First-time Wildcats show skillsSeason-opening blowout of Idaho gives freshmen, reserves chance to play
GEOFF GRAMMER Tucson Citizen

For the Arizona football players getting their first taste of Division I action Saturday night, it must've be difficult to grasp what all the fuss is about.  While the talk around the team always seems to focus on what hasn't been done for a decade, the new faces of Wildcat football, at least for one week, only know the team is unbeaten and outscoring opponents 70-0 on their watch.  

For many, it all seemed rather easy.  

 "It's a great feeling in your first college game to get two (interceptions)," said Trevin Wade, a redshirt freshman cornerback whose Wildcat debut included 69 return yards on two interceptions.  Said redshirt freshman wide receiver William Wright, "I think tonight is a preview of what's to come. We might not be putting up 70, but we're going to be putting up some points."  

Wade and Wright, who dazzled in the open field while catching three passes for 42 yards, were hardly the only ones who announced their presence on the UA football scene with authority.

 True freshman quarterback Matt Scott, despite some shaky ballhandling, was an impressive 6 for 10 for 77 yards and a touchdown to go along with 48 yards rushing and a touchdown.  "What he can do is he can really make plays," said UA offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, who added Scott will stay after practice each day this week working on his ballhandling.  "He can run around and he's very accurate with his throws. I think once he got settled down and realized that it's like playing in high school - it's not a different game, it just happens a little bit faster - he played pretty well. I like some of the things I saw."  

 The ability for reserve players to get so much playing time in the second half of an early season blowout was a luxury the UA coaching staff was happy to have. It didn't hurt that so many backups, especially ones playing for the first time, performed so well.  

 "I was very pleased with the reserves," defensive coordinator Mark Stoops said. "They hit a draw late that went for a few yards, but other than that, the pass defense, I was very pleased with . . . the (second string) secondary. They got a few picks and they were in position on all the other plays."  

 Among the impressive showings for players seeing action in a Wildcat football game for the first time:

• Freshman Keola Antolin scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter.

• Running back Chris Gronkowski, star tight end Rob Gronkowski's brother, found pay dirt via a 12-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

• Redshirt freshman Williams Wright dazzled in the open field on a couple of his three catches for 42 yards.

• Junior college transfer running back Nick Booth had six touches - five rushes for 19 yards and one touchdown catch.

• Redshirt freshman kicker Alex Zendejas connected on three extra point tries and sailed a punt 51 yards downfield and out of bounds with no return.

• Freshman receiver David Douglas hauled in a 20-yard reception toward the end of the third quarter.

 While the UA starters could be seen on the sidelines thoroughly enjoying the reserves carrying on the dominance in mop-up duty, senior wide receiver Mike Thomas warned against getting too caught up in Saturday's masterpiece.  "I think its going to be key for us older guys to make sure everyone knows that game is behind us," Thomas said. "We've got 11 more (games) and all of those are important, too."