Notes and takeaways from the Arizona Wildcats’ media availability after their next-to-last regular-season practice Wednesday morning:
* UA coach Rich Rodriguez on the upcoming Territorial Cup: "All coaches will tell you they all count as one, they’re all the same. This one is different."
* Quarterback Khalil Tate said he did not intentionally step on Oregon defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux last week. "If I intentionally stepped on him, it would’ve hurt,” Tate said. “Put it that way." Tate was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
* Defensive tackle Finton Connolly is from Gilbert. Saturday will mark his first Territorial Cup appearance and his first career start. His dad went to Arizona, so Connolly grew up a Wildcats fan.
* Priority No. 1 for the defense against Arizona State: stop the run. If the Wildcats can't, they'll be in trouble. "We’re not a very big team,” Rodriguez said. “We have to be very active. We’ve gotta get a lot of guys to the ball. And certainly we have to tackle better."
* Both Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Marcel Yates said the difference in recent weeks defensively is that Arizona is not getting as many takeaways. The Wildcats have had one each of last three games after getting two or more in seven of the first eight games.
* Safety Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles struggled last week. Yates said Flannigan-Fowles has been "hot and cold" this season but noted that he's been extremely focused and on point in practice this week.
* Senior tailback Nick Wilson on ASU fans: "They say outlandish stuff. That’s the reason I don’t respect some of them, because they’ll come up to my mom and (curse). It’s just outlandish."
* Expect Arizona to huddle more on offense this week than normal. The Wildcats had players bring in plays in last season’s Territorial Cup. It not only prevents signal stealing but helps keep the defense off the field.
* Based on information gathered Wednesday, it appears that Connolly and Parker Zellers will start at defensive tackle. The primary backups will be Marcus Griffin and Larry Tharpe Jr., who will slide over from defensive end. Starters Luca Bruno (concussion) and Dereck Boles (ankle) are iffy to play at best. The official injury report is scheduled to be released Friday.
* Griffin has another year of eligibility but is listed as a senior. After the season he’ll potentially look into becoming a grad transfer, but he’s not thinking about that right now.
* Another Wildcat on the move to defense is fullback/tight end Jamardre Harris-Cobb ... for the scout team. With the D-line depleted, Harris-Cobb, who's listed at 275 pounds, has been helping give the offense looks this week.
* Do you go into a game like this expecting trick plays? "Yes,” Rodriguez said. “You just prepare your guys to have great eye discipline, to understand the structure of the defense. You want them to still play fast. You don’t want them to play tentative."
* Rodriguez said the plan is to keep one or two spots open in the 2018 class for grad transfers "at positions of need." Both lines remain positions of need.
* One of the ideas behind the new early signing period (Dec. 20-22) is to reduce the number of late flips. There's also this take from Rodriguez: "Obviously if a guy is committed to a school, he’s been committed for a while and he doesn’t sign in December, then he’s truly not committed."
* Senior right tackle Gerhard de Beer's family is in town from Pretoria, South Africa. The de Beers attended the Oregon game last week and will be at the Territorial Cup on Saturday.
* Arizona will have meetings at 11 a.m. Thursday, followed by a light practice. The team will have a Thanksgiving meal at 1:30 p.m. Players then have time off to spend with their families. The team buses up to Tempe on Friday.
