The Arizona Wildcats still have time for a senior moment.
Arizona has accomplished few of its goals during this long, disheartening season. But the Wildcats still have one more chance to win a game — and send an accomplished senior class out on a positive note.
Defeating Arizona State in the season-ending Territorial Cup on Friday night wouldn’t erase the bitter memories of a brutal year. But doing so would be akin to writing a happy ending to a horror novel. If nothing else, the senior class of 2016 could say it beat the Sun Devils (and kept them out of a bowl game).
“The goal was to have a winning season, get to a bowl,” junior safety Kwesi Mashack said last week. “Now that we’re in the situation we’re in, we want to send the seniors out with some wins. We don’t want them to go out with two more losses. We’re doing everything we can to get these wins.”
Arizona failed in that regard Saturday night at Oregon State, suffering its eighth consecutive defeat. The Wildcats have shown few signs that they’re capable of rising up and beating anyone. But perhaps playing for the seniors will bring out the best in them. It certainly seemed to help the Beavers on their senior night.
Although this season hasn’t gone as planned, UA coach Rich Rodriguez still has the utmost respect for his senior class.
“A lot of those guys have been here five years,” he said. “They’ve given a lot to our program. They’ve won a few games. They’ve won three bowl games. It’s been a great class — everything that you’d want, on the field, off the field, leadership.
“Even in this terrible year, they’ve provided outstanding leadership. So it’s a very, very important group to us.”
This particular senior class includes some of Rodriguez’s most trusted veterans, some of whom have been with him since his first season in Tucson. For the vast majority of that group, Friday night will be the last time they ever participate in a competitive football game.
“Most of these guys have been playing the sport since they were 7 years old,” safeties coach Jahmile Addae said. “For some of them — most of them — this is going to be the end of it all.
“It’s an issue that we want to make sure (the non-seniors) understand. You want to send them out on a good note for sure.”
Most of the past five seasons have featured more good than bad. The Wildcats finished above .500 in each of Rodriguez’s first four years and won three bowl games in four tries. Whether they were contributing in a substantial way or redshirting, the seniors played a major role in all that.
One thing they haven’t done very often is beat Arizona State. Most of the seniors have only one win in the Territorial Cup. Defensive linemen Sani Fuimaono and Aiulua Fanene were members of the team in 2011 and therefore have two.
Notching another victory already was on the Wildcats’ minds as they headed home from Corvallis late Saturday night.
“We want to send our seniors out with a win,” sophomore safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles said.
It’s all any of them have left.
Safety stance
Flannigan-Fowles was involved in a play that could have altered the outcome in the Oregon State game.
Early in the second quarter, facing second-and-10 from their 6-yard line, the Beavers gave the ball to Victor Bolden Jr. on a fly sweep. Flannigan-Fowles snuffed out the play and tackled Bolden in the end zone.
At first glance — and even second glance – it looked like a possible safety. The officials, however, ruled that Bolden’s forward progress was beyond the goal line.
“When I tackled him, I felt like it was a safety,” Flannigan-Fowles said. “I put my hands together (to signify) safety. I guess it was forward progress and it didn’t count.”
Rodriguez did not challenge the ruling. He said the officials told him the play had been reviewed, even though there was no official stoppage of play.
“They said they reviewed it,” Rodriguez said. “They’re not going to play the replay at home. Apparently they reviewed it and said he was out (of the end zone).
“They review every play. And it wasn’t like (the Beavers) were fast tempo, so they had plenty of time to review it.”
Oregon State ended up punting two plays later, and Arizona scored on the next possession to trim its deficit to 14-7. But the Wildcats could have gotten the ball with good field position and an additional two points if the call had gone their way.
A safety against Arizona completely changed the tenor of the Utah game on Oct. 8, igniting the Utes’ rally from a 14-3 hole.
Extra points
- Arizona needs to defeat Arizona State to avoid going winless in the Pac-12. The Wildcats haven’t gone winless in league play over a full season since 1957, when they went 0-4 in the Border Conference.
- Arizona’s last eight-game losing streak came in 2003. John Mackovic was fired in the midst of the skid.
- The Wildcats have surrendered 42 or more points in five of their past seven games. They allowed more than 42 points five times last season.
- Arizona has lost by double digits seven straight times. The average margin of defeat in those games is 29.1 points.
- Arizona established a season high with 10 third-down conversions in 15 attempts against Oregon State. It was only the second time this season that the Wildcats have converted 50 percent or more. UA opponents have done it five times.
