Before the season started, Arizona quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said he felt as comfortable about the position as he’s felt in Tucson since 2012.
With Anu Solomon and Brandon Dawkins returning, with a freshman Khalil Tate waiting in the wings, that was understandable.
It hasn’t exactly worked out that way.
The Wildcats’ stability in 2012 came about, somewhat, out of luck. Matt Scott was Arizona’s de facto starter after redshirting his true senior season in 2011.
So UA coach Rich Rodriguez arrived and already had the perfect dual-threat quarterback to usher in his offensive system. B.J. Denker, Arizona’s starter in 2013, was Scott’s backup.
Scott proceeded to throw for 3,620 yards, then the third-best total in school history, and 27 touchdown passes. Scott was named MVP of the New Mexico Bowl after orchestrating a come-from-behind win.
“I couldn’t have planned it any better as an ending,” Scott told the Star recently. “Obviously it could’ve been better at the beginning but at the end it’s still something I look back on as one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.”
Scott spent time with the NFL’s Jaguars and Bengals before moving back to Arizona. He now lives in Scottsdale, where he works in sales for a BMW dealership.
Scott watches the UA from afar. He knows what the Wildcats are going through.
Arizona opened the 2010 season 7-1 only to lose their next five games in a row to close out the season. The Wildcats went 4-8 the following season, and Mike Stoops was fired. Scott described the helpless feeling this way:
“It’s bad. The doubt starts creeping in,” Scott said. “It’s to the point where it really hurts your team. Not a whole lot is going right. You can’t start pointing fingers or you’re going to start getting worse and not to where you need to get to.
“I’m not sure how it got to this point (for Arizona) but it seems like a lot of injuries played a big factor too. That’s never good for any team. But once that doubt starts creeping in, it’s tough to get it out.”
