Nicolas Grigsby

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• Cal running back Jahvid Best practiced Tuesday in his return from a dislocated elbow, and is likely to play against Arizona.

"Each day we've tried to progress him," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "He's done quite a bit."

• Tedford still hasn't picked a quarterback to start Saturday. Nate Longshore started the Golden Bears' last game after Kevin Riley had received the nod in every game this season. Longshore was effective in his start against Arizona State, throwing for 198 yards and three touchdowns.

Tedford said both players will get the same amount of repetitions, though Longshore will go first.

"We'll see how the week goes and kinda make a decision as the week moves along," he said.

• Arizona's homecoming game against USC is 10 days away, but it's already nearly sold out.

Less than 200 tickets remain for the Arizona Wildcats' Oct. 25 game against the Trojans, athletic department officials announced Tuesday. Most of the tickets are single seats, though a limited number of pair remain in the loge level.

For a team that is not known for running the ball, the Arizona Wildcats have plenty of talent at tailback.

Starter Nicolas Grigsby and backups Xavier Smith, Keola Antolin and Nick Booth have been a bright spot in the UA's 4-2 start.

With Grigsby leading the way, the foursome has combined for 804 yards and 13 touchdowns over six games. The Wildcats are first in the Pac-10 Conference in scoring offense, and sixth in rushing offense.

In its second year, the Air Zona offense finally has a ground element.

"It's real important for us, running," Grigsby said. "It throws off a lot of teams because they're not expecting it."

There may be room for all four players in Arizona's backfield. Grigsby, Smith, Antolin and Booth each bring a different running style, from slashing and electric to basic and bruising.

"It's a quandary for me to try to see how I can get all four of those guys into a game, especially when we're not a team that's going to run 56 times a game," running backs coach Dana Dimel said. "It's hard."

Here's a breakdown of each back's running style:

• Who: "The Slasher"

• Vitals: 5 feet 10 inches/178 pounds/ Sophomore/Hometown (last school): Whittier, Calif. (California High School)

• Stats: Has rushed for a team-high 614 yards and nine touchdowns in the Wildcats' first six games. Grigsby's 5.8yards per carry are the most of any of Arizona's regulars; he has scored at least once in every game this year … put up 704 yards and two TDs as a true freshman in 2007.

• Style: The cutback king. He hits holes hard, then dashes from sideline to sideline looking for holes. That style leads to plenty of big plays — he has broken off rushes of 55, 40 and 25 yards this year.

"It's something I've been doing since I was little," Grigsby said. "If I see a cutback lane, I'm going to hit it. I don't do any running around until I'm in the open field."

• Analysis: UA coach Mike Stoops said Grigsby is "a slasher and a cutback guy" who gives the Wildcats a chance for a score every time he takes a handoff. Running backs coach Dana Dimel said Grigsby brings experience, even though he has been with the team for only 18 games. "His open-field running is very good," Dimel said. "He's fast, and he's got good hands."

• Who: "The Sunnyside Slammer"

• Vitals: 5 feet 11 inches/210 pounds/ Junior/ Hometown: (last school): Tucson (Sunnyside High School)

• Stats: Has 12 carries for 95 yards and three touchdowns in five games this season … was listed as the state's No. 4 player by Rivals.com as a senior at Sunnyside.

• Style: A between-the-tackles bruiser. He can power clean 340 pounds and has good vision at the line of scrimmage. He does what Grigsby does not — run straight ahead and up the middle. His three touchdowns have come on runs of 1, 2 and 8 yards. Coaches believe Smith is capable of 10 or more carries per game.

"Nic brings a lot, but sometimes I try to hit people harder," Smith said. "Sometimes, he's trying to juke. I just like to see people get hurt on the other side."

• Analysis: Smith has put on about 25 pounds since coming to the UA in 2005. As a junior, he is starting to run like it. Smith initiates contact with tacklers and is good for about 4 yards a carry. "X is more powerful and explosive than people give him credit for," Dimel said. "He's a guy that's a real inside-the-tackles guy, and he's getting a whole lot better at catching the ball."

• Who: "The Sin City Shaker"

• Vitals: 5 feet 8 inches/180 pounds/ true freshman/hometown (last school): Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman High School)

• Stats: Has rushed 25 times for 66 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman. Played most of the second half against Washington, posting a career-high 33 yards on 12 carries.

• Style: A dodgy runner who does a good job of staying between the tackles. The freshman uses his diminutive size to hide behind blockers and dive between small holes at the line of scrimmage. "He's small, so he can get skinny," Grigsby said. "He gets into real tight spots."

• Analysis: Antolin is a prototypical back for the Air Zona offense. He can "gash" runs in passing formations and catch balls out of the backfield.

"Keola is going to be outstanding," Dimel said. "Keola has the shake to make people miss in space. As his career develops, he'll be a guy who brings the best of both worlds to the table."

• Who: "Big Booth"

• Vitals: 6 feet 2 inches/221 pounds/ Junior/ Naperville, Ill. (College of DuPage)

• Stats: Has rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries in six games this season. … Put up 1,090 yards and scored 15 touchdowns last season at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

• Style: Booth is a traditional back on a team that does not necessarily need one. His ability to run between the tackles and pass-block could make him a valuable addition next season.

• Analysis: Booth was a junior college standout, but he remains raw in the eyes of the coaches. Booth gets lower when he runs, reading defenses better and finishing runs.

"He's getting better all the time," Dimel said. "It's important to him."