Seth Littrell watches over the UA offense last spring. Photo by Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic

Arizona and Indiana basically completed a trade of offensive coordinators on Tuesday.

Indiana hired former UA offensive coordinator Seth Littrell for the same position, helping replace Rod Smith, who spent one year with the Hoosiers before leaving last month to rejoin new Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez.

Smith was Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last season. He played for Rodriguez at Glenville State and coached for him at West Virginia and Michigan.

(more…)

Utah's Star Lotulelei takes up a lot of space in the middle. Photo by Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

Mash together Arizona’s offense (at least in the passing game) and Utah’s defense (at least against the run), and you’d have a pretty good college football team.

It will be a battle of opposites Saturday at Arizona Stadium, with Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles taking aim at, statistically, the best defense in the Pac-12.

The Utes are allowing only 325.6 yards per game and rank 11th nationally against the run, yielding a mere 91.0 yards per game.

“They’re good. I would say one of the top two defenses we have played all year,” said UA offensive coordinator Seth Littrell.

“They’re extremely physical up front. In the secondary, they are going to try to man you up, beat your receivers up. They are, at times, going to play press coverage and say, ‘Come and get us. If you can make the play, go make the play.’ …

“It’s not going to be one of those easy-type football games where you run up and down the field, I’ll tell you that.”

(more…)

Seth Littrell watches over the offense during a spring practice.
Photo by Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic

From coaches, from quarterbacks, from running backs and receivers, there was one often-repeated word through spring practice.

Simplify.

Arizona tried to be too many things on offense last season. Using two coordinators, the Wildcats tried to marry a four-wide spread passing game with a “heavy” power running game featuring fullbacks, tight ends and H-backs.

Didn’t work.

“I think last year, we did a little bit too much,” said Seth Littrell, who is the lone coordinator after the departure of Bill Bedenbaugh to West Virginia.

(more…)

Garrett Chachere at Wednesday's practice.
Photo by Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Wildcats football team, without any fanfare or announcement, tweaked its offensive coaching staff this spring.

The shuffle moves inside receivers coach Garret Chachere to running backs, puts outside receivers coach Dave Nichol in charge of the inside receivers as well, and frees up coordinator Seth Littrell to focus on play-calling and take a bigger-picture look at the entire offense.

Littrell last season was the running backs coach and shared the coordinator duties with now-departed offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.

“Everybody got a chance to do something they kind of wanted to do,” Chachere said after Wednesday night’s practice.

“It just fit perfectly. It is like anything else, any job you’re in. If you get a new challenge, it kind of gets your batteries charged again. I really have been loving every minute of it.”

(more…)

Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach might resurface at Maryland. Photo by Bruce Thorson-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats football fans should keep an eye on a head coaching situation taking place about 2,300 miles away.

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, 63, has reportedly agreed to a contract buyout, with former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach emerging as a leading candidate.

Leach has ties to three Arizona offensive coaches — offensive line coach and co-coordinator Bill Bedenbaugh, running backs coach and co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell and outside receivers coach Dave Nichol.

(more…)

QB Matt Scott tries to scramble for a first down against Toledo, but the play was called back because of holding in the end zone/Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

The big question from the Toledo game: Why did the coaches put in backup quarterback Matt Scott early in the second quarter when the Wildcats were backed up at their 4-yard line, leading only 7-0?

“That was kind of unfair,” coach Mike Stoops said. “I wasn’t really pleased with that decision.”

Which is an odd thing for a head coach to say — doesn’t he make all the decisions? — so I asked him if he had the chance to overrule that personnel decision.

Sounds like that one zipped right past the chain of command.

Chalk up to the coaching staff, with new co-offensive coordinators Seth Littrell and Bill Bedenbaugh still working through communication issues during the game.

“That is just stuff we have to work through, and we will,” Stoops said. “That was a mistake. Like I said, we had talked about putting Matt in early in the second quarter, but that wasn’t the ideal situation. …

“That is just something that has to be communicated better. That was my fault.”

(more…)

Nick Foles throws in spring ball under the watchful eyes of quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo (left).
Photo by WildcatSportsReport.com

With the spring game looming on Saturday, Arizona coach Mike Stoops is ready to declare the strength of the team.

“I have been pleased with the progression of all three quarterbacks,” Stoops said after Wednesday morning’s practice. “I think there is a difference in every one of them when you look at them.”

It’s probably no coincidence that for the first time, Stoops has a quarterbacks coach who does not double as offensive coordinator, as Mike Canales and Sonny Dykes did.

Frank Scelfo, who tutored four NFL quarterbacks while at Tulane, can focus solely on improving the mechanics and the minds of Nick Foles, Matt Scott and Bryson Beirne.

“I think it’s a different aspect that we haven’t had for the quarterback position,” Stoops said of having Scelfo as a dedicated position coach. “You can have all the ability, but you still have to have the proper mechanics to throw the football accurately. Frank’s expertise in that area has definitely helped.”

**Here is more from Stoops about the quarterbacks:

“Nick really went to a different level this spring, along with Matt. I think both of them are much more polished players, just seeing things quicker, reacting quicker, getting the ball out of their hands, throwing the ball down the field better — every aspect of their game. Their intelligence. I just think they are much more confident players.”

**Beirne, a redshirt junior, has always been a good soldier, despite having only the slimmest prospects of playing time. In scrimmage situations, he has shown a good arm and good decision-making. It certainly wouldn’t be a disaster if he was forced into action by injuries.

“I think Bryson has made some positive steps as well in his limited reps,” Stoops said. “So we feel good. The quarterback position is probably the strongest position on the field.”

**It helps the quarterbacks that the receiver position is the “next position I feel really good about,” Stoops said.

Senior Delashaun Dean and junior Juron Criner are 6-4 outside receivers who combined for 87 catches for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns — nine by Criner — last season. They are givens. Stoops on Wednesday also singled out junior Bug Wright, who was limited by injuries last season, and redshirt freshman Richard Morrison, converting from quarterback.

“Richard Morrison is coming on. That has been a really positive move,” Stoops said.

He added: “Our skill is probably as good as it has ever been.”

**The big question on offense heading into the spring was identifying the play-caller after Stoops promoted Bill Bedenbaugh and Seth Littrell to co-coordinators. It was assumed that Littrell, by virtue of his game-day position in the coaches box, would be the one actually calling down the plays to the sideline, and it appears that will be the case.

“He and Bill set up the daily game plan, and then Seth calls it,” Stoops said. “Still, I’m not really worried about scoring points, really. I think we should be able to do that pretty consistently. I think we’re much better offensively than a year ago.”

**There isn’t a quarterback controversy, but Scott’s throwing appears to be improved, and perhaps the coaches won’t be afraid to let him wing it when he comes into the game as a running change-up to Foles.

“I think I have improved a lot,” Scott said.

“Since Coach Scelfo has been here, I have learned a lot and progressed a lot through him. I just feel like I am improving every day. I’m really confident.”

Earlier this spring, Scelfo said Scott’s throwing motion had gotten “too long,” and he had lost velocity and accuracy because of it. He also discussed how he was working on Foles’ footwork.

“Every time I don’t throw it how he wants it, he is going to let me know,” Scott said of Scelfo.

“He is going to tell me how it is. That is what I like about him. He’s a straight-up guy with you. He is going to give it to you straight. And I feel that is what I need.”

Bill Bedenbaugh

The identity of Arizona’s play-caller for offense is still a mystery. Which is not the same thing as it being a concern.

Coach Mike Stoops has two new co-coordinators — offensive line Bill Bedenbaugh and running backs/tight ends coach Seth Littrell. He also has a new quarterbacks coach in Frank Scelfo, who called plays last season for Louisiana Tech and has done so at other places, including Tulane.

Stoops’ message: It will all work itself out as Arizona goes through spring ball, which was set to begin Friday afternoon.

“We haven’t really worked through all that yet,” Stoops said. “It’s just about getting comfortable with who we are as a staff. A lot of will be determined as we move through the spring. That’s a process that will be ongoing.”

Stoops admits that the lack of a play-caller at this stage is “probably a little bit unorthodox.”

But Bedenbaugh is entering his fourth season at Arizona, Littrell is second season, and they coached together at Texas Tech. So, they each have a high level of comfort in this offensive scheme.

And the players have a high level of comfort with them, Stoops said.

“I think our players are as confident as they have ever been in our staff, that is for sure,” Stoops said.

“I think they have a great feeling of continuity. I think that is the biggest thing. There is not a lack of trust there. The big thing is to have chemistry among our staff and players. I think we have that. If we didn’t have that, then that would be alarming.”

Seth Littrell

Stoops met with the media Friday morning, and then his co-offensive coordinators and co-defensive coordinators (linebackers coach Tim Kish and new secondary coach Greg Brown) did the same.

As a practical matter on game days, Bedenbaugh said he will be on the field while Littrell will be in the press box.

“We have been in this offense; we know what we want to do,” Bedenbaugh said. “We think alike. We want to run the same things. Everything will be good.

Two other members of the offensive staff return — outside receivers coach David Nichol and inside receivers coach Garret Chachere — easing the transition.

“We have great position coaches,” Littrell said. “We are not going to have to be looking over anyone’s shoulder.”

Bedenbaugh said the playbook has been tweaked to reflect the team’s strengths and weaknesses. The team’s biggest strength at this point, Stoops said, is the experience on offense, where 10 starters return, including quarterback Nick Foles.

“I think it will be a much more confident group,” Stoops said. “I think they know they can move the football.”

One thing to work in the spring is to continue to explore the options with backup quarterback Matt Scott, including specific packages for his running skills.

“I think you have to,” Stoops said. “He’s one of our most talented players. I think you have to keep him involved. …

“He’s going to have a lot of opportunities. It will be his chance to show us what he can do and see if he’s matured through the course of the year.”

Now, all Arizona has to figure out is who calls the plays. The game plan typically is done by Tuesday of game week. On game day, it laregly will be a collaborative effort — as it was with Sonny Dykes as the coordinator the past three seasons — but somebody has to pull the trigger when things get crazy during games.

In spring and fall scrimmages, the coaching staff will have to work on communication and timing, as well as the play-calling.

“These guys are all in it together,” Stoops said.

NOTES

Stoops said three players are out for the spring — starting OG Vaughn Dotsy (back surgery last week), projected starting DT Dominique Austin (toe) and third-string RB Greg Nwoko (shoulder).