The Arizona Wildcats opened spring practice Friday, and we were allowed to watch the first half of the workout. Here are five observations:
1. Knowing the drill
Rich Rodriguez stayed true to his word regarding the structure of practice. The Wildcats spent most of their time at Arizona Stadium working on fundamentals and techniques. Only at the end of the part we got to watch were any passes or blocks thrown – in one-on-one drills. Rodriguez said afterward that the offense and defense went against each other for only about 10 minutes.
2. Tough break
One-on-ones produced the lowlight of the day – a horrific-looking injury suffered by redshirt-freshman tight end Brion Anduze. Anduze ran an out pattern toward the left sideline. Just as he caught the ball, his left leg caught in the turf. His body kept going. It was really awful. I’d been hearing good things about Anduze. Hopefully the injury isn’t as bad as it looked.
3. Trey’s day
I paid particularly close attention to the receiver-cornerback one-on-ones. Trey Griffey was the standout there. He beat Dane Cruikshank for a long touchdown from Anu Solomon – then got Cruikshank again on a short inside route that required a rolling catch. Cruikshank’s struggles vs. Griffey left him visibly frustrated.
4. Receiver Cam
Cam Denson, making the conversion from cornerback to receiver, was a big topic of discussion. Although clearly a gifted athlete, Denson has work to do to master the finer points of the position. Denson bounced back from a dropped pass by running a sharp comeback route and reaching up to snare a slightly high pass. But he pushed off in the process. That prompted some counseling from receivers coach Tony Dews, who urged him to put his hand on the cornerback’s hip to gain separation. The little things matter.
5. Freddie not ready
It has to be a little worrisome that offensive lineman Freddie Tagalao didn’t practice, right? Rodriguez downplayed Tagalao being relegated to rehab work on the sidelines. But Tagalao has been slowed by injuries since the beginning of last season. He’s still wearing a brace on his right knee. Tagaloa is an incredible physical specimen at 6-8, 320 pounds. How big is he? Well, as part of his rehab work, he slipped an elastic exercise band around his ankles. Just as he started his first side-step, the band snapped. I’ve never seen that before.
