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AG's Wildcat Report - Dispatches on the Wildcats, from Anthony Gimino

Arizona-Iowa: It’s prediction time

by on Sep. 17, 2010, under Sports

Will Mike Stoops be angry or happy at the end of Saturday night?/Rich Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

I have been going back and forth with the Arizona-Iowa game all week. So have the gamblers and oddsmakers.

The Hawkeyes started as 1-point favorite, then the line switched to the Wildcats as a tiny favorite. Basically, it’s a toss-up.

Iowa out-played Arizona last season in Iowa City, winning 27-17, but it wasn’t as if the Wildcats didn’t have their chances.

Maybe if they don’t let Adam Robinson run for 43 yards on third-and-23 … or maybe if they score a touchdown when they have first-and-goal from the 1 … or maybe if they convert a fake field goal …

Anyway, the talent gap last season wasn’t so great that UA can’t overcome it, especially with quarterback Nick Foles and receiver Juron Criner being pretty much fully developed players now, which wasn’t the case last season against Iowa.

Plus the Cats have some real advantages — some heat, a crazy home crowd, late-night game (starts at 9:30 p.m. on Iowa’s body clock). But what I keep coming back to is Iowa’s strengths on both lines. To me, that’s always the most important thing, especially with everything else being fairly equal.

The Wildcats still need to pass this particular test — beating a tough, physical non-conference opponent (see, Holiday Bowl, 2009). At this point, Iowa is a little more established, a little more trustworthy.

Still, I like what UA co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell said this week — and not just because he was channeling Dick Tomey with the “hair on fire” comment:

“We respect everybody, but we’re not going to fear anybody, either. We’re going to go out there and play with our hair on fire, and we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it.”

Should be a great game … but Iowa 28, Arizona 24.

More predictions: Brad Allis of WildcatSportsReport.com picks Arizona-Iowa and all the other Pac-10 games.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 17th, 2010 at 3:58 pm and is filed under Sports. Tags for this post: . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • fraser007

    Are you nuts!! Our only mistake was using Scott in that first game!
    Wildcats 31 Iowa 25.

    • thaihawk

      Nuts? Well, Gimino predicted a 4-point win by Iowa and you pick AZ by 6. Basically, who will score that last TD. If it’s close game, a home team would favor. But like the Gimino said, the strengths of the two lines of Iowa and the coaching staff will carry Iowa through. (Actually, the biggest worry right now is that DC Norm Parker is not making the trip. Game adjustment will take a hit. But…) Also, Iowa O is pretty solid. The key is to run the ball and win the time possession. And the veteran DL will for Foles to have a 2-3 turnovers. 27-21 Hawkeyes!

      • fraser007

        Good comment. We all go through the same thought process. Who is good here—who is good there. Then the crazy things happen, A dropped pass–a interception run back for a TD. Look at the U of A ASU game last year, One dropped punt.
        Should be a good game.
        How about Wildcats by 14. Crazy evening in Tucson.!!!!!!!!

  • AlleyCat

    Oh come on, pick the home team!  Everyone’s picking Iowa.  I was on ESPN yesterday reading predictions and it was making me sick.  I think the cats are gonna surprise a lot of people.  Also, watch the sidelines for Iowa players yawning in the 4th.  The game is going to end well after midnight in Hawkeye land.  AZ 35 Iowa 14, and Stanzi throws his first 2 interceptions of the year.

  • sethers

    I am thinking Arizona 24 – Iowa 21.

  • Mark B. Evans

    After seven years, it’s show me time for Mike Stoops. If we can’t win this game, then 10 years after Dick Tomey was forced to resign, we’re no better off, which was the stated purpose of forcing Tomey out – taking UA to the next level.

     

    Almost being good enough to beat ranked teams at home doesn’t get it done. Eight wins, with two of them cream puffs, is not enough.

     

    Dick Tomey was a perennial 8-4 coach, with the occasional 10-2, 12-1 season in him. It wasn’t enough. We wanted more.

     

    Ten years later, do we have a perennial 10-2 coach, with frequent 12-1 and 13-0 seasons in him? Or another 8-4 guy who’s good at finding big-school reject players and coaching them up to be third or fourth round draft picks just like Tomey was?

     

    Stoops, more than anyone, needs to win this game.


    Arizona 24, Iowa 21.

  • Vegasallen®

    test

  • Vegasallen®

    It gets hot in Iowa and humid to boot.
     9:30? Past the Hawkeyes bedtime? Nope.
    Also, 10,000 noisy fans at least partially offset the home field advantage.

    That said, I can”t find anyone who knows anything about handicapping going against Arizona.

    At the same time, I saw Nevada hang 52 on Cal tonight. Who saw that coming?

    But my feeling is that if the Cats are to finally have THE season, this is the coming out party.

    Arizona 46, Iowa 17

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