Sat, Jul 05, 2008
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SPRING PRACTICE, DAY 14
• What went down: Following Wednesday's shortened practice, coach Mike Stoops said the Arizona Wildcats had "lost our focus" defensively during the past three or four practices. Wednesday's practice marked the team's last of the spring before the Spring Game on Saturday.
• Injury report: Defensive tackle Johnathan Turner continued his unexplained absence, one Stoops refused to elaborate on.
"I don't have any comment about JT," he said. Safety Brandon Tatum was kept out of some drills because of back pain.
• He said it: "It gets to the point where everyone's excited for the end of spring." — Stoops, on the last day of practice before the Spring Game.
• Up next: The Wildcats will take the next two days off before the Spring Game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Arizona Stadium. The scrimmage will last two hours and will feature about 100 plays, Stoops said.

UA Sports

UA FOOTBALL

Cats out to end 10-year kickoff return jinx

By Patrick Finley
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 04.10.2008
When the Arizona Wildcats open their season Aug. 30 against Idaho, the special teams will not get a cake or a card or any acknowledgement of an anniversary.
But still, it will mark almost 10 full years since the Wildcats returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
"I don't think about it," returner Mike Thomas said after Wednesday's practice. "When you think about it too much, it's gonna be 11."
The last time the UA took a kickoff to paydirt was Sept. 3, 1998, when Chris McAlister ran back the opening kick against Hawaii.
During spring camp, the Wildcats have focused on improving their kick returns, one aspect of practice that coach Mike Stoops said takes the most time to perform.
"We worked hard on the kickoff return, because that's an opportunity, obviously, to get big plays," Stoops said.
It has not happened often. Arizona's last return came 341 attempts and 116 games ago.
Last year, the UA returned 53 kicks for 1,162 yards, an average of 22 yards.
A long return is a bonus, even without a score. Quarterback Willie Tuitama said there is a boost his unit gets from starting a drive at, say, the 40-yard line.
"When we get to the 40, then we can call certain things that will work in a better situation," Tuitama said. "Seeing that the end zone's right there just makes it so much easier, to go get it."
The scheme has stayed the same, Thomas said, despite a new special teams coach. In February, Jeff Hammerschmidt replaced Joe Robinson when Robinson left for a similar position at LSU.
During camp, it is almost impossible to return kicks full-speed. The contact involved is too dangerous.
That does not meant the Wildcats have not been working.
"In camp, in spring ball, you do have more time to break those type of things down," Thomas said.
"Usually on kickoff return, it's one block."
Somebody might miss a guy. He might slip underneath the coverage or whatever.
"It's always one little thing that can mess a kickoff return up."
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