UA football out for redemption in 2015
Over the course of three hours Tuesday afternoon, every member of the Arizona Wildcats made their way through Lowell-Stevens Football Facility.
They smiled big for pictures, checked in with coaches and caught up with teammates before their first official training camp practice Wednesday evening.
And like every year, there was a general theme throughout the day.
This year, it’s anger.
This group is still frustrated with how last season ended. Back-to-back losses to Oregon and Boise State have served as great motivation over the past seven months.
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Consider these words from junior wide receiver Nate Phillips:
“We were in a position last year to (win championships), but we couldn’t handle business when crunch time hit,” Phillips said. “We are the same team — if not, we’ve gotten better from last year and have learned from our mistakes. We want to finish the season, and not just get to the big game; we want to win the big game.”
Or these words from fellow wideout Cayleb Jones:
The last two games “left a definite bad taste in our mouth,” he said. “The Pac-12 (title) game and the Boise State game really hurt. That could have meant major things for our program, and we didn’t do everything we were supposed to do. I really feel like we all have a chip on our shoulder.”
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Or how about center Carter Wood?
“To get to where we got last year was awesome, but it ended in a loss,” the senior said. “It just showed where we can go this year and make it a better year and learn from what we did last year. We know we can get there again and do better than we did.”
So, yeah, the Wildcats might not totally be over the way their 10-4 season ended.
The memories from the thrilling wins over Oregon, Washington, Cal and Arizona State have faded, but the flashbacks from the second Oregon matchup and the Fiesta Bowl are still present.
It’s with that the 2015 season — maybe better known as “The Redemption Tour” — officially makes its way to the field. The Wildcats will open training camp with a 5:30 p.m. Wednesday practice, the first of 21 practices before game week begins Aug. 30.
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UA is ready to start taking out some of that 2014 anger with some 2015 preparation.
And not only are the Wildcats still irked about the last two games last year, they also have the motivation of preseason polls not exactly loving them.
Asked if he thought people viewed Arizona’s 10-win season and Pac-12 South title from a year ago as a fluke, linebacker Scooby Wright said it’s possible.
“They probably do,” Wright said. “We were a young team last year. People said we were a year ahead of schedule. People always doubt Arizona football. So, it’s, ‘OK, we’ll go out and show you again.’ ”
As a junior now, UA’s do-everything linebacker is ready to start assuming some of the leadership that was handled by Jake Fischer, Jared Tevis and others when he arrived before the 2013 season.
Wright wants to ensure his teammates have the right focus as the season starts. He’s OK using last year’s disappointments as fuel. As for his personal success? Wright, who won nearly every major defensive award and earned first-team All-America honors, is over it.
“Nobody cares what you did last year; it’s what you did for me lately,” Wright said. “So that’s the way I look at it.”
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Wright will lead a team that feels it has the tools to better last year’s success. Tevis, center Steven Gurrola, playmaking defensive back Tra’Mayne Bondurant and a few others are gone. But when this year’s veterans look around, they’re seeing a team that’s better than any they’ve seen in Tucson.
“I feel like it’s the most complete team,” Jones said. “I feel like the guys have really bought in. There aren’t a lot of individuals on our team. Coach (Rich Rodriguez) doesn’t really tolerate that. We want to be successful as a team.”
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Added senior free safety Jamar Allah: “We were here in the McKale days when they were trying to establish (Rodriguez’s tempo). As of right now, I think everybody is on the same page … I think the expectation around here is just to win. As long as we win, good things will happen around here.”
Contact reporter Daniel Berk at dberk@tucson.com or 520-573-4330. On Twitter @DSBerk.