So about that two-quarterback plan ...
It’s still the plan for Saturday’s opener against BYU. It’s still Plan A for the team that will be wearing the Block A.
But Arizona coach Jedd Fisch on Monday left the door open for a change of plans. He was asked if the starting quarterback — in this case, Gunner Cruz — were to lead back-to-back touchdown drives to open the game, could he play the whole way?
“Yes, 100%,” Fisch said. “I’m not bound to put another person in if we have two touchdown drives in a row. Call it a champagne problem.”
The offense coming out hot would qualify as a best-case scenario. Over the course of the 12-game losing streak the Wildcats are seeking to snap, they’ve held the lead at the end of the first quarter only three times.
Fisch reiterated that he doesn’t have a set plan in terms of HOW the quarterbacks will rotate if that best-case scenario doesn’t materialize. He announced last week that Cruz would start and that Will Plummer also would play, citing the continuing lack of separation between them, among other factors.
“We plan on playing them both,” Fisch said Monday. “How much, we’re not sure yet. We’ll see what that looks like, see how the game goes.
“But there’s certainly an opportunity for a little platoon system. Right now, they’ve embraced it. They’re working hard and getting better.”
Quarterback Will Plummer is expected to see action against BYU during UA's opener in Las Vegas.
Fisch then dropped a reference to the most successful QB platoon in UA history — the Keith Smith-Ortege Jenkins duo that helped the 1998 Wildcats post a program-best 12-1 record.
“Not saying it’s gonna look like that,” Fisch said. “But I do know that it has happened here before.”
BYU enters the opener with no such ambiguity at quarterback. The Cougars announced last week that fourth-year sophomore Jaren Hall will succeed first-round pick Zach Wilson. Hall appeared in seven games in 2019, completing 31 of 46 passes for 420 yards and one touchdown and rushing 29 times for 139 yards and three scores.
Hall won a three-way derby for the starting job.
“It was a great battle,” BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick told reporters last week. “I’ve never gone that far into camp with equal reps between quarterbacks, but I felt like it was warranted in this case. We did more team 11-on-11 reps than I’ve ever done in my career, and Jaren earned the job.
“This wasn’t my decision. It was decided on the field by their play. Jaren deserves this opportunity.”
No. 1 (times two)
Word leaked late Friday that receiver Stanley Berryhill had earned the right to wear the Wildcats’ No. 1 jersey. It turns out he wasn’t alone.
The UA announced Monday that Berryhill and defensive end Jalen Harris each would wear No. 1 this season. Fisch said Berryhill and Harris had proved themselves to be “in that elite category” in terms of accountability.
Jalen Harris has worn the same No. 49 jersey his father wore at UA, but will don No. 1 this fall.
“They had to do a lot of different things right,” Fisch said. “No. 1, no misses — had to be in every practice, had to participate. Had to go hard every play, every day. Can’t be late to any meetings, can’t miss any ... really anything. Have to do well academically. Both of them graduated. Both of them still maintained their GPAs.
“They were certainly two guys that made sure that everybody worked extremely hard. They really are everything that a Wildcat should be. They’re people that give back to the community. They’re people that love being Arizona Wildcats. They’re both Arizona natives. They’ve both people that dreamt of playing here.”
Berryhill, who’s from Tucson, and Harris, who’s from Gilbert, are fifth-year juniors. Berryhill led the team in receiving last season, notching 23 catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns in five games. Harris recorded 18 tackles, 2.5 stops for losses and three pass breakups in four contests.
Berryhill had been wearing No. 86. Harris had been No. 49, the number his father, Sean, wore while starring at linebacker for Arizona in the 1990s.
‘COVID-aware’
The 2021 college football season began last weekend. Unlike last year, all teams are planning to play a full schedule.
That doesn’t mean the COVID-19 pandemic is over or that it can’t impact teams or games. Fisch has reminded his players of that possibility and urged them to behave responsibly outside the facility.
“We’re certainly very COVID-aware as a program,” Fisch said. “We made vaccinations an enormous priority. We were able to get 100% vaccinated with no exceptions. So every player on our team, every coach, every person that works in the building.
“We also understand that there’s breakthrough cases and COVID is a real deal that we have to make sure that we don’t lose guys to. So we let them know that every day is a game, every day is a competition. You’re competing against BYU. You’re competing against the rest of the country. Are they going to get COVID? Are you going to get COVID? Are you going to be able to avoid getting sick? Are you going to be able to avoid missing time?
“With that comes every decision you make. It’s really important for us to make smart decisions and wise decisions so we don’t run into a problem where we lose guys because of a Friday night or Saturday night out.”
The Pac-12 announced recently that any team unable to play because of COVID-19 would forfeit, resulting in a loss.
Fisch said the Wildcats’ interactions with anyone outside the team would be limited while on the road. Players will be able to see their parents after games.
“They can interact with their team. We’re pretty strict about that,” Fisch said. “Most of our time will be spent as a team, isolated from almost everybody.”
Extra points
Fisch said he expected “everybody” besides receiver Jamarye Joiner to be available against BYU. Joiner is still recovering from foot surgery and should be back by late September. Arizona will bring about 80 players to Las Vegas.
BYU released its depth chart Monday. The Cougars listed 15 “starting” positions on defense, including a “Jack,” a “Flash” and a “Cinco.” Arizona is expected to release its depth chart no later than Tuesday.
Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff tweeted Monday that about 57,000 tickets have been sold for the UA-BYU game at Allegiant Stadium. Capacity is 65,000.
Lute Olson was head basketball coach at the University of Arizona from 1983-2008. He was a seven-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year, made five Final Four appearances, won the 1997 NCAA Championship and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. He died Aug. 27, 2020.
