Arizona Wildcats Have Given Fans Plenty to Be Thankful for

I started to write an article about how I felt that Arizona’s loss to Oregon had started a mini-Great Depression in the UA community, but I was too depressed to write it. 

Then I got to thinking that this isn’t the time to just give up on your team, especially when ASU and USC are just around the corner.

It’s time to cheer up, Wildcat fans, and to put the Oregon game in the past. It’s the holiday season! 

This year the Arizona Wildcats have given fans of the program plenty to be thankful for. 

Nick Foles has shown that he can lead an offense. For a team that was thought to have a pretty good defense at the beginning of the year, the offense has really shined. He also won Pac-10 Player of the Week for his stellar play against Stanford. 

Despite Arizona’s defensive woes this year, there have been bright spots. Devin Ross earned Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week for his game-clinching interception and 12 tackles against Oregon State. Also, senior free safety Cam Nelson won the award after the Wildcats’ victory over UCLA.

Mike Stoops looks to be in the running for Pac-10 Coach of the Year with wins at Arizona State and USC in the coming weeks. He was also named a semifinalist for the 21st George Munger Award for College Coach of the Year along with 15 other candidates.

The Wildcats were picked to finish No. 8 in the Pac-10 Preseason Media Poll back in late July. Judging by the fact that Pac-10 championship talk surrounded the team until Week 12 of the season, I’d say the Wildcats proved everyone wrong. 

The Wildcats will play in their second bowl game in two years.  Where they will play is up in the air. 

ESPN brought College GameDay to Arizona for the first time in the school’s history. The UA faithful didn’t disappoint with tons of hilarious signs and more excitement than I have ever seen on campus. Let’s also mention that the game was an “Instant Classic.”

There has been more buzz surrounding this team than there’s been in years, and I have no doubt that this team will be hungry to finish out the season on a good note and come out strong next year.

So come off the ledge, Wildcat fans. 

Sure, there has been a fair share of disappointment this year, but a ton of good has surrounded this team, and the season is not over yet. 

I went to an ASU football game in October and overheard a Sun Devil fan talking about how he wished the Devils would acquire Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes to run the ASU offense.

An ASU fan jealous of the UA football program.

Now that’s something to be thankful for.