What a game against Texas Tech for our players, coaches, families and fans. It was exciting to see all three phases of the game executing to their fullest potential.
One of my favorite plays in the game was when number Arizona’s No. 6, Scottie Young, blew up Texas Tech’s Ta’Zhawn Henry, forcing Henry to lose the ball. The ferocious-hitting Young reminds me of a young Chuck Cecil in so many ways. He wears No. 6, went to Helix High School in San Diego and is a safety who likes to drop the hammer on the opponent.
Also, how great was the ZonaZoo? For two weeks in a row, the Zoo has been our 12th man. Virtual high-fives to the athletic department staff and the section leadership who have moved the Zoo forward in recent years. From upgraded space for students, viewing patios, awesome WiFi, festival social space — which our kids love — to a DJ spinning tunes in the section, the new Zoo really ignites students — and their moms and dads, too.
I’ve traveled across the Power Five conferences for big football matchups featuring my head coach clients, and the benefits of having an energized fan base is win-win for Tucson.
The ZonaZoo illustrates why the renovation to the lower east side of the stadium was so important.
Seen and heard on ESPN
Saturday night our crowd didn’t go unnoticed by the ESPN broadcasting duo of Jason Benetti and Rod Gilmore. It was wonderful to hear their chatter about how raucous our crowd was during Texas Tech’s third downs. They also yakked about Arizona defensive coordinator Marcel Yates’ shoutout to Chuck, who’s a senior defensive analyst for the Wildcats. Yates told the ESPN team that he was worried about the Red Raiders’ tempo, so Chuck gave him some insights and drills to help get Arizona ready. (You can watch the clip on my Twitter account: @carriegcecil). Thanks, Coach Yates!
I understand what Chuck does, but it was exciting to hear the on-air duo heap love on my husband’s coaching résumé and style. They reiterated was how Chuck is committed to the Tucson community. It’s true, we do love Tucson and the UA — always have, always will, and that’s why we’re here.
In the community
There’s no UA football this weekend, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be busy. The Cecils are stepping out for some of our favorite Tucson charities.
Thursday night, Chuck and I will reprise last year’s food-tossing and fire-making fun and join baseball great Luis Gonzalez, UA basketball coach Sean Miller and others at Mr. An’s Teppan Steak and Seafood, 6091 N. Oracle Road, for “Cooking With the Stars.” Proceeds from the event will benefit the Easterseals Blake Foundation, which serves 1.4 million children and adults with disabilities and their families nationwide. Need a ticket? Visit www.easterseals.com/blakefoundation/.
This weekend, we’ll take part in Feast & Fairways at JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., Feast & Fairways is a time for Tucson firefighters, their families, friends and supporters to come together to celebrate the men and women of the fire service and to honor the memory of fallen firefighters.
UA softball coach Mike Candrea is the keynote speaker at Friday’s gala dinner. Chuck will be hitting the links for the golf tournament on Saturday. To support local firefighters, visit https://feastandfairways.org.
A bad year for quarterbacks
It’s been a rough start of the NFL season for quarterbacks.
During “Monday Night Football,” I sent a text of encouragement to friend and client Adam Gase, the New York Jets’ head coach.
Gase is an incredible human being and offensive coach who can’t seem to catch a break. Last week, he lost his starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, to mononucleosis.
During Monday’s game, backup QB Trevor Siemian was hit by the Browns’ Myles Garrett, sidelining him for the year. NFL quarterbacks seem to be injury-plagued this year. During the game Chuck, stated that losing four starting QBs in the first two weeks of the regular season was, “Captain Beyond.”
The Jets’ QBs join the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger (elbow), the Jaguars’ Nick Foles (collarbone) and the Saints’ Drew Brees (thumb), all of whom have suffered serious injuries in the first two weeks of the season. The last time Brees didn’t start at least 15 games in a season was back in 2003 with the San Diego Chargers.
It is awful for teams who lose their starting QBs, but not impossible to overcome.
“If a team is completely reliant on their offense, it’s going to be tough,” Chuck told me. “But if their team is more well-rounded, the ‘D’ can help them get through those weeks with the backups. It’s hard enough to get one QB that is good enough to run an NFL offense, so losing that guy is extremely hard to overcome — but not unheard of.”
Beat the Bruins
We hope to see you Sept. 28th, when the UA opens Pac-12 play against UCLA. Besides being my birthday and Hispanic Heritage Day, U of A has a special ticket offer. For as low as $28, fans can buy two tickets to upcoming home games. The offer can be found at azcats.co/91be0. Thanks for reading, and Bear Down!
