SAN FRANCISCO – 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the hotel, not a creature was stirring, not even Rich Rodriguez.

Well, that may not be entirely true. But don't blame Rodriguez or the Wildcats tonight if they are snug in their beds with visions of a Foster Farms Bowl victory dancing in their heads.

Christmas Eve day was a busy one for the Arizona football team with the main event – the game vs. Purdue on Dec. 27 – just 72 hours away. A morning trip to Alcatraz, an afternoon practice and an evening cable car ride to a nearby bowling alley had the Wildcats on the go most of the day.

The overcast Sunday began with a tour of Alcatraz Island, which was especially appealing to Rodriguez. While the veteran coach conceded "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is his favorite movie, he suggested "The Escape from Alcatraz" starring Clint Eastwood might be a close runner-up.

"I'm a huge Clint Eastwood fan," Rodriguez admitted. "Someday I'd love to meet him. I've watched all of his movies 10 times, including 'The Escape from Alcatraz".

Rodriguez, his players and a handful of staff members boarded a ferry around 11 a.m. and headed offshore 1.25 miles to explore the small island in San Francisco Bay. Several players and coaches opted for a guided tour through the cells, library, yard and other spots.
 
The players enjoyed themselves, listening intently to the audio tour and reading about the different inmates. The visit lasted close to two hours and proved to be instructional and fun for the team.

"I was really interested to know the whole story and got to know a little bit more about it today," Rodriguez added. "I think the guys enjoyed it. It's an historic icon and a national treasure. That's the best part of what a bowl game is about – the experience. The guys' life experiences this week, they'll carry them forever."

Once the Wildcats escaped Alcatraz in the early afternoon, they bussed directly to City College of San Francisco for their second day of practice. It was a typical "Wednesday" practice in the team's preparation for the Boilermakers, which means the two-hour workout was the final full practice before game day.

After practice, the team returned to its hotel near Union Square and prepared for a fun-filled evening. The Wildcats boarded cable cars and rode to a downtown bowling alley for food and games to wrap up the busiest day of bowl week.

Christmas Day will begin with the Wildcats taking a visit to Glide Kitchen and Church to serve food on the holiday, before their final practice of bowl week later in the afternoon. Tuesday, the Cats will have a light walkthrough in advance of Wednesday's game against Purdue (5:30 p.m. PT, FOX).

Arizona Athletics has created a one-stop shop for fans with information on tickets, travel packages and bowl events. To purchase tickets and learn more about joining the Wildcats at the Foster Farms Bowl, visit www.arizonawildcats.com/bowlgame.