Arizona Desert Swarm - Oregon State vs. Arizona: Wildcats look to turn things around against BeaversYour No. 1 free source for all things Arizona Wildcatshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46873/ds-fave.png2015-10-11T16:00:02-07:00http://www.azdesertswarm.com/rss/stream/92198042015-10-11T16:00:02-07:002015-10-11T16:00:02-07:00Paul Magloire thriving in new role as a linebacker
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<p>Paul Magloire made the move to linebacker vs. Oregon State, and it clearly paid off</p> <p>With Derrick Turituri and <span>Haden Gregory</span> out, while throwing guys like <span>Tre Tyler</span>, <span>Brandon Rutt</span>, and <span>R.J. Morgan</span> into the fire, it was time for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azdesertswarm.com/">Arizona Wildcats</a> to just put the best players on the field, regardless of the position. After scrambling for linebacker depth, Jeff Casteel might have struck gold, moving Paul Magloire from safety to linebacker.</p>
<p>"A couple reasons. We wanted to get athletic at linebacker and then a couple of the schemes they were doing with an athletic quarterback, some jet sweeps and some perimeter stuff, we wanted to get some athleticism out there," Rich Rodriguez said about the switch from safety to linebacker for Magloire. "For one week of playing that one position, I thought he did pretty well."</p>
<p>The 6-1, 210 lb. junior college product out of Arizona Western came into spring and fall camp as a strong safety, capable of playing both the bandit and spur positions. He was a situational guy for the Arizona defense and was used sparingly, recording a total of 8 tackles in the previous five games.</p>
<p>"I was excited all week. it was tough for me to keep it in and not tweet about it," Paul Magloire said about playing linebacker at practice this week. "It was exciting, coach put faith in me and coached me up all week."</p>
<p>"But it's really, in all actuality, the same as playing the spur, just on the other side. It's just a little more tough, it had similarities but it wasn't too bad," Magloire continued. "My coaches did a great job. Coach Rod even thinking of moving me there and Coach Casteel coaching me up and Coach Caponi so everything was just fluid."</p>
<p>On Saturday, Magloire was the focal point of the Arizona defense, leading the team in tackles, making the switch seamlessly. He ended the day with nine tackles, two of which were for a loss.</p>
<p>His skill set is unique, showing off a blend of <span>Jared Tevis</span>, <span>Tra'Mayne Bondurant</span> and current Cincinnati Bengal linebacker Marquis Flowers. He's got the speed to go along with his instincts, and he can deliver the big hit. Magloire was someone I was high on heading into this season, and now I think we can expect him to continue excelling in his new role as a linebacker.</p>
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/football/2015/10/11/9494465/arizona-football-paul-magloire-solidifies-linebacker-corps-vs-oregon-state-beavers-wildcatsGabe Encinas2015-10-11T10:00:02-07:002015-10-11T10:00:02-07:00Grading Arizona's performance against Oregon State
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<p>The Wildcats passed their midterm</p> <p>The past couple of weeks, our grade checks have not been so kind to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azdesertswarm.com/">Arizona Wildcats</a>.</p>
<p>But Arizona turned it around, and certainly passed their midterm with flying colors against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buildingthedam.com/">Oregon State Beavers</a>.</p>
<p>Here's how I see the positions grading out:</p>
<h4>Quarterback: A-</h4>
<p>Can we all agree that <span>Anu Solomon</span> is the most important player when it comes to this team's success? We can? Good.</p>
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<p>His numbers may not have been dazzling (17-30, 276 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs), but there's no denying now just how valuable he is for the overall competence and effectiveness of the offense. This is a totally different team when he's on the field. And that's not a knock on Jerrard Randall. Solomon just has that great of command of the offensive scheme.</p>
<h4>Running backs: A++</h4>
<p>A+ just isn't enough to describe the running backs on Saturday, so two pluses it is! <span>Jared Baker</span> led the way with 123 yards, but didn't even get one of the FIVE rushing TDs by the Wildcats. Nick Wilson finished THIRD in rushing yards on the day. Orlando Bradford had his breakout moment, scoring three times, getting 19 carries, and picking up 83 yards along the way.</p>
<p>We also got a <span>Tyrell Johnson</span> sweep for eight yards, and five <span>Jonathan Haden</span> carries at the end of the game. <span>Zach Green</span> didn't get in the game because he was injured on kick coverage early in the game. But still, 368 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Doesn't get much better than that during conference play.</p>
<h4>Wide receivers: B-</h4>
<p>Part of the reason that Anu's numbers weren't very lofty was because the WRs did him no favors on the day. There were several dropped balls, and then when <span>Cayleb Jones</span> is doing things like this, your grade automatically goes down a notch:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let's check in on the latest Arizona play, "going backwards". <a href="http://t.co/cLu5FZ8ccw">pic.twitter.com/cLu5FZ8ccw</a></p>
— Avinash Kunnath (@avinashkunnath) <a href="https://twitter.com/avinashkunnath/status/652948182930878464">October 10, 2015</a>
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<h4>Offensive line: A</h4>
<p>One sack given up, and 368 rushing yards signals to me that the job was done up front. There was some shuffling, with <span>Freddie Tagaloa</span> playing guard, and <span>Layth Friekh</span> playing tackle, and it seems to have worked, so I would imagine that's what it'll be moving forward.</p>
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<h4>Defensive line: B+</h4>
<p>It's always tough for me to judge the defensive line's effectiveness, because when they are most effective, linebackers and safeties get the actual stats that reflect that. The only sack came from <span>Jake Matthews</span>, but the only interception came from the line when Anthony Fotu got the <a href="http://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9494437/watch-anthony-fotu-tip-a-pass-and-gets-his-first-career-int" target="_blank">tip and almost-touchdown</a>.</p>
<p>It is very surprising to not even see <span>Reggie Gilbert</span> on the statsheet, and only three linemen with tackles (<span>Calvin Allen</span>, <span>Luca Bruno</span> and <span>Parker Zellers</span>). I mean, Shun Brown had two tackles on special teams on Saturday, which was just as many as any lineman had. I don't know what to make of it, but whatever they did must have worked, because Oregon State only scored seven points.</p>
<h4>Linebackers: A</h4>
<p>With all that said, the linebackers dominated. I'm a huge fan of the Triple M crew that Jeff Casteel ran out there to start the game with <span>Jake Matthews</span>, <span>DeAndre' Miller</span> and Paul Magloire. Magloire instantly made an impact, racking up nine tackles, two of them for loss. No one else on the team had more than five tackles. Maybe that's what this team has been missing. A guy who can rove like Magloire and get across the field quickly. It was almost like a reincarnation of Tra'Mayne Bondurant's role last year. Hope we see more of it.</p>
<p>A guy who goes over looked is DeAndre' MIller. He essentially missed all of last year with a shoulder injury, and has missed time this year with a wrist/hand issue. He needs to be out there as many snaps as possible. Same with Jake Matthews. We can't have them rotating back and forth anymore. Get them out there at the same time, especially with <span>Derrick Turituri</span> out, and of course, <span>Scooby Wright III</span> out as well.</p>
<h4>Secondary: A</h4>
<p>Oregon State quarterbacks were 12-35 for 98 yards. Enough said.</p>
<p>But let's say more. <span>William Parks</span> lit the fire under everyone with <a href="http://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9494345/will-parks-nearly-ends-a-receivers-life-after-a-big-hit" target="_blank">this enormous hit</a> on Jordan Villamin. Jarvis McCall played well. <span>Tellas Jones</span> played well. Even Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles was making an impact over the top.</p>
<p>And they shut down this Oregon State team without <span>Jamar Allah</span> and DaVonte' Neal in the rotation. Really impressive.</p>
<h4>Special teams: A</h4>
<p><span>Casey Skowron</span> made a tackle, <a href="http://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9494141/casey-skowron-shows-off-his-linebacker-skills" target="_blank">ripped the ball out, and recovered it</a>. That'll do. Even if it didn't count.</p>
<p>But on the real, Oregon State had an obvious gameplan to attack the kick return coverage, taking each of the first four kicks in the endzone out. And Arizona responded in a big way, forcing the Beavers to start inside their own 25 on seven different occasions.</p>
<p><span>Drew Riggleman</span> had three punts for 161 yards, plus Skowron was 3-3 on FGs and 5-5 on PATs. The only thing missing from Arizona's special teams right now is a threatening return game. <span>Nate Phillips</span> is not that guy on punts, and <span>Tyrell Johnson</span> was playing his first game of the season alongside Jared Baker on kicks. Maybe it'll come, but at least the coverage teams are good now.</p>
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/football/2015/10/11/9495879/oregon-state-vs-arizona-grading-the-wildcats-performance-against-the-beavers-report-cardJason Bartel2015-10-11T08:00:02-07:002015-10-11T08:00:02-07:00Villamin okay after taking big hit from Will Parks
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<p>Breaking the internet one tweet at a time</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azdesertswarm.com/">Arizona Wildcats</a> defense came to play on Saturday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buildingthedam.com/">Oregon State Beavers</a>, and the lasting image from that game will be this hit <span>William Parks</span> delivered on <span>Jordan Villamin</span>.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="http://t.co/fbyC0SyedK">pic.twitter.com/fbyC0SyedK</a></p>
— WSHH (@WORIDSTARHIPHOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/WORIDSTARHIPHOP/status/652997396822036480">October 11, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chicken wings and fries we don't go on dates <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoLackin?src=hash">#NoLackin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnToTheNext?src=hash">#OnToTheNext</a> <a href="http://t.co/qp7MsaWOnd">pic.twitter.com/qp7MsaWOnd</a></p>
— Parks Place (@PhillyWill11) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillyWill11/status/653032641768218624">October 11, 2015</a>
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<p>The refs originally threw a flag for targeting, but picked it up after three of the refs came in and realized that the Parks hit was extremely legal.</p>
<p>"I thought the officials did a great job with that," Rich Rodriguez said after the game. "Three of them knew that he turned his shoulder and it wasn't targeting, and they got the call right, so I thought it was a good piece of officiating."</p>
<p>While he was on the ground for a pretty good chunk of time after the hit, Villamin did come back in the game in the second half.</p>
<p>And was also making jokes on Twitter after the game:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Damn at least I made it on worldstar <a href="https://t.co/pST0iNmmfx">https://t.co/pST0iNmmfx</a></p>
— Jordan Villamin (@villythebeaver) <a href="https://twitter.com/villythebeaver/status/653006784181866496">October 11, 2015</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/laneshareagan">@laneshareagan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WORIDSTARHIPHOP">@WORIDSTARHIPHOP</a> Ayy you right I'm soft</p>
— Jordan Villamin (@villythebeaver) <a href="https://twitter.com/villythebeaver/status/653043954695467008">October 11, 2015</a>
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<p>So at least we know that he's okay, and that Will Parks hit him cleanly and didn't leave any long-term health problems with him after it.</p>
<p>By the way, Marquis Flowers really enjoyed this hit. Probably more than a normal human being should:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">WE OUT HERE LAYING THE HAT!!!!</p>
— Marquis Flowers (@MrHitThat_2) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrHitThat_2/status/652956063701069825">October 10, 2015</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Boi Whole Chest Broke</p>
— Marquis Flowers (@MrHitThat_2) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrHitThat_2/status/652956365091115008">October 10, 2015</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">From now on THATS HOW YOU HIT <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillyWill11">@PhillyWill11</a></p>
— Marquis Flowers (@MrHitThat_2) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrHitThat_2/status/652956506594394113">October 10, 2015</a>
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https://www.azdesertswarm.com/football/2015/10/11/9496313/jordan-villamin-in-good-spirits-after-taking-big-hit-from-will-parksJason Bartel2015-10-10T19:00:02-07:002015-10-10T19:00:02-07:00UA Players of the Game vs. Oregon State
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<p>The Wildcats snapped their two-game losing streak in a big way against Oregon State, and these were the players that were most responsible for it.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azdesertswarm.com/">Arizona Wildcats</a> were involved in a blowout once again, except this time, they were on the winning end of it. The Wildcats thrashed the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buildingthedam.com/">Oregon State Beavers</a> 44-7, and here were the 'Cats that were most responsible for the performance:</p>
<h3>Offense: <span>Anu Solomon</span>
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<p>Man, oh man, was it nice to have Anu back. Solomon wasted no time getting the Wildcats' offense back on track when, on the opening drive of the game, he led the team on a 9-play, 75 yard drive that included a deep, 50-yard bomb down the far sideline to David Richards. The passing game returned to its normal self, and with the running game producing a 391 yard output, Arizona's offense was clicking on all cylinders. Solomon finished 17/30 for 276 yards.</p>
<p>It was kind of odd that he didn't have a single touchdown pass in a game that Arizona scored 44 points in. Oh well, he was still sharp, and it's great to have him back on the field. By the way, he has now thrown 145 passes this year, yet still hasn't thrown an interception.</p>
<h3><b>Defense: Paul Magloire</b></h3>
<p>There were a lot of players worthy of being this week's Defensive Player of the Game -- <a href="http://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9494345/will-parks-nearly-ends-a-receivers-life-after-a-big-hit" target="_blank">William Parks could have gotten it for his crushing hit on an Oregon State receiver</a>, and Anthony Fotu could have gotten it for <a href="http://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9494437/watch-anthony-fotu-tip-a-pass-and-gets-his-first-career-int" target="_blank">getting his first career interception</a> -- but I felt that Magloire's switch from safety to linebacker had the biggest impact on the defense. The Wildcats did a nice job against the run and were able to get pressure on the Beavers' QB's. It was the defense's best game of the season, and Magloire led the team in tackles (9) and tackles for loss (2).</p>
<p>With Arizona's linebacker corps being so banged up, Magloire not only helped stop the bleeding, but he had one of the better performances from an Arizona linebacker this season. Hopefully he can keep it up moving forward, and perhaps his position change becomes the turning point for Arizona's defense this season. They sure looked like a whole different unit against Oregon State.</p>
<h3><b>Special Teams: Everyone</b></h3>
<p>Before this game, Arizona's kickoff coverage was notoriously bad. Oregon State tried to take advantage by taking kickoffs out from 3-5 yards deep in the end zone, but it didn't pay off for them. The Wildcats swarmed to the ball and tackled extremely well forcing OSU to start deep in their own territory a handful of times.</p>
<p><span>Drew Riggleman</span> punted three times for 161 yards -- an average of 53.7 yards per punt -- and boomed one of them for 61 yards. Two of his three punts were inside the 20-yard line too. <span>Casey Skowron</span>, on the other hand, made all three of his field goal attempts with the longest of the three coming from 37 yards out. <a href="http://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9494141/casey-skowron-shows-off-his-linebacker-skills" target="_blank">He also made a tackle, forced a fumble, and recovered said fumble on one kickoff</a>. Unfortunately, the play was reviewed and it did not stand as it was ruled that the returner's knee was down. It will always stand in our hearts, though.</p>
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/football/2015/10/10/9495521/oregon-state-vs-arizona-anu-solomon-paul-magloire-special-teams-wildcats-players-of-the-game-beaversRyan Kelapire2015-10-10T18:28:57-07:002015-10-10T18:28:57-07:00Arizona highlights vs. Oregon State<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DqlZM-bY22Y" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Unlike the past two games, this game featured many good plays by the Wildcats.</p></p></div>
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9495691/arizona-highlights-vs-oregon-stateRyan Kelapire2015-10-10T17:31:24-07:002015-10-10T17:31:24-07:00Rich Rodriguez post-Oregon State press conference<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/05k4NqyMThw" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Arizona's head coach was a happy camper after their big win over the Beavers</p></p></div>
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9495509/rich-rodriguez-post-oregon-state-press-conferenceJason Bartel2015-10-10T17:26:44-07:002015-10-10T17:26:44-07:00Paul Magloire and Jarvis McCall post-Oregon State press conference<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L4HSoVaWHW0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>These defensive guys were extremely happy after the game</p></p></div>
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9495503/paul-magloire-and-jarvis-mccall-post-oregon-state-press-conferenceJason Bartel2015-10-10T17:24:00-07:002015-10-10T17:24:00-07:00Jacob Alsadek and Orlando Bradford on Arizona's win over Oregon State<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jMuUeEcQ5Sc" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Bradford scored three touchdowns, and then had to talk to us. So did Jacob Alsadek</p></p></div>
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/2015/10/10/9495497/jacob-alsadek-and-orlando-bradford-on-arizonas-win-over-oregon-stateJason Bartel