Arizona will count on the experience and ability of running back Chris Henry when September rolls around.

Bowl game?

The University of Arizona football team is not thinking, or at least talking, about that yet as the Wildcats wrap up spring workouts with their annual intrasquad game at 1 p.m. today.

“I think we are better. I think our kids are getting better each year from an attitude standpoint,” UA coach Mike Stoops said. “We are going to concentrate on getting better. We feel things will fall into place. If we are good enough, we will make a postseason game. If we are not, we won’t.”

Instead of talking about how physically behind the Wildcats are, a theme early in Stoops’ tenure, the emphasis is on consistency and getting Arizona into its first bowl game since 1998.

The only uniformity over the past seven years is losing records. Arizona is 28-52 since defeating Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.

The problems last year were an inability to make big plays, too many turnovers and the lack of a balanced offensive attack.

“Overall consistency is something we lacked last year, and ever since we have been here,” Stoops said. “Physically, there are positions where we are not where we need to be, but we are getting closer physically across the board.

“With our size, strength and speed, you can see we are going to be a much more explosive team. Psychologically we need to do better. We can’t worry about the big picture. We need to worry about how we are going to get better each day.”

That can happen only if the Wildcats shore up their weaknesses, which Stoops outlined several times during his spring evaluation news conference.

Most of the concerns stem from the offense, which has not helped itself this spring by fumbling and performing poorly in the two public scrimmages.

“We have to get more consistent on a down-to-down basis. There have been too many negative-yardage plays. Being poor on first down, that is something we can’t overcome. Not many teams can,” Stoops said. “Those are things that have bothered me when we have not been able to move the football.”

Being young at tailback this spring has been a problem, and the Wildcats have not been an offensive juggernaut in the past two seasons, averaging 14.9 and 22.9 points per game.

Just when it appeared the Wildcats had their breakthrough moment, upsetting UCLA 52-14 last year, a week later Arizona lost 38-14 to a Washington team that was winless in the Pacific-10 Conference.

“Take UCLA to Washington. You are talking about two different ends of the spectrum,” Stoops said. “That says everything about being inconsistent and not handling prosperity. It shows our lack of maturity mentally more than anything. We have a ways to go, but I think this group has practiced well, and it is a close group.”

When the Wildcats get back together for formal workouts in the fall, they will have 17 returning starters, including quarterback Willie Tuitama, who will carry many of Arizona’s offensive hopes.

The defense has established itself this spring as vastly improved from a unit that struggled at times last year, allowing 26.4 points and 408.8 yards per game.

“I feel more confident about this team than any other,” Stoops said. “We need to play better, and I think we are capable, and I feel good about some key positions.”

As good as Stoops feels about the way spring drills went over the last 14 practices, he is relieved the season opener, against BYU, is not next week, but Sept. 2.

“I know we need the next 3 1/2 months to get ready. That will be a critical time for us,” Stoops said. “We have some kids who need to get off the field and back into the weight room and need to get physically stronger and faster.

“I think we will be much more prepared for the schedule we are going to endure. If you look at our September, it is brutal again. This team is going to have to compete at a high level.”

Stoops

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REACHING FOR A BOWL