Arizona football: On Mr. Social Media, Parks' hit, Ralphie

Linebacker Magloire is Mr. Social — and Mr. Social Media 

Paul Magloire introduced himself to Arizona Wildcats fans last week, when — playing linebacker for the first time — he tormented Oregon State and finished with a game-high nine tackles.

Following the game, he urged them to follow him on Twitter.

“That’s what it’s for, isn’t it? Get out there, express your thoughts and do it the right way,” Magloire told the Star this week. “You don’t want to end up on Bleacher Report or that kind of thing.”

Online, in person and on the field, Magloire is Mr. Personality. The former Appalachian State and Arizona Western player has already endeared himself to his teammates and coaches with a love for football and an attitude that has rubbed off on his teammates.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, what do you think? He’s a 15,” UA safety Will Parks said with a smile. “I’m probably a 23.”

The Star talked to Magloire, who will start at the “Will” linebacker spot when Arizona plays Colorado Saturday, to see what’s on his phone:

Twitter handle: @P_MAGLOIRE

Number of followers: 2,289

Favorite follower: “Plies follows me — he’s a rapper. That’s probably my favorite follower.”

On my phone: “Bleacher Report. I follow weird Twitter stuff, too, like ‘How to’ — they show you how they make fences, stuff like that.”

Favorite podcasts: “The ESPN podcasts, like ‘Mike and Mike in the Morning.’”

Music: “Rap music, country music. I played at Appalachian State and pregame, we’d have country music going. I was like, ‘Who’s this? It’s kinda good!’”

Pregame ritual: “Sour Patch Kids. If I don’t have ’em, I don’t have ’em. But usually I like to eat ’em.”

Best food in Yuma: “They had the little taco stands out there, those were pretty good. Wherever those were at, I’d go there.”

Favorite food in Tucson: “El Guero Canelo. I had a Sonoran hot dog. It’s was pretty good.”

Parks' game-changing hit was 'great, clean, legal' 

Will Parks shoulder connected with Jordan Villamin’s chest with a loud crack, silencing the Arizona Stadium crowd for a half-second. Before Wildcats’ fans had a chance to cheer, however, an official in last week’s UA-Oregon State threw a flag.

Parks, Arizona’s senior safety, held his breath.

“I didn’t watch the replay at all. I was just wanting to know,” he said. “I would’ve been crying if they would’ve kicked me out.”

The NCAA’s targeting rules protect players, but are making bone-crushing hits a thing of the past. UCLA wide receiver Kenny Walker was ejected from Thursday night’s game after officials ruled that he targeted Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez on a blindside block. The call left UCLA without one of its top playmakers for the second half of what turned into a 56-35 Stanford win. Violators are being ejected at a record pace this season under the rule, which is designed to protect defenseless players. All suspected targeting penalties are reviewed in the replay booth before the punishment — 15 yards and a mandatory ejection — is announced.

Fortunately for Parks and Wildcats, last week’s hit looked dirty in real time — but was absolutely legal in slow motion.

Coach Rich Rodriguez found Parks on the home sideline while officials reviewed the call. With two simple words — “you’re good” — Rodriguez calmed the stressed-out safety.

“It was a great, clean, legal hit. No penalty there,” Rodriguez said. “Will hit him with his shoulder, below the neck, it was well-timed … I think Will needed that.”

Boulder's elevation can lay opponents low 

Colorado’s Folsom Field sits at 5,360 feet above sea level, making it the highest football stadium in the Pac-12 and the third-highest in the country, behind Air Force and Wyoming.

The elevation can lay even the biggest player low.

“It does play a key factor,” UA guard Freddie Tagaloa said. “You get tired quicker.”

Tagaloa should know: He started for Cal when the Golden Bears traveled to Boulder in 2013. Coach Sonny Dykes’ team was blown out 41-24, part of a 1-11 season. Tagaloa transferred to the UA shortly thereafter.

The lineman will return Saturday as practically a different person. The 6-foot-8-inch Tagaloa has lost 45 pounds since his last trip to Colorado, and is now down to about 310. He’s quicker — “anytime you take 40 pounds off of any of us, we move a little bit better,” offensive line coach Jim Michalczik said — and, in theory, won’t tire as quickly.

“At the end of the day,” Tagaloa said, “it’s a mental thing.”

Buffaloes trading gold for silver 

Colorado won’t look like itself Saturday. And yet the Buffaloes are probably more true to their roots than ever before.

CU will hold a Homecoming “Silver Out” against the Wildcats and will dress appropriately: with silver helmets, jerseys and cleats.

The silver alternates were introduced in May as part of a Nike rebrand. But Saturday’s look isn’t one of those look-at-me shoe-company ideas: Silver is one of the school’s two official colors; gold is the other. Black was adopted by the athletic department a few decades ago. 

CU was known as the “Silver and Gold” until 1934, when a contest was held to pick a new mascot. Boulder resident Andrew Dickson submitted the name Buffaloes, and it stuck; Dickson won $5 for his imagination.

The “Silver Out” means Arizona will wear a contrasting dark uniform: Red helmets, red jerseys and navy pants for the first time in school history.

Ralphie's run a thing to behold 

Rich Rodriguez made his first trip to Colorado two years ago. Asked this week to remember the game, he offered one thing.

“I think we almost got run over by Ralphie one time,” he said. “You don’t want to get in front of him.”

Colorado’s live buffalo mascot is among the largest and most terrifying in the sport. Here are five Ralphie facts:

• Ralphie V is the latest buffalo to roam Folsom Field. She — all the Ralphies are female — made her debut in 2008.

• Ralphie V, like Ralphie IV, was donated by billionaire mogul Ted Turner. She was born at Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch in Raton, New Mexico.

• Ralphie leads the team onto the field before kickoff and to start the second half. She runs a horseshoe pattern on the field — and directly into her pen along the sideline.

• Ralphie has her own bio on Colorado’s web site, along with highlight videos of the buffalo’s run onto the field before kickoff and at the start of the second half.

• Ralphie is aided by five handlers: two run in front of her, steering the buffalo, two run along side her, and one in the back to slow her down. Ralphie can run up to 25 miles per hour.