2006 Arizona Wildcats Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews
Nov. 25
Arizona State 28 ... Arizona 14
Arizona State got up 21-0 in the first quarter on three Rudy
Carpenter touchdown passes. He connected with Chris McGaha for
26-yard scoring pass on the first drive of the game, and then things
got a little strange. ASU set up for a punt on fourth and eight,
switched back to the offense, and Carpenter threw a 38-yard scoring
pass to Jamaal Lewis. After Arizona had problems with a punt,
Carpenter hit Zach Miller for a seven-yard score. Arizona put up 14
points in the second quarter on a six-yard Syndric Steptoe catch and
a 22-yard Mike Thomas touchdown grab, but starting QB Willie Tuitama
was knocked out of the game and the Arizona offense wasn't the same.
The Sun Devils closed out the scoring with a one-yard Dimitri Nance
touchdown run after David Smith picked off Adam Austin. Player of the game ... Arizona State LB Josh Barrett
made 11 tackles and two tackles for loss Stat Leaders: Arizona State- Passing:
Rudy Carpenter, 17-25, 214 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Ryan Torian, 24-139. Receiving:
Zach Miller, 8-61, 1 TD Arizona - Passing: Adam Austin, 11-30, 99
yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chris Henry, 16-38. Receiving:
Syndric Steptoe, 6-42, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Arizona did a nice job of bouncing back after getting down to
Arizona State 21-0 early in a disastrous first quarter, but once
Willie Tuitama got knocked out, it was over. The offense doesn't run
nearly as smooth with Adam Austin at the helm. Chris Henry didn't
have room to run, and the passing attack struggled. After hustling
back to bowl eligibility, now it'll be a fight to find a bowl spot.
for all the good things the team did over the last month, this loss
makes 2006 a slight disappointment.
Nov. 18
Arizona 37 ... Oregon 10
Arizona forced six Oregon turnovers putting away a tight game
turning several mistakes into scores. Up 14-10 early in the second
quarter, the Wildcats ripped up off the final 23 points of the game
helped by three Nick Folk field goals and two touchdowns from Chris
Henry. Henry started off the Arizona scoring with a 15-yard run and
a 37-yard Earl Mitchell touchdown catch. The Ducks got a 27-yard
Paul Martinez field goal and got an eight-yard Jeremiah Johnson
scoring run, and then self-destructed. Player of the game ... Arizona RB Chris Henry ran 29
times for 191 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 21-yard
touchdown pass Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Willie
Tuitama, 8-9, 120 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Chris Henry, 29-191 yds, 2 TD. Receiving:
Mike Thomas, 5-60 Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 11-22, 95
yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeremiah Johnson, 10-103, 1 TD Receiving:
Dante Rosario, 6-48 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...Is
anyone in the Pac 10 playing with more confidence? The Wildcats ran
the ball down Oregon’s throat with Chris Henry, one of the league’s
hottest players, and it also helps when the defense can come up with
six turnovers. How hurt is Willie Tuitama? The oft-injured
quarterback was dinged up and left the game, and then the offensive
production fell off as Adam Austin only completed one of fie passes.
If the Wildcats can beat Arizona State to finish up with a four game
winning streak, the third Pac 10 bowl slot is possible.
Nov. 11
Arizona 24 ... California 20
Arizona scored 21 second half points with Chris Henry running
for two short scores and Antoine Cason picking off a tipped pass for
a 39-yard score. Cal had one last shot driving deep into Arizona
territory, but Ronnie Palmer picked off a Nate Longshore pass to
seal the win. DeSean Jackson was the story of the first half with a
95-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the first and a 62-yard
catch in the second on the way to a 17-3 Cal lead. The Wildcat
defense held in the second half finishing with three interceptions
and keeping the high-octane Bear offense to 356 yards. Player of the game ... In a losing cause, Cal WR DeSean
Jackson caught six passes fro 131 yards and a touchdown, returned a
kickoff 26 yards and three pounced 128 yards with a touchdown. Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Willie
Tuitama, 17-34, 202 yds Rushing: Chris Henry, 25-57, 2 TD. Receiving:
Syndric Steptoe, 6-68 California - Passing: Nate Longshore,
17-36, 250 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Marshawn Lynch, 16-102 Receiving:
DeSean Jackson, 6-131, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Partially because of the return of Willie Tuitama, and partially
because of the improved overall play of the defense, Arizona has
turned its season around beating two of the league's hottest teams,
Washington State and California, and are now within range of a bowl
bid needing to beat either Oregon or Arizona State to close out.
Turnovers were the key; there weren't any. The defense picked off
three Cal passes, while the offense didn't give any away. It would
be nice if there was a bit more pop to the attack, but as long as it
capitalizes on every opportunity, the Wildcats will be in every
game.
Nov. 4
Arizona 27 ... Washington State 17
Arizona got a school-record 35 carries from Chris Henry along
with touchdown runs from three and six yards out as part of a 20-7
run over the final three quarters. Anthony Johnson started out the
scoring with a 78-yard touchdown catch for the Wildcats on the third
play of the game, but the Cougars answered with a huge play of their
own with Brandon Gibson taking a pass 91 yards for a score. The
Wazzu offense struggled all day, but got a big break in the third
quarter losing a fumble on the Arizona five, but getting it right
back leading to a one-yard Jed Collins score. The Cougars were held
to 45 rushing yards. Player of the game ... Arizona RB Chris Henry ran 35
times for 94 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Willie
Tuitama, 10-17, 159 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Chris Henry, 35-94, 2 TD. Receiving:
Syndric Steptoe, 6-52 Washington State - Passing: Alex Brink,
18-33, 265 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Dwight Tardy, 11-44 Receiving:
Brandon Gibson, 5-120, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Even though the offense wasn't exactly a juggernaut against
Washington State with Willie Tuitama back at quarterback, it did run
a bit better and was more effective. Chris Henry ran the ball, ran
the ball and ran the ball again taking the pressure off the passing
game and running time off the clock. The Wazzu offense couldn't
score when it wasn't on the field, and it only had the ball for 3:57
in the fourth quarter. With Cal and Oregon coming up, this was a
must win that still gives the team hope for bowl eligibility. If the
defense plays like it did this week, it might have a chance to split
before facing Arizona State.
Oct. 21
Oregon State 17 ... Arizona 10
Oregon State got up in the first quarter on a one-yard Matt
Moore touchdown run and a 34-yard scoring pass to Sammie Strougher,
and then the D held on late. Arizona's offense only managed 183
yards getting a 30-yard Nick Folk field goal after a turnover and a
67-yard punt return for a touchdown from Syndric Steptoe, and then
it got down to the Oregon State 28 in the final minute before
third-string quarterback Kris Heavner got sacked and then threw an
interception to Daniel Drayton on the Beaver two. Each team turned
it over three times. Player of the game ... Oregon State LB Joey LaRocque
made nine tackles, one tackles for loss, one interception, and
recovered a fumble Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Kris
Heavner, 17-26, 161 yds, 2 INT Rushing: Chris Henry, 9-19. Receiving:
Chris Henry, 8-87 Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore,
16-22, 181 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 26-107 Receiving:
Sammie Stroughter 5-91, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The offense is trying to get going with Kris Heavner at quarterback,
but it's not happening with no running game to help out with only 22
yards against Oregon State. If the offensive line couldn't handle
the Beaver pass rush, it's going to have a nightmare of a time
against Washington State, Cal and Oregon over the next three games.
The Wildcats need their quarterbacks back and they need more of a
downfield passing game to keep up in almost certain shootouts to
come.
Oct. 14
Arizona 20 ... Stanford 7
Arizona got a 16-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the
game from Chris Jennings and got a 18-yard second quarter scoring
run on the way to an easy win. The Wildcats outgained the Cardinal
220 yards to -6 on the ground, while the defense didn't allow a
point, gave up just four first downs, and allowed 52 total yards of
offense. Stanford got its only points on a 72-yard interception
return from Wopamo Osaisai. Nick Folk connected on field goals from
45 and 24 for the Wildcats.
Player of the game ... Arizona RBs Chris Henry and Chris
Jennings combined for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Adam
Austin, 6-9, 63 yds, 1 INT Rushing: Chris Henry, 16-91, 1 TD, Receiving:
Syndric Steptoe, 5-21 Stanford - Passing: T.C. Ostrander, 8-13,
58 yds
Rushing: Emeka Nnoli, 3-12 Receiving: Toby
Gerhart, 3-18 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The
Arizona defense played its best game yet under Mike Stoops shutting
down everything Stanford tried to do. However, this might be the
last time this year the Wildcats can get away with the gameplan of
pounding the ball, getting tough D, and hoping QB Adam Austin
doesn't screw up. Austin did give up a pick six for Stanford's only
points, but the defense came through all game long not allowing the
Cardinal to breathe. The pass rush was stifling and the ground game
was rolling, finally. Can the offense be as effective against
Washington State next week? It needs to be to get back into the bowl
chase.
Oct. 7
UCLA 27 ... Arizona 7
Both teams lost their starting quarterbacks with UCLA's Ben
Olson suffering a knee injury and Arizona's Willie Tuitama getting
hit with a concussion. Pat Cowan stepped in for the Bruins and threw
a 15-yard touchdown pass to Matt Willis and a seven-yard strike to
Marcus Everett. Justin Medlock connected on two field goals, and Al
Verner returned an interception 89 yards for a touchdown. Arizona
got a ten-yard touchdown catch from Mike Thomas, but only netted -14
yards rushing.
Player of the game ... UCLA QB Patrick Cowan completed 20 of 29
passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 16 yards. Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Adam
Austin, 15-30, 192 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Chris Jennings, 10-13, Receiving:
Syndric Steptoe, 8-70 UCLA - Passing: Patrick Cowan, 20-29, 201
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Markey, 14-40 Receiving:
Brandon Breazell, 5-57 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Unfortunately, the offense can't could on Willie Tuitama at this
point because of his concussion and injury problems. Adam Austin
threw relatively well against UCLA, but there wasn't nearly enough
of a running game to help the offense out. There aren't going to be
any wins Chris Jennings and Chris Henry average more than 1.2 yards
per carry. The defense did a fine job against the Bruin ground game,
but didn't force a turnover and didn't come up with the big play
needed when the offense was struggling. Now the Wildcats are
struggling through a three-game losing streak with a must win
against Stanford next week to try to turn the season around.
Sept. 30
Washington 21 ... Arizona 10
Washington got all the points it would need in the final 6:07
of the first half as Kenny James ran for a four-yard score and
Isaiah Stanback threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Sonny
Shackelford and connected with Quintin Daniels for a 55-yard score
with :22 to play. Arizona started off the scoring with a 52-yard
Nick Folk field goal got a juggling 13-yard touchdown grab from
Syndric Steptoe, but the UW D stopped the Arizona ground game cold
and didn't allow many long drives.
Player of the game ... Washington QB Isaiah Stanback completed
14 of 25 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns with an
interception and ran ten times for 47 yards Stat Leaders: Washington- Passing:
Isaiah Stanback, 14-25, 293 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Louis Rankin, 17-63,. Receiving:
Sonny Shackelford, 5-105, 1 TD Arizona - Passing: Willie Tuitama,
24-41, 308 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Henry, 5-24 Receiving: Mike
Thomas, 5-91 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Arizona's
defense is holding up its end of the bargain, but the offense isn't
coming through. The main problem is the line that's not getting any
push for the running game and isn't protecting Willie Tuitama.
Washington was able to keep the pressure on the Wildcat quarterback
all game long and disrupted the Wildcat offense. Now the attack has
to find some semblance of a running game on the road against UCLA
and Stanford before facing Oregon State. Things get nasty over the
final four games, so the Wildcats have to get going now.
Sept. 23
USC 20 ... Arizona 3
USC's defense held Arizona to -16 net rushing yards and was
never threatened after the first half thanks to a three-yard
touchdown catch from Dwayne Jarrett and a nine-yard Emmanuel Moody
scoring dash. Mario Danelo added two field goals. Arizona was only
able to score on a 43-yard Nick Folk field goal. The one other
Wildcat opportunity was snuffed out by a blocked field goal. Player of the game ... USC RB Emmanuel Moody ran 21
times for 130 yards and a touchdown Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Willie
Tuitama, 14-23, 170 yds, 1 INT Rushing: Chris Jennings, 9-23. Receiving:
Mike Thomas, 7-78 USC - Passing: John David Booty, 24-39,
179 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Emmanuel Moody, 21-130, 1 TD Receiving:
Fred Davis, 5-38 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Arizona's defense did a solid job against USC, but the offense
simply isn't there to hang with a team this good. Willie Tuitama
continues to lack the spark and the playmaking ability that made him
look like such a burgeoning star at the end of last year. The
offensive line had no chance against the speed and quickness of the
Trojan defensive front, and it killed drive after drive. Arizona
can't beat the good teams by going two of 12 on third down chances.
Sept. 16
Arizona 28 ... Stephen F. Austin 10
Chris Jennings ran for two touchdowns and Willie Tuitama came
off the bench to ice things as Arizona got by with a decent effort.
SFA managed two-yard Louie Runnels touchdown run and a 37-yard Cory
Long field goal for a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter,
but Arizona took the lead for good on a one-yard Adam Austin
touchdown run with two minutes left in the half. The Wildcats scored
21 unanswered points and finished with 407 yards. Player of the game ... Arizona RB Chris Jennings ran 26
times for 201 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Adam
Austin, 11-16, 83 yds, 1 INT Rushing: Chris Jennings, 26-201, 2 TD. Receiving:
Mike Thomas, 5-47 Stephen F. Austin - Passing: Danny
Southall, 15-25, 110 yds
Rushing: Danny Southall, 8-45 Receiving: Nick
Rhodes, 3-25 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
It wasn't the walk in the park over Stephen F. Austin that Wildcat
fans might have hoped for, but it showed off the running of Chad
Jennings and got backup quarterback Adam Austin so good action.
Willie Tuitama did his best to seal the game coming off the bench
and showed that he needs to be healthy for this offense to be at its
best. While the 407 yards and easy win might be nice, it's going to
take a perfect team effort to hang with USC next week. There has to
be a lot more pressure than there was against SFA.
Sept. 9
LSU 45 ... Arizona 3
The LSU defense dominated Arizona from the start allowing a
mere 152 total yards of offense and 35 rushing yards while coming up
with three interceptions. Jonathan Zenon started off the scoring
with a 41-yard interception return, and then the Tiger offense got
involved less than two minutes later with the first of Jacob
Hester's two touchdowns on a five-yard catch. Hester would later run
for a 28-yard score. Alley Broussard ran for a 17-yard score on the
way to a 24-0 halftime lead, and the rout was on. The Wildcats got
their only points on a 33-yard field goal with just over a minute to
play. Player of the game ... LSU LB Darry Beckwith led the
team with nine tackles and 1.5 sacks. Stat Leaders: Arizona- Passing: Adam
Austin, 8-19, 67 yds, 1 INT Rushing: Chris Jennings, 8-53. Receiving:
Syndric Steptoe, 4-26 LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 13-20,
196 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Charles Scott, 4-47, 1 TD Receiving:
Jacob Hester, 6-53, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
For being college football's next big thing, Willie Tuitama has had
a rough start. The offense hasn't done much of anything so far with
one touchdown in two games with little to no consistency in the
passing game. Granted, LSU has one of the nation's best defenses,
but Arizona should be at the point under Mike Stoops where it should
be competitive against everyone on the slate. That includes USC in a
few weeks. If the attack doesn't find its groove against Stephen F.
Austin next week, it's not going to get rolling against the Trojans
on the 23rd.
Sept. 2
Arizona 16 ... BYU 13
Arizona got a 48-yard field for from Nick Folk with one second
to play to close out a sloppy game with 18 combined penalties and
saw the two teams combine to convert a mere six of 26 third down
chances. BYU got its only touchdown late in the first quarter on a
five-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Coates, while Arizona got it's
touchdown on a two-yard pass to Anthony Johnson. Player of the game ... Arizona PK Nick Folk hit three
field goals including a 48-yard game-winner with one second left. Stat Leaders: BYU- Passing: John Beck,
28-37, 289 yds, 1 TD Rushing: Curtis Brown, 11-23. Receiving:
Curtis Brown, 6-39 Arizona - Passing: Willie Tuitama, 19-39,
186 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Henry, 13-63. Receiving: Stephen
Steptoe, 6-93 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Arizona's offense is going to be a work
in progress, but the defense did a fantastic job against BYU's
high-octane attack. Most importantly, the Wildcats showed they could
come up with a close win over a good team; something they haven't
been able to do under head coach Mike Stoops. While the D did a
phenomenal job, especially against the run, the offense has to come
up with far more than 67 rushing yards and has to be more explosive
to have any sort of shot at LSU next week.
It
has taken two years, but the program finally appears ready to rock
again now that head coach Mike Stoops has his players in place.
Youth and inconsistency were the big problems in Stoops' first
two seasons, but there was no question the speed and athleticism
were upgraded in a big way. Unfortunately, the potential hasn't
translated into wins with only four against D-I teams so far. That
should change in a big way this season with the excitement coming
from one player: quarterback Willie Tuitama.
A big recruit for the program last year, Tuitama has brought the
expectations up to another level just off a few nice performances
over the second half of last season. He made plenty of freshman
mistakes, and will make plenty as a true sophomore, but he's the
type of talent who the program can build around and finally be able
to hang punch-for-punch with the rest of the high-octane Pac 10
after averaging a not-getting-the-job-done 18.7 points per game over
the last four seasons.
The tackles are there to give Tuitama time to work, the
receiving corps is in place with Mike Thomas, Anthony Johnson, and
Syndric Steptoe all fast enough to make big plays, the outlet receivers
are there with three good tight ends and an emerging safety valve in
fullback Brandon Lopez, and the running game should be more explosive
with three lightning-fast prospects. In other words, all the pieces are
in place to let the young star shine.
The defense should finally be up-to-snuff with ten starters
returning led by a linebacking corps that's finally healthy and should
be a rock as the year goes on, and a secondary that boasts All-Pac 10
caliber talents Antoine Cason, Michael Johnson and Wilrey Fontenot. The
line is bigger and better now that end Marcus Smith is back after
missing almost all of last year, and there's more depth everywhere than
the program has had in years. If that wasn't enough, the special teams
should be among the best in the nation.
Yes, Stoops has his the horses he needs to succeed with. Now we'll get
to see if he can actually coach. It has been seven years since the 12-1
season and the last bowl game, but the slide appears ready to come to a
halt. For long-suffering Wildcat fans, they're ready.
The Schedule: There aren't too many
tougher September games than at LSU and USC to go along with the opener
against a good BYU, but things ease up a bit with the easiest part of
the Pac 10 schedule coming in October and early November before playing
Cal, at Oregon, and Arizona State. To come up with a winning season, the
Wildcats likely have to win two of three road games at UCLA, Stanford
and Washington State.
Best
Offensive Player: Sophomore WR Mike Thomas. Tuitama is the star of
the show and the one who needs to rock and roll to get Arizona back
to a bowl level, but Thomas is the best player on the offense ... at
least for now. Even though he's not all that big at 5-8 and 178
pounds, he's tough and is too quick to contain with just one
defender. He's the type of receiver who has to be game-planned
around.
Best
Defensive Player: Junior CB Antoine Cason. He's in a salary drive
this season with the look of a first day draft pick. He hits like a
safety and covers as well as any corner in the Pac 10. With good
size at 6-0 and 182 pounds and impressive speed, he has all the
tools.
Key
player to a successful season: Junior RB Chris Henry. Assuming
Tuitama is the real deal and will overcome his mistakes with moments
of brilliance, Arizona needs more of a running game to balance
things out. Henry is a flash of lightning who'll get help from
redshirt freshmen Terry Longbons and Xavier Smith looking for more
production than the 122 yards per game from last year.
The
season will be a success if ... Arizona gets to a bowl game.
While there's a ton of experience, next year will be when the
Wildcats can reasonably shoot for the Pac 10 title. Considering how
hard it has been for the program to win over the last several years,
coming up with six-plus wins and getting to a bowl game would be a
tremendous step in the Stoops era.
Key
game: Oct. 7 at UCLA. This will be a circle game for the Bruins
after the 52-14 atomic wedgie applies by the Wildcats last season,
but it's a very winnable road game. Arizona can't assume any Pac 10
wins, but after the conference opener against USC, four of the next
five games are against teams that didn't go to a bowl game. A win
over UCLA could start a solid run.
The Last
Time Arizona…
…played in a bowl game…1998 (Holiday Bowl vs. Nebraska)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…1996 (Illinois)
…was shutout…2005 (Cal)
…scored 50 points…2005 (UCLA)
…went undefeated…1945
…won a conference title…1993 (share, Pac-10)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2002 (Jason Johnson)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2001 (Clarence Farmer)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2002 (Bobby Wade)
…had a first-round draft choice…2000 (RB Trung Canidate)
