Rich Rodriguez talks to the media at the Arizona Wildcats football finale last year. Photo by Chris Morrison-USPressWire

The official start of the 2012 University of Arizona Wildcats football season is Saturday, and fans have been waiting for the start of the season since Rich Rod named head coach last November.

Yes, we’ve all received the PR & marketing about the future of this team, and yes, the anticipation for the season is a little overrated.  Rich Rod’s tenure, yes, potential there to get excited (I say wait & see).

There are five reasons why fans should be cautious for the 2012 season.

1. Rich Rod has had a dismal record in the first season in all his previous head coaching positions. Fact of the matter is most coaches do.
2. With the hiring of Rich Rod done toward the end of last season, he got a chance to recruit some of the players for the incoming class.  The downside is he naturally got a late start, so he couldn’t get the types of players he be looking for.  Mike Stoops recruited some of the freshmen when he was head coach.
3. The defense is expected to be anything but Desert Swarm.  Even Rich Rod has said so.
4. The biggest thing the football team has going for them is 5th-year senior quarterback, Matt Scott, fits very well in the spread offense.  What if one of those wacky things in sports known as “it doesn’t happen for whatever season” occurs (ie chemistry, injuries, etc)?
5. Pac-12 competition in Washington (at home – 10/20) & USC (at home – 10/27), both with Heisman Trophy potential QBs in Matt Barkley and Keith Price respectively.

Interim University of Arizona president Eugene Sander and Arizona Athletic Director, Greg Byrne with new Arizona Head Football Coach, Rich Rodriguez.

The University of Arizona hired Rich Rodriguez as there new head football coach, and came with fanfare from Arizona athletic director, Greg Byrne, and critics.

Arizona fans have heard this before with John Mackovic, and Mike Stoops.  Both were fired with no Rose Bowl.

Byrne is an energetic, passionate athletic director.  In his second year on the job, and he has shown a big commitment to the football program.

The new scoreboard on the south endzone, and the expansion of the north endzone are prime examples.  After firing 7-year coach, Mike Stoops, the hiring of a new football coach is the next big step.

Byrne quoted former Florida head coach, Urban Meyer, during recent conversation the two had, “If you hire Rich You are getting one of the 5 greatest minds in college football.  That would be an incredible hire for the University of Arizona.”

Rodriguez did very well in West Virginia with a 60-26 record.  He was fired from Michigan after the school went on probation for requiring players to workout and practice more then the NCAA allowed, and had graduate assistants as coaching, resulting in more coaches then NCAA allows.  He left with a 15-22 record.

Arizona has a virtually a clean program, but Byrne has little trouble convincing fans he did a through check on Rodriguez.

“We spoke to many people throughout the country, including the NCAA, multiple conference offices, athletic directors and senior officials across the country,” Byrne said in an afternoon press conference at McKale Center before the local media and fans. “We talked to football coaches on the professional level, on the college level and on the high school level.  And yes, even a few media members, get a little background from them.”

“I think of a couple of things.  Who’s the most hungry guy out there? And the other thing, who do the other coaches not want to show up in Tucson, AZ. In my opinion, it’s Rich Rodriguez,” said Byrne, quoting Arizona Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Sean Miller, in a conversation last week.

Rodriguez is excited to be here, and is ready to embrace the community.

“I am usually a pretty open person when it comes to getting to know myself, my staff our family and the program,” Rodriguez said in the afternoon press conference.  “I want you all to be around.  I want you to ask questions.  I want you to get to know the staff.  Get to know our players.  Get to know me.”

He also wants the fans to enjoy the fast-paced style of play he has been known to deliver.

“All that I will promise you is we will not be boring.  We will have fun watching, and we will play as hard as any team you have seen in the country,” Rodriguez said.

So far, he is a good choice, but Arizona fans have heard this before with John Mackovic and Mike Stoops.  The potential is there, but will the good deliver?

Last year, Criner had a stellar stat line; 82 catches for 1,233 yards, 11 touchdowns, averaging 15 yards a catch for 94.8 yards per game.  He also entered the season as a Maxwell and Biletnikoff Award candidate, an award given to the best college football player.

There was a gray cloud over the sky regarding if he would play this season as he spent the summer taking care of family and personal issues.  He put on a solid performance in the first game of the season against Northern Arizona (151 yards, 1 touchdown), but did not play the next game against Oklahoma St. from recovering from an appendectomy.

Then, things fell off like a cliff the next four games.  He combined for 20 catches for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns, all resulting in losses for the Cats’.  He was down.  Per press reports, he would not say a word to the media, and his body language showed he was not happy with the way things were going.

Was his personal & family issues still lingering?
Was his injury still lingering?
Was he simply going through a slump?
Was it former head coach Mike Stoops?

Looks like it was Stoops.  The whole team was down after the first 6 games, including a devastating loss to the projected last team in the Pac-12, Oregon St.  Excluding the NAU victory, Arizona had not won a football game since October 30 last year, 10 straight losses.  Special teams could not make a field goal to save their life, and the defense just let the opposing offense looks like they were playing against a Pop Warner team (ranked last in defense in the Pac-12).

Arizona Athletic Director, Greg Byrne, released Stoops as head football coach, and named defensive coordinator, Tim Kish, as interim coach.  There was a feeling it was Stoops, and his relentless attitude that did not make the game fun for these college kids.  They did not feel motivated, and some of his antics Stoops was known to do on the sidelines actually hurt, not help, the team.

Criner broke out for 10 catches, 101 yards for 3 touchdowns, the type of numbers he was expected to produce every game this season, leading Arizona to a 48-12 win over a struggling UCLA team.

With the new enlightened atmosphere in the Arizona Wildcat football program under interim coach Kish, so far, appears Criner got what he needed to get a breakout.  Kish did what he needed to do with Xs and Os to have the star become a star for a game.  He also did what he had to do in the locker room to regroup, and get a “fresh start” to the season.