Sun, Jul 05, 2009
 Arizona wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt keeps a close eye on the players during a practice earlier this week at the Jimenez Practice Facility.
a.e. araiza / arizona daily star
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UA to unveil new offense today Fans are eager to see how the Cats' new alignment will look on the field
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.31.2007
Mat Roberts, his Zona Zoo shirt faded to pink from countless wash cycles, stood outside the UA's Jimenez Practice Facility on Friday evening.
Roberts, a UA student, stuck his face up against a wrought iron gate until a stripe of blue paint was on his cheeks.
"I just want a peak of that offense, man," Roberts said. "All this waiting. I can't take it anymore."
Today is your lucky day, Mat.
The public unveiling of Arizona's revamped, pass-happy offense takes place at 10 a.m. in the spring scrimmage at Arizona Stadium.
The Wildcats completed their sixth practice of the spring Friday, none of which were open to fans like Roberts, whose hopes for a bowl season rest heavily on the resurrection of an offense that — to put it bluntly — drowned in deficiency in 2006.
"You hear these things that Willie (Tuitama) is gonna be a stud QB in the new offense and that guys like Mike Thomas will catch touchdown after touchdown," Roberts said. "I want to believe it, but I have to see it up close and live."
It is the same sentiment coach Mike Stoops expressed after practice, one he said lacked intensity and focus.
And with a number of offensive positions up for grabs, he seemed eager for a scrimmage that should draw every player's best effort.
"Hopefully, we can execute some things on both sides of the ball and find out who our playmakers are going to be in this offense," he said. "Playmakers usually show up, no matter what the situation is, in practice and games.
"I'm anxious to see what we do in a live situation."
It has been 113 days since Sonny Dykes was introduced as the UA's offensive coordinator, bringing with him the vaunted "Air Raid" passing game from Texas Tech.
Considering that the Cats ranked 115th in the nation in total offense last year, the collective salivation over actual production is wholly understood.
But six days of practice is no one's idea of sufficient on-the-job training, and Dykes was quick to point out there is plenty of improvement to be made.
"Too many dropped passes, too many bad decisions, busted things here and there," he said. "But we've done a really good job picking up the grand scheme of things.
"We just have to work on the details. I do think we're pretty far along for six practices."
Friday's closed practice featured a highlight-reel, over-the-head touchdown catch by Thomas from Tuitama, which was visible and audible from the street.
It was a flash of brilliance that Thomas said the offense has produced occasionally this spring, but — like any new system — the intricacies have to be absorbed before the Wildcats' offense can become more than a pushover.
"For me, it's just a matter of learning where everybody is at so we can create the right space," said Thomas, a sophomore. "Hopefully, by the time the season comes around, it will be money time, and he can just throw them up there all day. Not just to me. By then we should all be ready."
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