Arizona Wildcats kicker Alex Zendejas was iced — twice — and he didn’t think that was so nice.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly called two timeouts at the end of the first half as Zendejas lined up to kick a 29-yard field goal last Friday night at Autzen Stadium.

It’s certainly not an out-of-line strategy. It’s something coaches do on a weekly basis all across the country, playing a little mind game with the kicker, making him wait, making him think about it.

After the delay, Zendejas booted the ball through the uprights for a 19-14 lead, but then he turned and pointed at Kelly on the Oregon sideline as he was leaving the field — an unusually brash move, especially for a kicker.

“It was kind of disrespectful,” Zendejas said after Sunday night’s practice, talking about his gesture.

“I wouldn’t do it again, to be honest with you. … I don’t think he is going to hear this, but I apologize for doing that, Coach.”

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Arizona spent part of its bye week practices figuring out how to improve special teams.

There aren’t many options in the kicking positions — although the Wildcats will tweak that a bit (more on that below) — but the coaching staff has found reason to overhaul kick coverage.

The bottom line: To get better on special teams, you need better players.

“It’s been pretty much my fault, but we’ve been getting away with using some backup guys who are out there helping,” said special teams coach Jeff Hammerschmidt.

“But when you go down for the first kickoff against USC, and three guys miss tackles in space, you kind of go, ‘Wait a minute, we’re playing USC and we have to play with the same kind of guys.’ For us to do that, there are some starting guys who are going to have to step up and be on everything.”

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Arizona Wildcats kicker Alex Zendejas says he hears it all the time. From fans. Students. Strangers. “Shoot, even I could kick an extra point.”

“Every day,” Zendejas said after practice Tuesday. “But it’s not as easy as everyone thinks it is.”

It’s also probably not as hard as he’s been making it, and it’s become an issue because the junior hasn’t been making them.

While solid on his field goal accuracy — and forever able to claim a glorious game-winner at Arizona State last season — Zendejas has missed an extra point try in each of the past two games.

Zendejas has missed three PATs this season and six for his career since taking over as the starter at the beginning of last season.

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I caught up recently with Arizona assistant coach Jeff Hammerschmidt, who is in charge of the defensive ends and special teams. Not a bad gig this season.

At defensive end, he has senior starters Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore, each capable of double-digit sack totals. And there is also senior D’Aundre Reed, often overlooked, but coaches consider him to be a co-starter.

In fact, D’Aundre Reed, at 6-4 and 258 pounds, has the right combination of size and speed to move to a defensive tackle position when the Wildcats want to go “Cheetah.” That’s the name of their speedy pass-rush package that the coaches experimented with in the spring … and they continue to do so in fall camp.

(Arizona worked on this scheme in its two-minute drill Monday night, with D’Aundre Reed and fellow end Apai Tuihalamaka moving inside.)

“It’s just a matter of getting comfortable with it,” Hammerschmidt said.

On special teams, punt returner Bug Wright and kick returner Travis Cobb each had a return touchdown last season. Senior punter Keenyn Crier (42.9-yard career average) has one of the best legs in the Pac-10. Sophomore placekicker Alex Zendejas’ last kick in a game beat Arizona State on the final play.

John Bonano is back to handle the kickoffs, and Hammerschmidt said the team will be adding a walk-on who can also kickoff and provide some depth at punter.

A few questions for Hammerschmidt:

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Arizona coach Mike Stoops say down for his postgame press conference and let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, man,” he said. “A lot of difference three points will make in your life.”

Three points gives UA life. It gives the Wildcats seven wins, a guaranteed bowl spot, with a game at USC still to play.

Those three points, coming off a last-play 32-yard field goal from Alex Zendejas, gave Arizona a 20-17 victory, a couple of rivalry trophies and whole new chapter in Arizona-Arizona State.

The Wildcats, giving up two fourth-quarter touchdowns had squandered a 14-0 halftime lead in frustrating fashion, which was reminiscent of last week’s painful double-overtime loss to Oregon.

But the football gods gave Arizona a bounce — Kyle Williams’ muffed punt catch that took a hop into the hands of Mike Turner. Arizona took over at the ASU 22 with 1:03 left and set up the Zendejas field goal.

“We have been through so many games like this that have gone the other way that I felt like it was a little bit of redemption for us to get a break down the stretch and win one without playing our best,” said offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. “Our kids hung there, but, boy, it was a tough day.”

But three points made all the difference in the Wildcats’ life.

The rest of the game blog … (check back later for more postgame coverage):

* * *

Going down to field. Be back after game.

* * *

Arizona’s offense shows signs of life … but, as it has most of the season, has a hard time punching into the end zone once it gets close. UA takes a 30-yard field goal from Alex Zendejas with 7:50 left for a 17-10 lead. Gulp.

* * *

Uh… we’ve got a football game. Could ASU QB Danny Sullivan be the hero of this game? He connects on a 44-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams — with UA’s Cam Nelson unsuccessfully jumping in front of the pass — and now it’s 14-10 Arizona with 11:54 to go.

UA get a break when Williams is called for a personal foul after taking off his helmet in the end zone. That 15-yard penalty prevents ASU from trying for two to get within a field goal. Thomas Weber kicks a 35-yard extra point to get ASU within four.

It’s time for Arizona’s offense to do its part.

* * *

Arizona’s offense has stalled this thing into a close game. Shades of 1992?

* * *

Bad news is that Arizona’s lead was trimmed from 14-0 to 14-3. Good news is that the third quarter is in the books … and ASU is still down by two scores.

* * *

Big stop for Arizona. ASU misfires on a pass on third-and-4 from the UA 46. Trevor Hankins’ punt then goes into the end zone. Arizona needs a drive … and Matt Scott is in at QB.

* * *

Fourth-and-3 from the UA 9, down 14-0. I think I would go for that. But ASU coach Dennis Erickson has Thomas Weber kick a 26-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-3.

Good news for Arizona is that its bad field position all half only resulted in three points for ASU. Maybe now UA can reverse field position after the kickoff. ASU’s scoring drive covered only 7 yards after a 53-yard punt return by Kyle Williams.

In any case, this won’t be Arizona’s first shutout of ASU since 1974, when Jim Young’s team won 10-0 in Tucson.

* * *

Like in the first half, Arizona is losing the field position battle early in the second half. ASU punter Trevor Hankins might be the team MVP right now. UA is backed up to its 7 as it starts a drive with 8:59 to go in the third quarter.

(ASU has 100 yards on 34 plays … and 44 of those yards came on a reception on its first play.)

* * *

Arizona State, the second-most penalized team in the country, has six penalties less than a minute into the second half. The Sun Devils average just over nine per game.

* * *

ASU had three first downs and 79 yards in the first half. Arizona had eight first downs and 166 yards.

ASU was 0-for-7 on third down. Arizona was 1-for-7.

* * *

Arizona could have put ASU in a headlock late in the half, but couldn’t pad the lead after taking over at its 49 with 2:07 left. The Wildcats went for it on fourth-and-4 from the ASU 34 with 18 seconds left, but a deep pass goes incomplete. UA leads 14-0.

It’s been a tussle, but two big plays — a 67-yard run from Keola Antolin and a blocked punt for a TD — are the difference. UA’s defensive line is dominating; it’s hard to see that changing in the second half. If ASU can’t come up with some big plays of its own, there chances of a comeback aren’t good.

* * *

Special teams ace Orlando Vargas just made a play he’ll always remember. He comes from the left side to block a punt from Trevor Hankins. As the ball bounces to the right sideline, he scoops it up all alone and returns it 23 yards for a touchdown.

Cue up the highlight tapes. Vargas has secured a spot in UA lore.

Arizona leads 14-0 with 3:50 to go before half.

It hasn’t always been pretty to this point, but the Cats will be thrilled if they can make this two-touchdown lead hold up heading into the break.

* * *

Treading water. Matt Scott plays most of the last series, which ends at the ASU 47. Keenyn Crier then booms a punt into the end zone. There is 7:21 to go in the first half. Arizona doesn’t need to mess around with Scott at quarterback.

Meanwhile, senior Danny Sullivan is coming in at QB for ASU, replacing Samson Szakacsy, who doesn’t look ready for this stage. This is a QB change that makes sense.

* * *

Matt Scott in at quarterback as a running change-up. I’m generally not in favor of this, but he does run for 17 yards on his second play.

* * *

Always a kicking adventure with Alex Zendejas. Arizona has a red-zone failure when Zendejas has a 30-yard field goal attempt tipped at the line of scrimmage by a leaping James Brooks, and the ball tumbles into the crossbar, where — unlike Oregon’s kick last week — it bounces back. No good. Still 7-0 … but at least Arizona’s defense holds ASU to a three-and-out after the miss.

* * *

End of first quarter. UA leads 7-0. A 38-yard punt return by Bug Wright, during which he was insistent on cutting to the left sideline to get behind the wall of blockers, sets up the Wildcats to extend their lead. They are at the ASU 14, first-and-10, as the second quarter begins.

Keola Antolin’s touchdown run changed the whole mood of this game.

Nick Foles in the first quarter: 10 of 11 passing for 62 yards. (The one incompletion was a dropped pass.)

* * *

UA defensive lineman Donald Horton comes up with his second sack of the game. Both sacks have come with the UA only rushing its front four, which is a good sign. Let’s face it: ASU’s offensive line isn’t very good.

* * *

Keola Antolin’s injured shoulder can’t hurt if he doesn’t get tackled. On his second play of the game — and first carry — he takes a handoff up the middle and breaks through to find daylight. He then outraces the Sun Devils into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 3:54 to go in the first quarter.

Antolin attacks the line of scrimmage better than any other UA back, and that’s why his presence — even if it is limited in this game — is so important.

* * *

Bad trend: UA’s drives have started at its 17, 20 and, now, its 16-yard line.

* * *

Is it too early to abandon the running game? Arizona goes three-and-out on its second series, and Greg Nwoko up the middle just likely won’t be a good play today. UA gets another break, though, when it recovers a Nick Foles fumble after a sack. Can’t complain about the way the ball is bouncing so far.

* * *

A break for Arizona. ASU kicker Thomas Weber, who won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker in 2007, just hasn’t been the same this season since an early season groin injury. He misses a 36-yard attempt wide left (after a 5-yard false start penalty) with 9:29 to go in the first quarter. The game remains scoreless.

* * *

Interesting calls on two third-and-1 situations on UA’s first drive. UA goes in a four-receiver set in the first situation and completes a 4-yard slant to Bug Wright. In the second case, UA needed about a half yard and went with a “heavy” personnel grouping. Arizona threw out of that set, too, but Terrell Turner dropped the pass from Nick Foles.

Does UA not trust its running game?

Greg Nwoko got the start at running back.

* * *

Running back Keola Antolin is in uniform and went through pregame drills. Running back Nic Grigsby, as expected, is not dressed out, although he did lead the team onto the field before the game.

* * *

TEMPE — OK, we’re here at Sun Devil Stadium for the Arizona-Arizona State rivalry — I guess you could call it the Territorial Cup, which is better than “Duel in the Desert, but does the game really need a name? — and there is modest buzz for a matchup that is expected to draw about 55,000.

Kudos to ABC/ESPN announcer Bob Davie, a former UA assistant, who is here to see his son, Clay, who is a senior long snapper for the Devils. Stopped at the media check-in table, he realized he forget his wallet in the car and had no ID, required for admission. The security personnel didn’t know who he was and wasn’t going to let him in until somebody from ABC came to vouch for him.

I offered to do so, but that didn’t carry much weight.

Anyway, Davie didn’t throw a fit or demand, “Do you know who I am?” He was polite and waited patiently for somebody who could clear him into the Sun Devil Stadium. Good for him.

As for the game …

Three things to watch:

1. Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade. I’m sensing an interception return for a touchdown. ASU sophomore quarterback Samson Szakacsy, who wasn’t available until recently because of an elbow injury, will be making his second career start. Wade is aggressive. Szakacsy’s arm strength is suspect. You do that math.

2. Arizona’s running game. ASU’s defense is stout enough to give Arizona’s problems up front. How much will RB Keola Antolin play, if at all? He’s doubtful. Can Greg Nwoko do enough to make the Sun Devils respect the run? Will Nick Foles have to throw 50 times … and if he does, is that a bad thing?

3. The first quarter. I don’t expect an Arizona hangover from last week’s tough loss to Oregon; this team has bounced back before and has every reason to do so again. But if it’s close and stays close, ASU will grow in confidence. The Sun Devils’ offense isn’t built to mount a comeback. Arizona needs to get up early, not make mistakes and get the heck out of here with a win. Prediction: Arizona 24, ASU 17.

We will have in-game updates, analysis and other assorted tidbits for Arizona’s game against Stanford. Feel free to ask questions and express your elation — or outrage — in the comments section. Keep checking back often.

Back from postgame interviews. You saw the ending — the Nic Grigsby TD run. The fourth down stop in the final seconds. I’ll have postgame reaction later … like right here.

* * *

Arizona holds on fourth down. Still alive. I have to go down to the field… be back after the game.

* * *

Stunned silence at Arizona Stadiium. Greg Nwoko mishandles a handoff, fumbles and Stanford recovers at the UA 27. Won’t be too bad if the defense can hold the Cardinal to a field goal.

* * *

Yep, my previous post was a jinx. Stanford has to punt for the first time. UA takes over at its 24.

* * *

From the press box, you could kind of see this coming. Arizona had third-and-1 at the Stanford 43, with the field spread with receivers and Stanford had absolutely nobody behind its line. Sure enough, the offensive line opened a hole for RB Greg Nwoko, and there was no one there to bring him down. He goes untouched into the end zone, and Arizona trails 38-36 with 10:06 to play.

Just something to consider: Stanford has yet to punt.

Maybe that will be a jinx.

* * *

Still a long way to go. Arizona holds Stanford, such as it is, to a 36-yard field goal attempt, which is wide left. The score stays 38-29 early in the fourth quarter. Anybody believing in a comeback?

* * *

Another Stanford possession, another big Stanford pass play. This time, on a nice play-action fake, Andrew Luck hits Chris Owusu for a long pass and a 47-yard gain to the UA 2. The Cardinal has no goal-line issues because it can just give the ball to Toby Gerhart, and he does score on a 2-yard run. So, it’s now 38-29 with 3:23 to go in the third quarter … and those missed points after touchdowns are looming large for the Cats.

Stanford has five pass plays of at least 30 yards.

* * *

Coach Mike Stoops picked a good time to turn into a gambler. Facing fourth-and-goal, staring at another potential goal-line failure (like last week), Nick Foles hit a slanting David Douglas for a 1-yard score. Within two points at 31-29 with 6:27 to go in the third quarter, Stoops “gambled” again, going for two. At this point of the game, I think that’s a reasonable decision … but it didn’t work out as a pass was incomplete.

* * *

Answering my own question as to what the defense has … Stanford begins its second half on offense with a 40-yard catch-and-run by Ryan Whalen. He makes the catch after the best pump fake you’ll ever see. Cornerback Devin Ross bit on the quick out, and then Whalen went up the field to make the catch and be off to the races.

Stanford ends up with a field goal from 33 yards to make it 31-23 with 9:55 to play. So, we’re back where we started at halftime.

* * *

Well, it’s something. Arizona, nicely running a no-huddle offense after halftime, was nearly unstoppable … until it hit the red zone, of course. UA had first-and-goal from the 8, but a pass was batted down, UA was called for a false start penalty, Nick Foles completed a 6-yard pass and then a third-down throw was incomplete.

UA settled for a 24-yard field goal to get within 28-23 with 12:43 to go in the third quarter. Now, what does the defense have …

* * *

Nick Foles at halftime: 19 of 24 for 212 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

* * *

Replay works! A called Stanford interception off a tipped pass is overturned on a replay review — the ball was ruled to have hit the ground — and Arizona keeps possession at the Cardinal 16 with 29 seconds to go before halftime. How big was it?

Arizona manages to punch the ball into the end on an 11-yard pass from Nick Foles to Terrell Turner to make it 28-20 with 18 seconds to go before halftime. The Cats get the ball to start the second half, so I now have regained some faith in UA’s ability to win this game, although defensive coordinator Mark Stoops has to come up with a new plan to stop Stanford at halftime.

The Cardinal has 313 yards at halftime. Arizona came into the game, allowing an average of 281 per game.

* * *

It’s too early for this, but I have lost all faith in UA’s ability to win this game. Stanford, through great protection for QB Andrew Luck, and receivers running without coverage in the secondary, is destroying Arizona’s defense. An 80-yard drive, fueled by a 45-yard pass to tight end Konrad Reuland (yes, he was wide open), gives Stanford a 28-13 lead late in the first half.

To update: Stanford has completions of 30, 16, 23, 30, 22, 45 and 19 yards. The 19-yarder was the touchdown pass on the last drive to Chris Owusu.

* * *

Starting MLB Vuna Tuihalamaka is injured with 5:44 to play, and he limps off the field. R.J. Young comes in as his replacement.

* * *

Andrew Luck is picking apart the UA defense. So far, Stanford has completions of 30, 16, 23, 30 and 22 yards. The last completion was an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Whalen, who, apparently, UA forgot to cover. He was wide open in the end zone.

The Cardinal is up 21-13 … and that is even with two turnovers, one returned for a TD. Unless UA defensive coordinator Mark Stoops makes some adjustments, this is going to turn into a long game for the Cats. Stanford has 234 yards already, and there is 9:16 to go in the second quarter.

* * *

Impressive drive for Stanford — eight plays, 82 yards. The Cardinal mixes two long pass plays — 23 and 30 yards — with the running of Toby Gerhart to take a 14-13 lead with 48 seconds left in the opening quarter. Gerhart has the key play: a 12-yard run on third-and-8 from the 14. He appeared to be headed out of bounds on the play, but UA couldn’t force him out and he tip-toed down the sideline to the 2.

Here’s a concern: Stanford, known as a blue-collar physical team that can wear down defenses, had possession in the first quarter for 10 minutes, 28 seconds.

This is also the first time UA has trailed at the end of the first quarter this season.

* * *

Mostly good news. Nick Foles does nothing but continue to impress, rolling right and throwing off his back foot deep down the middle to David Douglas. He had plenty of zip on it, and Douglas came down with the pass amid two Stanford defenders, who knocked each other out of the play. Douglas was free to run into the end zone for a 13-7 lead with 4:40 to go in the opening quarter.

Now the bad news. Alex Zendejas, who already lost his kickoff job in this game, had the extra point blocked.

* * *

Less than 10 minutes gone, and there is a third turnover in the game. Stanford has third-and-1 from its 49, but QB Andrew Luck fumbles the snap, and UA LB Sterling Lewis recovers.

* * *

Uh-oh. Another controversial call from the officials. Juron Criner, after catching a short pass from Nick Foles at about the Stanford 25, was fighting for extra yardage, surrounded by at least four Stanford players. Maybe five. It is at this point that the play is often whistled dead by officials, but the play continued and the ball popped loose. Stanford recovered.

Replays showed the ball came free before Criner was down, but why wasn’t the play called dead? Coach Mike Stoops was well out on the field to talk the officials … but this is just another one that goes against the Cats.

* * *

Stanford quickly ties the game after UA’s pick-6. Stanford redshirt freshman Andrew Luck, who is among the most promising of the young quarterbacks in the league, finds a wide-open TE Jim Dray over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown. That makes it 7-7 with 10:26 to go in the first quarter.

* * *

There’s been a change with the kickoff man. Alex Zendejas, who struggled with that role last week at Washington, was poor on his first attempt today, getting the ball to the 15. So, John Bonano handled the second kickoff, and reached the goal line with his kick … although Chris Osuwu returned it past midfield.

* * *

Arizona jumps on top — note the importance of that in the pregame notes below — with a 79-yard interception return by safety Robert Golden. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, in perhaps a miscommunication with a receiver, threw the ball right to Golden, who had a pretty clear path to the end zone … except for the part where he had to jump over Luck, attempting to make a low tackle.

Arizona leads 7-0 with 12:31 to play.

* * *

Defensive end Brooks Reed is not in the starting lineup. He has missed the past two games due to an ankle injury. Good news for the line is that Earl Mitchell, who missed the Washington game after being hit in the head by a door a day earlier, was back in the lineup.

PREGAME

Some things to watch in the UA-Stanford game:

1. The red zone: Arizona is one of the best teams in the country between the 20s. The problem is once UA gets close to the goal line, whether its on offense or defense.

The offense has gotten a lot of attention for its lack of production. The Cats have scored 13 touchdowns in 24 attempts in the rond zone, a 54 percent rate. What hasn’t gotten as much attention is that the defense has yet to stop anybody in the red zone, as the opponents have scored on all 13 of their red zone chances, including 11 touchdowns.

2. Get a lead. Even UA coach Mike Stoops said it: The Stanford offense is not equipped to play from behind. The Cardinal wants to pound defenses with the run and turn the game into a physical grind. If the Cardinal is behind by a significant amount, Stanford might have to abandon that plan and put more of the offense on redshirt freshman Andrew Luck.

3. UA’s defensive line needs to come up big. Stoops made an interesting point this week, saying one of the reasons Stanford tailback Tobt Gerhart is so successful is that the Cardinal, through its physical play up front and through its scheme, do a great job of preventing penetration. That allows Gerhart to build a full head of steam … and once he does that, he’s very tough to bring down.