Practice No. 10
Location: Kindall/Sancet
Date: Saturday, Aug. 15
Start Time: 8:30 a.m.
Weather: 96 degrees, clear skies
Play of the Day:
In live red zone play, Anu Solomon hit Samajie Grant on a slant pattern. The junior receiver hauled it in over the middle, then out-raced the defense across the goal line for a score that helped the offense to a victorious day on the scoreboard.
Stat of the Day:
As a sophomore, Samajie Grant finished second on the squad with 718 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Coach Rod Said It:
On today’s performance…
“It wasn’t bad today. We wanted to have some heat because it has been so cool for us. At the end of practice it got a little uncomfortable which is good. We didn’t go live but we pushed them a little bit. I thought we made some steps today. They have a nice afternoon and evening planned with a visit to Fort Huachuca. There is going to be a big team meeting tonight as well and tomorrow will be a meeting day and I think we may even do a little bit of yoga. I don’t think I’m going to make them put on yoga pants, that won’t be a good look. This will help loosen them up and help their flexibility. They’ve been doing a good job getting in the cold tubs for recovery and I think stretching will help them even more.”
On the first two weeks of camp…
“It has been fast for me. I think camp has gone a little bit quicker than I’ve wanted it to go. I wanted to test them a little bit more but I don’t think they have really been tested, but we have a good week coming up. A lot of our guys just finished summer school this past Wednesday so we are able to focus on football a little bit more before the fall semester starts.”
On the Fort Huachuca visit…
“The best thing we have up there is the dinner with the soldiers and the officers. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to leave our great facility and go somewhere else so we didn’t want to practice down there but I didn’t want to miss the dinner. I got a chance to talk to the major general the other day about us coming up and what the agenda would be. We shared some similarities between his young guys and my young guys and some of the things we go through. We are not putting our lives on the line so to speak like the troops are but a lot of our guys are the same age. The sacrifice and the discipline they have to have is parallel. After the dinner, we are going to come back because we have a nice meeting planned for our guys at our facility.”
On the extension with Nike…
“A majority of the kids identify with and like the Nike product because it is a great product. Whether its apparel or shoes, it has a great reputation, deservedly so. Every year they keep trying to improve and I think kids like that. They like playing in it and it’s great to be a Nike school.”
On the offensive line…
“Things are going pretty well. There are times we just let guys go free which bothers me, particularly with the second group. Coach (Jim) Michalczik will get them right. I would say their performance has been uneven.”
In their Own Words:
Tight End Matt Morin
On the group of tight ends...
"We feel good and prepared. Coach (Charlie) Ragle coached us well during the offseason and during the beginning of camp by getting us to know our plays and blocking technique. As a group it's going really well and we just need to stay healthy.
Tight End Josh Kern
On the tight ends and switching from QB to TE a couple years ago...
"The reason the tight ends hadn't been used much is because we weren't ready so we can only blame ourselves. We are using that as motivation to make sure that this year we are on the field. That's what we want and that's what we're trying to do. The coaches know football way better than I do and they thought tight end was a better fit. When you get to college you have to do what they say and I love it so far."
Wide Receiver Nate Phillips
On today's practice...
"It's hot but it's good for us because most teams don't have this weather so that's an added element to have in our training camp. You need to have mental toughness and it is a true grind in the heat."
Offensive Line Coach Jim Michalczik
On the offensive line...
"I think we're starting to see the schemes and the defense a little better. We need to be more fundamentally sound and I'd like for them to have more of a take charge attitude. We aren't where we want to be but we are making progress and we are going to put some hard work in."
Up Next:
Arizona will have its next practice on Monday, Aug. 17 with another two-a-day starting at 8:30 a.m. and finishing at 6 p.m. The Wildcats head to Ft. Huachuca tonight to have dinner with the troops but will head back tonight to continue team activities and fall camp. Preseason camp practices are generally closed to the media and public unless otherwise announced.
Football Tickets:
Arizona Football season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets are on sale now! Tickets can be purchased at ArizonaWildcats.com/footballtickets or by contacting the McKale Center Ticket Office (520-621-CATS).
Season tickets start at the affordable price of only $99! Meanwhile, the Red Plan includes the home opener against UTSA (Sept. 3), the Pac-12 home opener versus UCLA (Sept. 26) and the Family Weekend game against Oregon St. (Oct. 10). The Blue Plan consists of a non-conference match-up with NAU (Sept. 19), the Homecoming game against Washington St. (Oct. 24) and a high-end Pac-12 contest with Utah (Nov. 14).
Single-game tickets for the Sept. 3 home opener vs. UTSA start as low as $12 for adults and $7 for kids 3-12.
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