Arizona-The Citadel game blog: So far, so good
by Anthony Gimino on Sep. 11, 2010, under Sports
Arizona linebackers Jake Fischer and Paul Vassallo celebrate a second-quarter sack against The Citadel/Photo by Chris Morrision-US PRESSWIRE
Final score: 52-6. Arizona did what it needed to do, never really giving The Citadel the chance to think it was in the game. That’s two games, two wins for Arizona, by a combined 93-5.
That’s what a team that hopes to be great should do against Toledo and then a lower-division team.
“I don’t think anybody is getting carried away here,” coach Mike Stoops said after the game. “We understand we’ve done what we’re supposed to do and we need to continue to improve is we want to compete across the board.
Nobody should be getting carried away. Things have looked good so far, but the level of competition goes way up next Saturday. Iowa, which was ranked No. 9 before beating Iowa State 35-7, is coming to town for what will be one of college football’s marquee matchups of the weekend.
“The insanity will be great,” Stoops said.
As for injuries, receiver Juron Criner suffered a shoulder injury early in the second quarter and did not return. Stoops indicated that Criner was “fine,” so holding him out might have been more of a precaution.
Safety Adam Hall, a key part of Arizona’s nickel package, also suffered a shoulder injury, which appears more serious, although there was no definitive word on his status for the Iowa game. Hall had his left shoulder in a sling in the second half.
(My story for FoxSportsArizona.com: First home game a success for athletic director Greg Byrne)
(Javier Morales has a list of Arizona vs. Top 10 teams in Tucson.)
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Attendance: 54,814. That’s a super turnout for a game against The Citadel.
Arizona leads 45-6 with 9:08 to play. I’ll be back with more updates after the game.
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Sophomore safety Adam Hall is our with a shoulder injury. Juron Criner never returned after leaving early in the second; no word on either in the press box, though. We’ll find out more after the game.
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Arizona leads 45-3 with 4:39 to go in the third quarter after Greg Nwoko’s 3-yard touchdown run. The margin should now satisfy any UA fan.
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The Arizona defense goes 98 minutes and 5 seconds of game time without giving a point this season, a streak that ends with Sam Keeler’s 39-yard field goal with 6:55 to go in the third quarter. Arizona leads 38-3.
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That didn’t take long. The Citadel botches a pitch, and UA linebacker falls on the loose ball at the Bulldogs 23. On the next play, third-string tailback Greg Nwoko races in for a touchdown, putting the Wildcats up 38-0 with 12:23 to go in the third quarter … and it should be time for a full dose of backups now.
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Three plays into the second half, and the Wildcats score again. Nic Grigsby takes a handoff to the right side, makes one quick cut inside … and he’s gone. It’s a 62-yard touchdown run for a 31-0 lead with 13:56 left in the third quarter.
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Nick Foles is 16 of 21 for 207 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, at halftime. His night might be done with the Wildcats up 24-0 over The Citadel. The Bulldogs didn’t cross midfield until late in the first half after they intercepted Foles at their 40 with 1:30 left. The Citadel got the UA 45 before being sacked on the last play of the half.
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Another quick score for the Wildcats, and the rout in on. After linebacker Paul Vassallo recovered a fumble at The Citadel 22, Nick Foles hits Bug Wright over the middle for a 21-yard gain, and then Nic Grigsby cleans up by running it in, untouched, from 1 yard out. Arizona leads 24-0 with 5:13 left, and it has done what it had to do — take any hope away from The Citadel.
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Alex Zendejas makes his first field goal attempt of the season — a 41-yarder. That puts the Cats up 17-0 with 5:53 to go in the second quarter. Juron Criner hasn’t been back since getting rattled early in the quarter.
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Arizona goes up 14-0 with 12:58 to go before halftime on a 4-yard pass from Nick Foles to Bug Wright. The Wildcats put together a 12-play, 84-yard drive that took 4:32 off the clock.
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Wide receiver Juron Criner looked a little shaken up and asked out of the game after throwing a block on David Douglas’ 13-yard reception with 14:31 to go in the second quarter.
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End of the first quarter. Juron Criner has two catches for 60 yards. Arizona on the march, facing second-and-3 at The Citadel 27-yard line. The Bulldogs have a couple of first downs with their triple-option offense, but the Wildcats have stayed disciplined and cornerback Robert Golden had great position on the ball, knocking down a pass, when The Citadel tried to take a shot down the sideline.
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The Wildcats score first. Starting at their 40 on their second possession, the Cats get a big play from the pass-catch combo of Nick Foles to Juron Criner (who else?).
Foles rifles a pass to Criner near the left sideline, and the receiver bounces off a tackle and weaves his way to The Citadel 3 for a 47-yard gain. One play later, Nic Grigsby goes off right tackle for the touchdown with 6:23 to go in the first quarter.
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Arizona’s offense does nothing with its first possession, with The Citadel sacking Nick Foles on third-and-8. One personnel note on defense: Redshirt freshman Justin Washington, who had a sack last week, started at defensive tackle in place of Sione Tuihalamaka.
Nice crowd for the game, with the student section nearly full about 45 minutes before the game.
Some pregame stuff: Foles knows all the answers in Arizona’s offense

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