Louis Rams. The only downer for the Cardinals is the loss of starting quarterback Carson Palmer. The Cardinals will have to rely on backup quarterback Drew Stanton the rest of the way, but Cardinals' coach Bruce Arians has gone public and has said his team can still win the Super Bowl with Santon at the helm.

Time will tell.

As for the top two collegiate teams in the state, the Arizona State Sun Devils are sporting an 8-1 record while our own Arizona Wildcats, fresh off a win over Colorado, head into this week's action with a 7-2 overall record.

That's a collective 23-4. That's got to be a first.

Of course, the end to the NFL season is a long way off and there are plenty of regular-season college games left in the 2014 schedule.

So Arizona football fans, throw the turkey in the oven, grab a comfy spot on the sofa and enjoy the rest of the year.

Wildcats take down Buffaloes

Arizona Wildcats Football


The Arizona Wildcats get two TD receptions from Samajie Grant in the fourth quarter and pull away from Colorado tonight and win their homecoming game 38-20 to improve to 7-2 on the season, 4-2 in the Pac-12 Conference.

With a full house on hand at Arizona Stadium, the Wildcats found themselves down 7-0 after the first play from scrimmage when Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau hooked up with Shay Fields on a 75-yard scoring play to give the Buffaloes the early lead.

Tra' Maye Bondurant recovered a fumble with 1:12 remaining in the opening quarter and rambled 22 yards for a score to get the Wildcats even. The Wildcats led at the half 21-17 and held a slim 24-20 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon hooked up with Grant on a 27-yard scoring play with 9:50 remaining in the game and then again with a 20-yard toss with just 5:49 remaining on the clock.

Solomon also connected with Tyrell Johnson from eight yards out early in the second quarter and with David Richards on 1-yard scoring toss with 11 seconds remaining in the quarter. All in all, Solomon throws four TD passes, hits 21 of 38 passes for 211 yards and rushes for 115 yards on 12 carries.

It was also a good night for Nick Wilson, who carried the ball 21 times for 153 yards, while Grant caught six passes for 83 yards and two scores.

Arizona will be at home next Saturday when the Washington Huskies come to town.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Old-timers take the field at Udall tonight

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

The Oldies-but-Goodies take the field at Udall Park tonight.

Twenty-two members of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club will see action this evening. The game gets underway at 6 p.m.

The youngest player on the field will be 62-year-old Tim Tolson -- a hard-hitting lefty who leads the club in home runs, while the oldest player to see action will be 89-year-old Floyd Lance, who simply is a "freak of nature" at first base.

Tolson, a second-generation player on the TOTS, officially joined the 46-year-old baseball club two years ago when his father Brad Tolson retired from active duty as a TOT and handed over his jersey to Tim. Lance, a member of the club since 1999, maintained a career batting average of .511 until 2012, but is known more for his defense as he leaves the baseball fan in attendance in awe with his skills and grace in and around the first base bag.

Team Blue will be the visiting team this evening and Team White will be the home team. Following are  the rosters for the two teams -- included are their ages, jersey number and hometown:

Team Blue

#6 Ron Carlson, 67, Brooklyn, New York

#9 Bob Daliege, 66, Chicago, Illinois

#18 Archie Burke, 82, La Crosse, Wisconsin

#29 Robert "Pete" Peters, 65, Fairfield, Iowa

#32 Jerry Smarik, 82, Detroit, Michigan

#37 Denny Leonard, 76, Edmonton, Alberta

#42 DeLon "Doc" Thompson, 72, Roland, Iowa

#55 Dennis Crowley, 65, Boston, MA

#63 John Misiazek, 65, London, England

#82 Dan Lundwall, 69, Muskegon, Michigan

#89 Floyd Lance, 89, Glen Gardner, New Jersey

Team White

#3 Tim Tolson, 62, Luke AFB, Arizona

#8 Jerry Hamelin, 73, Hartford, CT

#22 Danny "Pigpen" Price, 69, Little Rock, Arkansas

#34 Dave Rhoades, 70, Greely, Colorado

#39 Joe Aparicio, 80, Santa Paula, California

#40 Lloyd Barzell, 64, Bronx, New York

#43 Leon Glasshoffer, 75, Providence, RI

#61 Chuck Sabalos, 64, New York, New York

#69 Dick Ducklow, 72, Spring Valley, Wisconsin

#71 Teddy "Ted" Davis, 63, Athens, Alabama

#75 Brian Reilly, 63, Seattle, Washington


Photos:  (top) Tim Tolson, (bottom) Floyd Lance

TOTS Update: Dave Rhoades singled to center to tie the game and Ted Davis knocked in the game-winner with an infield hit as Team White came from behind in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Team Blue 10-9 tonight at Udall Park. Team White right-hander Lloyd Barzell went the distance to pick up the victory, while Team Blue reliever Doc Thompson was saddled with the loss.

Team Priceless remains atop fantasy league

UPC Hood Fantasy Football League

Team Priceless


Team Priceless remains atop the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League after nine weeks of NFL action.

Team Priceless rode the arm of Andrew Luck once again as the Indy quarterback tossed four touchdowns passes and amassed 354 yards through the air in the Colts' 40-24 win on Monday Night Football.

Team Priceless sits alone in first place at 8-1 in the 14-team fantasy league.

Pistol Pete, Thunder Tim top TOTS' hitters

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball


Pistol Pete Peters and Thunder Tim Tolson led the Tucson Old Timers baseball club in hitting for the month of October.

Peters played in eight games and batted an even .700 with 21 hits in 30 trips to the plate, while Tolson  played in just six games but went 17 for 25 for a .707 batting average. Tolson led the team in doubles with six and runs-batted-in with 12.

Brian "Legs" Reilly led the club in runs scored with 13, while Peters and Tolson tied for second with 11 runs scored.

Arizona falls to No. 21 in AP Football Poll

Arizona Wildcats Football


The Arizona Wildcats drops to No. 21 in the latest Associated Press college football poll, released earlier today.

Mississippi State hangs on to No. 1.

Oregon is ranked No. 5 this week, Arizona State No. 11, UCLA No. 18 and Utah comes in at No. 20.

Wildcats need to come home

Arizona Wildcats Football


It's time for the Arizona Wildcats to come home.

If the Wildcats ever needed a Homecoming Game -- this would be the one  -- Colorado vs. Arizona, Saturday night at Arizona Stadium.

After losing 17-7 last night to UCLA at the Rose Bowl, it's time for the Wildcats to return to more familiar surroundings -- time to regroup, get back on the winning track and take down the Buffaloes.

Last night it was a different shade of gray. It was hard to even recognize the Bruins, who took the field in the ugliest uniforms since -- well, since Nike started "the most shocking jersey campaign" way back when.

It was a gray blur most of the night at the Rose Bowl as quarterback Brett Hundley carved up the Wildcats' defense for 131 rushing yards on 24 carries. Hundley also passed for 189 yards and a touchdown, completing 19 of 26 passes.

Anu Solomon, on the other hand, struggles -- his worst game of the year, as Arizona falls to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12 Conference. Solomon completed the night 18 for 48 and 175 yards with just one TD pass. He carried the ball ten times for eight yards.

Arizona lost despite an outstanding performance from defensive standout Scooby Wright. The sophomore linebacker recorded 19 tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for a loss and three sacks.

The 14th-ranked Wildcats will drop down in the top-25 rankings this week and fall to the middle of the Pac-12 South, tied with Utah (3-2) and ahead of Colorado (0-6). Arizona State, with its 19-16 overtime win over Utah, sits alone in the Pac-12 South with a 5-1 record. USC (5-2) and UCLA (4-2) are now ahead of the Wildcats.

The Wildcats need to regroup. They'll start again on Saturday night in front of a full house of friendly fans.