Five questions: Arizona Daily Star’s Daniel Berk talks Wildcats

Sitting near the top of the Pac-12 South, Arizona has quickly become the conference’s biggest surprise. On the other side of the Rose Bowl this Saturday is UCLA, arguably the conference’s biggest disappointment. Both have six wins, but the former has earned its record in far more convincing fashion than the latter. Daniel Berk from the Arizona Daily Star answered five questions about the No. 14 Wildcats.

Nearly three years in now, how has Rich Rodriguez measured up to what most Arizona fans initially expected? How much did the upset of Oregon earlier this month feel like a turning point for the program?

I think two-plus years in, he’s ahead of where most people thought he’d be. The cupboard was pretty bare when he got here other than Ka’Deem Carey, and he managed to win 16 games in two seasons and win back-to-back bowl games. I think fans were willing to be patient and let him build something, but the expectations changed and were raised going into this season after having some success the first two seasons. I think the win over Oregon was significant, but I’m not sure if it was viewed as a turning point, because Arizona has gotten some big wins like that before, but hasn’t backed them up the following weeks. So I think some fans have been waiting for a letdown game. I think a win Saturday would be more of a turning point with some of the recent struggles UA has had with UCLA. A win Saturday would also set Arizona up pretty nicely with the remainder of its schedule.

How has Rodriguez kept the Wildcats’ offense firing despite cycling through a different quarterback each year?

He’s a quarterback guru and knows how to get more out of guys at that position than most coaches in the country. Few, if any, thought B.J. Denker was a Pac-12 quarterback and he turned him into one in less than two seasons. Anu Solomon certainly had some talent coming out of Bishop Gorman High School and had other options, but the fact that he’s playing as well as he is so early in his career is both a surprise and a credit to Rodriguez and quarterbacks coach Rod Smith. Another thing that has really helped over the past two seasons is the offensive line. The UA’s two tackles — Mickey Baucus and Fabbians Ebbele — have 89 career starts and helped Denker last year and Solomon this year. They’re also experienced inside, too and that has made things easier. Obviously the first two years, Carey helped the quarterbacks, as well.

What are your impressions of Anu Solomon eight games in? How much has playing in Rodriguez’s scheme helped him?

He’s definitely faring better than I anticipated. He’s not overly talented and doesn’t have a huge arm, but the best thing he has going for him is his decision-making. He knows where to go with the ball and spreads it around to his receivers rather well. I think the scheme has helped, but it’s a tough one to master. I think USC transfer Jesse Scroggins probably has the most talent of all the quarterbacks, but couldn’t master the offense like Solomon could and was prone to making the big mistake. That’s something — for the most part — that Solomon has been able to avoid. But for him to have 20 touchdowns to just 4 INTs is certainly a surprise to me.

What does the running game miss most about Ka’Deem Carey? How do Nick Wilson and Terris Jones-Grigsby compare to each other?

The biggest thing Arizona misses about Carey is his effectiveness in the red zone. I’m sure UCLA fans remember his fumble on the goal line last year in Tucson, but other than that, he was very solid in the red zone last season and could usually be counted on to finish off drives. Arizona has struggled in the red zone this year, especially early in games, and they’ve missed his toughness there. They’ve also missed his durability. Wilson and Jones-Grigsby have both already dealt with injuries. Carey didn’t miss a game over his final two seasons when he was the most used back in college football. Wilson and Jones-Grigsby are pretty similar backs. Both like to do their work between the tackles and neither will wow you with their speed. They both welcome contact and get better as the game goes on.

How has Arizona’s 3-3-5 defense developed over the last 2.5 years, particularly given personnel changes? Has its bend-don’t-break nature contributed to the number of close games the Wildcats have played this season?

Certainly the players have gotten a lot more comfortable playing in it, and I think it’s looked more natural this year because a lot of these guys were recruited to play in it. I think the close games and high-scoring affairs have more to do with the talent than the scheme. Arizona still isn’t where it wants to be defensively in terms of overall talent, speed and depth. The scheme has proven to work at West Virginia, it’s just a matter of getting the right guys in there. There were a couple of freshmen and junior college guys that were expected to contribute this year and they haven’t I think that’s hurt the defense. That said, the UA’s defense has had some surprises this year, including the performance at Oregon and — to some degree — against Wazzu when the starters were still in.