They say time heals all wounds. It looks like four months was enough time for Arizona fans to forgive the Wildcats for the Holiday Bowl.

We won’t know for sure how many people jumped off the trolley until the 2010 ticket sales numbers are in, but a few thousand fans spent their Saturday showing they have moved past 33-0 and they’re ready to soak in the optimism again.

How do you say GRONK! in Samoan?
Photo by UAsports.net

It was a relaxed and positive atmosphere at Arizona Stadium as the UA football team took part in its final scrimmage of spring practice. The crowd (6,000 people according to one report) was treated to more than just a football practice.

I love that there were family-friendly events a full two and a half hours before the start of the spring game. Eat some barbeque, meet Max Zendejas and Lance Briggs, play some games with the kids, take in the scrimmage, and get autographs of the current players. You could plan an entire Saturday around the UA spring football game and that’s the way it should be.

Hopefully incoming A.D. Greg Byrne sees the potential of the spring game as a must-see event and makes it even bigger. Tailgating should be expanded and encouraged. Toss some t-shirts into the stands. Keep the drawing for a season of luxury suite tickets (I hear the guy who won last year really enjoyed himself).

The college football season is just too short to hold a grudge against your team. The spring game is the final oasis before the long desert summer and Wildcat fans drank it up. When you saw the size of the line waiting for Nick Foles’ autograph (he was the only one with a table and chair besides Mike Stoops) you never would have guessed you were looking at a guy who threw for a whole 28 yards in San Diego.

As for the scrimmage itself, it’s not about trying to dissect plays and stats and declare which parts of the team are going to be strong and which will struggle. I remember a few springs back watching Willie Tuitama throw horrible passes to receivers who couldn’t catch. There was nothing to show that Sonny Dykes knew what he was doing and the UA offense didn’t look like it was going anywhere. Where Tuitama and company went was into the record books with about every passing record in school history.

So don’t overreact to Foles only completing seven passes for 74 yards (that’s more than the Holiday Bowl!). The spring game is about looking for individuals showing the potential for greatness, and that’s how the crowd correctly responded.

Joe Perkins, the Tommy Frazier of defensive backs
Photo by UAsports.net

When Ricky Elmore broke through for two early sacks, the crowd cheered. When Juron Criner hauled in each of this two touchdown receptions, the crowd applauded. When Joe Perkins and Trevin Wade pulled off the rarely-successful interception-return-option the crowd issued its resounding approval. When Taimi Tutogi showed hands, speed and attitude on the same 73-yard play the crowd went wild.

As exciting as Tutogi was, Nic Grigsby is still Arizona’s best option at tailback. Keep the guy healthy and you’ve got a true game-breaker back there. Unfortunately keeping the guy healthy remained difficult as an aggravated hamstring limited Grigs to just one carry (and one self-tackle).

The half-full response to the sluggish offense is the intentional use of a vanilla playbook. The half-empty side says a veteran offense should be able to dominate an inexperienced defense no matter what flavor you use.

The reality is we weren’t going to see if the offense has improved until the regular season anyway. When the Cat receivers successfully beat press coverage we’ll know things are better. When more red zone trips result in touchdowns (Hello, Taimi!) we’ll know the right coaches and players are in place.

Until then we’ll have to settle for watching our guys make big plays on a beautiful spring day.

We forgive you for the Holiday Bowl.

(Just don’t let it happen again.)

More coverage of the spring game:
AG’s Observations and Opinions

Brad Allis’ Big Play breakdown

My Twitter page with live tweets from the game.

I apologize for the interruption. Where were we?

Oh yeah: Now that’s the kind of game I like. But I had someone tell me on Sunday how boring the Washington State game was. The stream of red shirts heading to the exit at halftime agreed. Are we spoiled already? Have we forgotten 38-0, 45-0 and 59-13, when the big numbers were on the wrong side of the scoreboard?

Give me boring any day if it means my team is a huge favorite and it plays like a huge favorite.

Opening the game with a kickoff return touchdown is how you get it done when you’re expected to win by 30 points. Starting the game with a total yard advantage of 179-4 is another way. Scoring 31 points before giving up a first down is another.

On to more notes out the Wazzu:

It was great to see Nic Grigsby wearing his jersey and leading the team out onto the field before the game. It’ll be better when he’s back creating fireworks during the game.

We did have our #2 ball-carrier available and Keola Antolin looked to be at full speed. The Flyin’ Hawaiian even put on an air show at the goal line.

We used the all-hair backfield! Nick Foles, Taimi Tutogi and Keola Antolin formed one shaggy I.

Then, to mix it up, Tutogi got some carries himself. Just in case you were wondering who our
fifth-string running back is.

Speaking of hair, Brooks Reed played, recorded a sack, and didn’t limp off the field. That’s the triple crown for our defense.

Earl Mitchell came oh-so-close to intercepting that pass in the flat. Watching him rumble down the sideline with the ball would’ve been just like old times, only with 50 more pounds.

Can we please have Matt Scott run just one old-school, two-hands-on-the-ball, end-over-end-backhand-pitch option play? Ronnie Veal and my Wildcat memories would appreciate it.

Happiness is clinching tacos in the first half.

Was Wilbur trying to show his age at halftime or was that his pimpin’ cane?

I was happy to see walk-on kickoff guy, John Bonano, get to kick an extra point. It was like David Bagga hitting a three. Maybe Bonano will write a book about it.

How is the SEC the best conference when their championship game match-up is decided with three weeks left? We’re here trying to figure out how to break a four-way tie and the SEC has already booked their ‘Bama/’Da championship game. Yawn.

Here are the updated Pac-10 standings projections. Remember, the following is based on the favorite winning every game.

I’m not comfortable being a road favorite but thus spake the gambling guys. And, Nose Hole aside, suddenly Arizona has to keep winning just to keep pace with OSU and Stanford.

If the above comes to pass and both Oregon and USC make BCS bowls, who does the Holiday Bowl pick between UA, OSU and Stanford? The Cardinal would be coming in having won four of five so I’ll go with them. That would leave the Cats for the Sun, OSU to the Emerald, Cal to Vegas and UCLA squeaking into the Poinsettia.

Last year I would have fallen all over myself to sign up for that. Not this year. It’s time to let it ride.

There’s something about the Arizona/Cal rivalry. The all-time series is tied at 13-13-2 and the loser of the game always seems to be the team with the most at stake. In 2006 the 4-5 Wildcats kept Cal from the conference championship. We all know what the 5-4 Bears did to us in 1993. So, yes, it’s not a good sign that we’re the team a half-game out of first.

I hope no one thinks this game became a gimme when Jahvid Best went down. His backup, Shane Vareen, has more touchdowns this year (8) than anyone on the UA roster. Their third-string guy averages seven yards a carry. The Bears will still have plenty of firepower.

On top of that it’s just not easy to win on the road. When you’re looking for the best conference road wins this year it’s a short list. The candidates are UA over OSU, USC over Cal, and OSU over Cal.

That’s it. And don’t get excited because Cal is on there twice. You know the last time the Bears lost two in a row at home? 2002, Jeff Tedford’s first year. That’s right, you have to go all the way back to the team that lost to the Mackovic Mutineers.

Let’s hope this game doesn’t make us long for boring.