Arizona Wildcats Football: What Arizona Can Learn from Cal vs. Oregon

The Oregon Ducks are merely two wins away from playing in the National Championship and with the Arizona Wildcats season essentially lost, all of the pressure will be on the Ducks.  With the hopes of a Rose Bowl berth washed away, it is time for Arizona to play spoiler and give Oregon their first loss of the season. 

After losing to Masoli and the Ducks in Tucson last season, which ultimately knocked Arizona out of the Rose Bowl, it’s now time for the Cats to play spoiler and seek out some revenge. In order to accomplish that, there are some things they can learn from the California Bears.

Two weekends ago, Cal was within reach of knocking off the top dog in NCAA football.  With two games left and a disappointing second half of the season, the Arizona Wildcats can gain back some respect by beating the Oregon Ducks the Friday after Thanksgiving.

In the 15-13 loss against Oregon, Cal reportedly faked injuries to slow down the tempo of the high-powered Duck offense.

This game, the refs will be looking a little closer at any injuries that arise, so that strategy is out the window.  Not that the Wildcats should fake injuries, but it was clear that knocking Oregon off their offensive rhythm could prove beneficial.

Aside from taking the approach the Italian National Soccer Team might use, there are a couple of things on the defensive side of the ball that the Cats can utilize.

For starters, the Wildcats should try to force fumbles.  While easier said than done, a fumble can add a hiccup in an offensive drive.  Whether the fumble is lost or not, it instills doubt in the offense and for an offense that has been nearly untouchable, the more they start thinking about what is at stake, the better for the Wildcats.

The next step is getting to the quarterback.  After hitting Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas a few times or even getting a couple sacks, he will start to get up slower and become less motivated about starting the next play.  This will force Thomas to rush his throws, which will result in incompletions and possible interceptions.

This all starts with defensive ends Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed of Arizona.

In the past two games against Stanford and USC, the pair of redshirt seniors were unable to get to Luck or Barkley.  To even begin to think about beating Oregon, they must be in the backfield and in Thomas’ face consistently.

Slowing down the tempo of Oregon’s offense is not restricted to what Arizona’s defense does either.

While Arizona has the ball in their hands, they will need to eat up clock, which will include rushing the ball, something that wasn’t detectable last game against USC, as they mustered only 51 yards on 18 attempts.  The return of Matt Scott will bolster the running game, and don’t be surprised to see a heavy dose of Scott keeping the Duck’s defense on their heels.

With consecutive conference losses, something has to change for Arizona, but it will not be coming in the form of personnel adjustments. 

Arizona has the talent to stay in the game with Oregon, but it will be up to Arizona head coach, Mike Stoops, to get this team mentally prepared.  This is undoubtedly a disappointing season for the Cats, so they must recognize all of the pressure will be on the team from Eugene.  Very few people expect this game to be close, and if they can catch the Ducks coming off a turkey hangover, they must capitalize on the opportunity.

If the Cats can play to the level they are capable of, they will have a decent shot at upsetting the Ducks and dissolving their National Championship hopes just like they did in 2007.