Love him or hate him, Petros Papadakis has a passion for Pac-12 football.
The former USC tailback co-hosts a nationally syndicated radio show with Matt “Money” Smith and serves as a color commentator for both Fox and Fox Sports 1. Papadakis isn’t shy: The pride of San Pedro, Calif., is known for his large personality and desire to share an opinion on all topics.
We talked to Papadakis, who will call tonight’s game with Justin Kutcher and Joel Klatt, about Arizona, USC and tonight’s matchup. Here’s what he said:
On his impressions of Arizona this season: “My original impression this year is that they are really struggling with their quarterback play. They need more consistency from B.J. Denker at that position. I really wonder if they are going to get it. In my opinion, they have the best running back in the country in Ka’Deem Carey. I think he’s the best by a good margin. But right now it’s easy to key on him because Denker doesn’t have the ability to stretch the field.”
On Carey: “I watched him as a true freshman and I couldn’t believe how good his feet were. That’s not the type of thing you are coached to do. It’s just something you do naturally. To see that and how hard he was to tackle and the burst of speed he has is something else. I also think he’s the type of back that gets stronger in the fourth quarter. He has all the elements to look for in a great back. He’s tough, he’s fast, he catches the ball; he doesn’t have a weakness.”
On Rich Rodriguez joining the Pac-12: “I’m really happy for the area and the program. I think they found somebody that’s a great fit for that place. He can put his offense in and recruit the type of players he needs. I’ve always enjoyed Arizona football for what it is. I understand what Dick Tomey did for that area and football. It’s overlooked nationally, but I don’t overlook it. I think in Rich, they have a guy that they can build off of for years. The impact that he’s already having in his second year is impressive. It’s all positive right now for Arizona.”
On what he likes about USC: “Their entire front seven will play in the NFL. They are always the most talented team in the conference, and that never changes. Now, that doesn’t always mean wins, but they still have that talent. Guys like Devon Kennard and Morgan Breslin are freaks. Justin Davis is one of the most exciting running backs I’ve seen in a long time. I would think that every coach that pops in USC tape — their eyes get really big when they watch that tape because of the caliber of talent.”
