The Start of College Football is a few days away; Arizona will take on UTSA on Thursday

Picture Courtesy of Arizona Athletics

By Francisco Romero. – Wait no more, the college football season is upon us and the University of Arizona Wildcats will take the field Thursday night at Arizona Stadium to host the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Roadrunners.

After weeks of practicing against each other, head coach Rich Rodriguez’ squad is ready for the season opener, “Our players are certainly ready for game week, as every college in the country is tired of practicing against themselves,” said the head coach during his weekly press conference.

For coach Rodriguez it will be a true test of what his team will be capable of doing during the season, “As I have said several times, with no preseason game, no exhibition games, no practices against someone else, you really do not know what you have until you play. For every game in Division I college football, it is so important that you are playing well right out of the gate.”

 UTSA finished last year with a record of 4-8, but don’t let that record fool you, it is team that gave Arizona a hard time last season.  Arizona won at the Alamodome in San Antonio last year 26-23.

Coach Rodriguez is not taking the Roadrunners lightly, “Last year it went down to the last play, and the year before that it was a close game at our place. We just look at the first game and what we have to do to win that one, and then after that one we will look at the next game. I have never looked past or forward to any games,” stated Rodriguez. 

A key element for the Wildcats success this season will be its quarterback Anu Solomon, 
“I think his confidence and maturity have both increased, like you would expect. I think his confidence certainly has, because he had a really good freshman year and he has been ‘the guy’ all camp.”

Arizona will bring back on of its top running backs in Nick Wilson, on the defensive side, the Wildcats have, perhaps the best linebacker in the country in Scooby Wright.

Thursday’s game will start at 7:00 p.m.