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Transcript: Live Q&A chat with Ryan Finley on UA football

Ryan Finley answers your questions on UA football and this Saturday's game against USC.

Hi everybody! The Arizona Wildcats face their toughest challenge of the season Saturday, when USC comes to town for a 12:30 p.m. game. The UA (4-3 overall, 1-3 Pac-12) thumped Washington a week ago, and seems to be playing better of late. Fire away with questions, and I'll do my best to answer them in the next hour or so.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:03:18 PM
If you had to pick UA or ASU right now, which team would you go with and why?

by Paul in Kabul 10/25/2012 7:03:33 PM
Too soon to tell: I think ASU's actually playing well, and Oregon has made better teams look worse. Truth is, I think Arizona and ASU are about the same, talent-wise. The Devils may finish with 1 or 2 more wins. (Also, Paul, if you're really in Kabul, that's amazing; new record for furthest-away chatter).

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:04:42 PM
What does it say about UA fans that Greg Byrne had to make a desperate push to sell tickets this week for a game against a fun-to-watch, 10th-ranked USC team? Shouldn't the UW whoopin' last week have made this a guaranteed sell out?

by Scout team, bro 10/25/2012 7:04:49 PM
Great question, and something we — and I'm sure, you and your friends — have been talking about a lot lately. There's some serious fan apathy in Tucson right now, for a myriad of reasons. My theory is this: Arizona fans no longer equate "high-scoring" with good, especially since last year's team featured a handful of record-breakers and NFL draft picks and still went 4-8. Coach Rich Rodriguez is going to have to win fans over with defense, and isn't that weird? We'll see how Saturday shakes out: If Arizona can't pack the house for a noon game on a gorgeous October day against the league's premier team, there are issues.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:07:01 PM
Thoughts on whether Biskin and/or Quinn will play to help Cats combat USC's stingy Red Zone D?

by Wildcat_Country 10/25/2012 7:07:05 PM
I think one — or both — will, yes.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:07:12 PM
I would say if I am USC, the Ariz offense is looking pretty scary. Ariz has put up huge numbers on some pretty good defenses like Oregon St and Stanford in addition to lighting up lesser defenses like Okla St and Washington.

If you are the USC defense coordinator what would be your thinking as to how to contain the very dangerous Ariz offense??

by hotblondechick_19 10/25/2012 7:07:21 PM
If I were USC, I'd play for ball-control on offense and hope to get Arizona chasing a lead early. There's no reason why the Trojans shouldn't just pound the ball on offense, huddle, and try to keep Matt Scott on the sidelines.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:08:08 PM
What is Tevis' status for the game?

by Jonah W. 10/25/2012 7:08:26 PM
Still questionable. I think he'll play. (He dressed-out last week but didn't see the field).

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:08:46 PM
Did you notice how I buttered you up by singing the praises of Matt Scott and the offense? Did you also notice how I've said next to nothing about fearing your defense? What chance in the world does your defense have in stopping our offense?

by LaneKiffin (really it is). 10/25/2012 7:09:00 PM
I think, "Coach", it depends on how you attack the Wildcats' D. I can't see Arizona stopping (or even slowing) USC's run game. If the Trojans try to pass to the outside all day, like Washington did last week, the Wildcats will have a real chance.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:09:59 PM
Are the UA Corners going to need a lot of "over the top" help on SC's vaunted receivers, or are they a bit overrated?

by Chris 10/25/2012 7:10:04 PM
Marqise Lee and Robert Woods are NOT overrated — but, if we're looking for a silver lining here — they're not particularly big or physical either. That's good for Arizona's small secondary; if I were Arizona, I'd rather face speedy receivers than hulking tight ends (like Washington's Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Stanford's Levine Toilolo) any day.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:11:08 PM
Will there be any UA recruits (official/unofficial) at USC game?

by Wildcat_Country 10/25/2012 7:11:10 PM
Huge recruiting weekend: 25 kids will be in attendance, including a few big names. I'll write more about that as the weekend goes on.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:11:38 PM
UA in the Holiday bowl against WVU?? No way on this one, right? cfn.scout.com

by Stevenson 10/25/2012 7:11:47 PM
Probably not, but wouldn't that be fun? The Bill Bedenbaugh Bowl.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:12:10 PM
Ryan, I see this game shaping up as a trap game for SC with the quacks next up for them. What do you think?

by Dave 10/25/2012 7:12:14 PM
It's possible, sure, that the Trojans could play flat. But I wouldn't bet on it: Stanford took away any hope of USC running the table; I don't think they're going to sleep on another game.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:12:52 PM
Saturday's game will be broadcast live, most places, on ABC. Check your listings to see if it's "mirrored" — shown on ESPN or ESPN2 instead — in your market.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:13:53 PM
Has RichRod or anyone on the coaching staff commented on USC switching jersey numbers around to confuse other teams? Is this something they are concerned with in their preparation?

by Frank 10/25/2012 7:13:57 PM
Writing about that for later in the week, and yes. Rodriguez said they'll keep an eye on it, but frank-ly (see what I did there?), it's really hard to learn (and track) faces. Trojans don't have names on the backs of their jerseys, making all of it sorta tough to track. Also, want to know why people dislike Lane Kiffin? He pulled that stunt in a rout over Colorado.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:15:02 PM
I have DirecTV, so I'm glad I get to see an Arizona game this week. Any word on the Pac12 Network negotiations? Any chance a deal gets done in time for the UCLA game next week?

by M. Dabord 10/25/2012 7:15:10 PM
I don't think so. The two sides still seem pretty far away.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:15:21 PM
Everything is perfectly lined up for an upset for the 'Cats. How many stops/takeaways on Defense wins Arizona the game?

by SA 10/25/2012 7:15:26 PM
Uhhh … how about 7? Three turnovers, and four forced punts.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:15:58 PM
Prediction....defense steps up. Arizona wins 43-19

by Brian 10/25/2012 7:16:25 PM
Holding USC to 19 points? Wow.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:16:36 PM
Last night for dinner I ate a four whole chickens for every Robert Woods touchdown against Colorado; How is UA going to cover this guy??

by Honey Boo Boo 10/25/2012 7:16:41 PM
I think they're going to give him a little space at the line and hope he doesn't burn them deep.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:17:03 PM
We're pretty worried about the Barkley passing attack; is the USC offense better than Oregon?

by UA No stack Defense 10/25/2012 7:17:07 PM
No, nobody's offense is better than Oregon's. Consider USC sort of an Oregon-Stanford mix: The Trojans are big and strong, like the Cardinal, and fast at all the skill positions like Oregon.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:17:42 PM
Whoa, Scott and Barkley duled in High School: espn.go.com

by Stevenson 10/25/2012 7:17:49 PM
Ted Miller's been all over that. I remember watching the game on TV, back in the Prime Ticket days. Man, Scott ran a bunch.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:18:09 PM
Who's back from injury?

by Stevenson 10/25/2012 7:18:19 PM
Arizona's injury report won't be released until later today, but I'd expect Jared Tevis, Kyle Quinn and Trace Biskin to try to play. Johnny Jackson is DEFINITELY playing.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:18:48 PM
I agree with Hanson that there are too many 7:30 games. Maybe not here in Sept or Oct, but why don't they schedule some 10 am games elsewhere? Just as inconvenient, but also much, much better for visibility on the east coast, where the majority of the population is. Any ideas?

by mark 10/25/2012 7:18:56 PM
Not sure the west coast, which is where most Arizona grads/fans live, would take to 10 a.m. football. (Also, for half the season, 10 a.m. Tucson games would start at 9 a.m. in the big West Coast TV markets). While I understand fans' frustrations — and I have my own, as someone who works on deadline — I sorta like night football in Tucson. We've been doing it for years; why the complaints all of a sudden?

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:20:34 PM
Can you confirm (or not) the air-raid siren intended only for 3rd downs? Or, random as it was last week (seemed some "down" confusion going on)? #ESPNgame

by Wildcat_Country 10/25/2012 7:20:39 PM
Only for third downs. Cool, or annoying? I've heard people say both.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:20:50 PM
Why does UA continually get the late Saturday game?

by Stevenson 10/25/2012 7:20:59 PM
TV.

by Ryan Finley 10/25/2012 7:21:36 PM
Ryan, what is your realistic expectation of this game??

by DaveS 10/25/2012 7:21:38 PM