Morning Meltdown – Arizona Wildcats Edition

For this Morning Meltdown let’s take a look into some of the buzz surrounding the Arizona Wildcats, specifically coach Rich Rodriguez and his attitude after practice.

After an 8-5 finish for the Wildcats’ football team, four out of seven CBS experts have the Arizona Wildcats finishing this season in fourth, once again. As predicted by Shane Dale of arizonasports.com, head coach Rich Rodriguez will be Pac-12 Coach of thee Year.

"“….one said RichRod will be this season’s Pac-12 Coach of the Year.Tom Fornelli, the only analyst to pick UA to finish as high as second in the Pac-12 South (behind UCLA), said Rodriguez will win COY honors in part because of the Wildcats’ home-field advantage in key divisional games, including their Territorial Cup match-up with ASU.“While UCLA is the favorite in the South, Arizona should benefit this season from facing both Arizona State and USC in Tucson. I think that could be enough — along with overall improvement as Rodriguez enters his third year — to help the Wildcats jump to second in the division this year, which would lead to Rodriguez being rewarded.”"

To read further into the predictions for the Wildcats, click here.

Wednesday’s practice left coach Rich Rodriguez with nothing but frustration. He made it clear that there would be “no affable exchange of pleasantries about his quarterback competition or any breezy banter on sundry topics that typically are covered during a post-practice media session.”

"“”I’m allowed to be mad,” he harrumphed to reporters. “It’s my right.”You have no chance to win unless you get good quarterback play. You can’t win a championship,” Rich Rodriguez said. “I don’t think you can have a winning season unless your quarterback play is pretty good.”He was then asked — carefully, softly — if this was just one bad practice among many great days of growth during preseason camp.“I ain’t seen enough growth anywhere. Nowhere,” he groused.So, yeah, don’t expect much of a revelation about the Wildcats’ quarterback competition, which officially remains a wide-open race between four guys, though most observers see redshirt freshman Anu Solomon as the leader at present.”"

To the rest of the report, click here.

For all of the latest Arizona Wildcats news, stick with us at Heat Waved and check back daily to read more about your favorite Arizona teams.