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Transcript: Live chat with Ryan Finley as UA takes on Oregon

Ryan Finley answers your questions about this Saturday's game against Oregon.

Hi everybody! Welcome to the latest in our weekly series of football chats.The 22nd-ranked Arizona Wildcats will travel to Eugene, Ore., this weekend for a nationally televised game against the third-ranked Ducks. Both teams are undefeated — for now. Lots of excitement building for the game, so let's get started:

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:01:48 PM
Ryan... media consensus seems to not even give us a chance on Saturday. Is it just me or is the X factor in Jeff Casteel being overlooked? If anyone can stop (slow down?) Oregon, is it not him? I may be a naive Tucsonan... but does Matt Scott's experience + Casteel running the defense + RichRod at the helm not at least equate to a fighting chance? An upset in the making is what I see...

by Beat The Ducks! 9/20/2012 7:01:55 PM
The X factor is definitely Arizona's 3-3-5 defense; it's funky enough that it might confuse Marcus Mariota, Oregon's redshirt freshman quarterback. If the Ducks can figure out Arizona's defense, however, it could be a long night. Oregon is VERY fast, and the Wildcats, well, aren't.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:03:04 PM
Does AZ fall out of the top 25 with a close loss (10pts) to Oregon?

by CaliCat 9/20/2012 7:03:09 PM
Too soon to tell: I think Arizona would need some help (ie, teams ranked above them would have to lose) to stay in the top-25.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:03:33 PM
I hate the 3-3-5. Any chance Rodriguez will go to the 4-3?

by Phil bell 9/20/2012 7:03:38 PM
Nope. This is what he does, and he's sticking with it. Long-term, I think you'll see that the Wildcats will be better off for running a funky scheme.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:04:19 PM
Thx for the chat segment Ryan!!
The Ducks can put up 50 points faster than you can
say John Mackovic. I think for Ariz to have a shot
in this game they need to hold the Ducks below 40 points.

Although I think the D has shown signs of improvement, they
still yielded 636 yards vs OSU. My question is: Is the
defense good enough that they can keep Ariz in the game? Do
you think that RR will go to a ball control/field position plan
to keep the Ducks offense off the field?

by dumb_blonde_2012 9/20/2012 7:04:23 PM
I think Arizona needs to follow the blueprint it set during this month's upset win over Oklahoma State: Force turnovers, turn picks into points and hope to get a little lucky. It's happened once; maybe it can happen again.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:05:02 PM
Thought I heard RichRod say on his radio show that he has offered over 200 scholarships to walk-ons during his career. I have noticed 4 new names on Defense roster since end of August (all FR) and assumed walk-ons. Have you seen this many walk-ons added to a UA roster during a season? (Frasier Anderson, Vaughn Brinkman, Zach Streuling, Shane Wilson)

by Wildcat_Country 9/20/2012 7:05:06 PM
No. Rodriguez adds walk-ons typically at the end of semesters/school years. Jared Tevis and Blake Brady were given full-rides at the end of the last school year (May); expect Tevin Hood, a nose tackle who they love, to receive similar consideration in December.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:06:04 PM
How do you think Matt Scott will do on Saturday with the additional pressure and attention he is getting nationally? If the cats can win and he has a solid game, does he become a legitimate Heisman candidate?

by RedArmyMother 9/20/2012 7:06:07 PM
I think Scott will be good for points and yards — he's proven over the first three games that he knows this offense — but he may not continue his turnover-free ways. Secondly, I think it's pretty tough for an Arizona player to receive legitimate Heisman hype. Scott would need to lead the Wildcats to a BCS-type bowl — or a Rose Bowl— to get any traction. Remember, the award often goes to the best player on the best team, which is silly.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:07:39 PM
Maybe lack of speed will be a good thing. We won't be able to over pursue on the misdirection. :-)

by CaliCat 9/20/2012 7:07:44 PM
A glass half-full guy. Like it.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:07:52 PM
Do you think if Arizona finishes with 8 or 9 wins this season Richrod becomes a canidate for Arkansas job in SEC?

by JREED 9/20/2012 7:07:54 PM
Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised to see RR mentioned for the Arkansas job regardless of how Arizona plays. It's a good job that can pay well.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:08:22 PM
Assuming richrod is sucessful the rest of the year say 8 or 9 wins. do you feel he becomes a canidate for the Arkansas job that John L Smith is now not going to get and would he consider it since it is the SEC?

by JREED1 9/20/2012 7:08:31 PM
Wow, a trend!

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:08:37 PM
Ryan, do we really know if the Ducks are super-good this year? They haven't played anyone of consequence yet.

by GB 9/20/2012 7:08:44 PM
Yes and no. I think the Ducks have enough talent to win all their home games and go to the postseason. Do we know if they're Rose-Bowl-winning, national-championship-contending studs yet? No. But I'm guessing that, yes, they are.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:09:24 PM
Also noticed that Dame Ndiaye was converted to offense as a TE. What's his status. Has he been hurt or just reevaluating need to skill?

by Wildcat_Country 9/20/2012 7:09:29 PM
Re-evaluating. I like Ndiaye a lot, but he's super-raw as a player — he played less than one season at San Diego's Hoover High School. He's going to be a work in progress for most of his career: But if he can figure it out? Wow. Guy is one of the most physically imposing humans I've ever seen.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:10:21 PM
Can UA at least compete this weekend? Or is it going to be a long night?

by Jose 9/20/2012 7:10:25 PM
I think they could, sure. But they're going to need to follow the OSU blueprint, minus the 14-0 deficit: Score on more than half their possessions, force multiple turnovers and hope for help.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:11:01 PM
The Over/Under is about 72. Both teams combined average is 97. Will this be a shoot-out with no defense?

by Alex 9/20/2012 7:11:09 PM
My guess? Yes, unless the Wildcats and Ducks can force turnovers.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:11:40 PM
It appears that a significant factor relating to improved defense is tackling, both swarm and open field. It is a pleasure to see one on one bring downs by the likes of Jake Fischer, Jared Tevis and Tra'Mayne Bondurant among others. Full body, two arm wrap arounds. Wow ! The question is, will this trend continue with the speedy, tackle breaking Oregon Ducks.( I remember last year too well ) Your thoughts?

by Ciff Cova 9/20/2012 7:11:48 PM
Arizona's tackling has impressed me so far this season, but there's a difference between the talent they faced against Toledo and South Carolina State — and, heck, even against OSU — and the players they're going to see this weekend. Like Rich Rodriguez said this week, the Wildcats first have to catch 'em, then they have to bring them down. Easier said than done.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:12:48 PM
Would it be better for a close loss this game and to run the table for a rematch Oregon would be overconfident and under national championship pressure ?

by JREED 9/20/2012 7:13:00 PM
No. It'd be better to win.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:13:05 PM
I heard Rich Rod on Jim Rome and we will be featured on Game Day this weekend. Whatever happens, we ARE relevant again. As far as I can see, we are already playing with the house's money. Thoughts?

by Brian 9/20/2012 7:13:06 PM
I think the Wildcats are ahead of schedule and surpassing Rich Rodriguez's meager expectations. But television appearances and talks with Van Smack don't make you relevant; winning does. I'll agree that Arizona's back with the big boys when they finish with a winning season.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:14:27 PM
For the limited practice exposure Media gets...Have you noticed any significant differences in practicedrills this week (other than Duck-Quack noise)? Maybe forcing TO drills? Oregon has 7 TO's thus far.

by Wildcat_Country 9/20/2012 7:14:36 PM
The Wildcats practice tackling and stripping the ball every day in practice, so yes. The key, to me, is how they're going to gameplan De'Anthony Thomas. Guy's a stud.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:14:59 PM
If the Ducks do pound us, do we go into a death spiral for much of the season? Or can RichRod convince them to keep the faith?

by Henry Koffler 9/20/2012 7:15:04 PM
Too soon to speculate. Arizona wouldn't be the first, or the last, to lose big at Oregon. IMO, "death spirals" typically happen when teams lose games they're supposed to win: last year's loss at Oregon State messed with the Wildcats' season.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:16:00 PM
what are your thoughts on the current ncaa investigation into the oregon football program? will they get penalized like USC did. worse? not as bad?

by uncle larry 9/20/2012 7:16:04 PM
I'm familiar with some of the accusations, sure, but I don't know enough to speculate as to whether they're in trouble — or how much trouble they could be in. Chip Kelly's flirtation with the NFL reminded me a lot of Pete Carroll's dash to the Seahawks a few years back. Makes me wonder if something's up.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:17:24 PM
Is this the "biggest" game on the history of UA Football? Not since hosting UCLA in 1998 can I remember a potentially more significant game.

by Barks 9/20/2012 7:17:35 PM
No. Too soon to label anything "biggest" ever. If Arizona's still undefeated when USC comes to town next month, then, yes, that could be in the conversation.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:18:15 PM
How confident do you think RichRod is in the Wildcats' field goal kicking game...particularly after last week?

by cpd 9/20/2012 7:18:24 PM
Confident enough. Remember, he doesn't have the three years of trauma on his mind like fans do. He wasn't here. I think the job is Bonano's to lose, and he'll have to kick a LOT worse than he has been to lose it.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:19:00 PM
Other than the SCU game, I thought our 3-3-5 Defense has been rather inept. How much of an factor do you think this new defense will be to the Wildcats success for the rest of the season? Frankly, I feel our Offense is carrying this team more than the defense is.

by Dacook 9/20/2012 7:19:11 PM
Agree on your second point. I think the defense can, potentially, win the Wildcats a few games down the road. It's just different (some say gimmicky) enough to confuse teams that don't prepare properly.

by Ryan Finley 9/20/2012 7:20:01 PM

RSSChats & Other Live Events

Transcript: Live chat with Ryan Finley as UA takes on Oregon

Ryan Finley answers your questions about this Saturday's game against Oregon.

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Transcript: Live chat with Ryan Finley as UA takes on Oregon

Ryan Finley answers your questions about this Saturday's game against Oregon.

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