The Arizona Wildcats can start whichever quarterback they want and shuffle their offensive personnel until they're as blue as their helmets.
But Arizona's not going to beat Oregon State today unless it learns to stop the fly sweep. The misdirection play has been a part of the Beavers' offensive arsenal since 2007, and is one of the many things that make coach Mike Riley's team unique.
"They're going to run the fly sweep 10 times a game," UA coach Mike Stoops said. "But they change up their looks. How they run the fly sweep changes week to week."
The basics remain the same.
The Beavers typically start in a three- or four-receiver set. A flanker, typically junior James Rodgers, starts in motion toward the quarterback before the ball is snapped. The quarterback fakes a handoff to a tailback and hands off to the receiver, who then runs toward the sideline before turning upfield at a right angle.
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The fly sweep is a high-school mainstay, but — at least for the Beavers — it's been tremendously successful. Rodgers, a receiver, has more rushing attempts (112) than catches (89) during his Beavers career. He is averaging an astounding 9.2 yards per rush.
Rodgers burned the UA repeatedly in OSU's 19-17 win a year ago, in part because the Beavers were without star tailback Jacquizz Rodgers. It'll be a key element to today's game.
"We're going to come prepared for it," linebacker Sterling Lewis said.
The Beavers stumbled onto the fly sweep a few years ago when Riley, looking for a new wrinkle for his rushing offenses, sent his coaching staff to tiny Willamette University to learn coach Mark Speckman's fly offense. Coaches deemed it too complicated to run full time but adopted the one play.
"It's been a good balancer," Riley said. "It's important to attack outside and inside. You have to have the right guy."
Many teams, including the UA, have adopted the misdirection play over the last few years. Arizona uses wide receivers Delashaun Dean and Bug Wright as its runners.
Riley shakes his head at what he has created.
"This is a mess, because now we have to defend it all the time," he said. "That's football."
THE LAST TIME
Late pass, last-second FG left Arizona Stadium fans with old deflated feeling
• Date: Nov. 22, 2008
• What went down: Oregon State kicker Justin Kahut nailed a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give the Beavers a 19-17 win over the Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. The victory kept Oregon State's Rose Bowl hopes alive while knocking Arizona out of contention for a high-end bowl game.
• How it read: The Star's Greg Hansen wrote that he "didn't see any anger" from the Wildcats fans following the heartbreaking loss: "Instead, I saw recognition of some old familiar foes: defeat and desperation. It was Arizona football as we have always known it. Charlie Brown lines up to kick the winning field goal. Lucy tauntingly pulls it away at the last possible moment. A decade of desperation rolls on. Oregon State 19, Arizona 17. Fifty-nine minutes of hope and anticipation. One minute to wash it away."
• Turning point: OSU receiver Sammie Stroughter beat Arizona cornerback Devin Ross and caught a 47-yard pass from quarterback Sean Canfield to set up the game-winning field goal.
• Stats that matter: Canfield completed 20 of 32 passes for 224 yards, outshining Arizona's Willie Tuitama, who threw for 158. Oregon State's James Rodgers ran for 105 yards and a touchdown; his brother, Jacquizz , ran four times for 20 yards before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. The game was tied 3-3 at halftime and 10-10 at the end of the third quarter.
• It's history: Oregon State kept its Rose Bowl hopes alive, but they were dashed in a 65-38 loss to rival Oregon a week later. The Beavers settled for the Sun Bowl, where they defeated Pitt 3-0. The Cats won their regular-season finale against ASU and accepted a bid to the Las Vegas Bowl.
SaTELLITE PROBLEMS
DirecTV subscribers lack Versus, won't see game
Arizona Wildcats fans will be able to watch today's game live on Versus. Unless they have DirecTV, that is.
An ongoing contract dispute prompted DirecTV to drop Versus from its programming on Sept. 1. That means 14 million viewers nationwide won't receive today's game — or any of the network's Pac-10 or Mountain West Conference games.
"I feel very bad for Arizona fans that DirecTV has pulled Versus from them," Versus president Jamie Davis told the Star this week.
Versus and DirecTV spent most of the summer negotiating a new contract with hopes that the channel could continue to be shown on the dish. When no deal was made by Aug. 31, the channel dropped from DirecTV service.
Versus has since offered three months' of free service to Dish Network subscribers, and has taken out ads in markets — including Tucson — urging fans to drop DirecTV. The network says its weekend ratings — even without DirecTV — are up 70 percent from a year ago, in part because of college football.
The two sides continue to negotiate toward a possible deal, though nothing is imminent.
"We're talking, and that is good," Davis said. "But any deal is unlikely to happen by this weekend."
STOPPING QUIZZ
Scatback hurt last year is back, and dangerous
Think Oregon State was a handful for the Wildcats last year?
Consider this: The Beavers were playing (mostly) without Jacquizz Rodgers. A hit from Arizona's Devin Ross sent Rodgers to the sideline early in last year's 19-17 win over the UA at Arizona Stadium and cost him the rest of his season. As a result, Arizona didn't have to worry about the speedy scatback.
The Wildcats likely won't get lucky again this year. Rodgers is averaging 114 rushing yards per game, a figure that's 12th nationally and third in the Pac-10 (behind Cal's Jahvid Best and Arizona's Nicolas Grigsby). Rodgers also averages 6.3 receptions per game.
"He's a good, physical runner. He's small, but don't get down on him because he's 5-8, 5-9. He's a strong dude. We're going to have to wrap him up, get our feet going and tackle him."
MILLER'S TIME
Freshman receiver hopes to use tricks of the trade
Assuming everything goes according to plan, Terrence Miller will make his college debut today.
The Wildcats' freshman wide receiver will have plenty on his mind: running the right routes, blocking the right players and — should the ball get thrown his way — making a big catch.
Miller, a 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound inside receiver, says he's ready. "I'm real excited to show what I've got," he said.
Miller, 17, has help. The Wildcats' freshman talked this week about how he has learned the nuances of the position from his new teammates:
FEET from Terrell Turner. Turner has been among the UA's best route-runners since 2005, when he played as a true freshman. Turner has helped Miller fine-tune his routes so he arrives at his designated spot just in time to catch the ball.
HANDS from Delashaun Dean. Dean, a senior, is known as one of the Wildcats' most sure-handed receivers. Dean nearly came down with a seemingly impossible catch at Iowa a week ago; he has wowed fans and teammates with his ability to snag the ball from midair.
POSITIONING from Juron Criner. Like Miller, Criner — a 6-4, 210-pound sophomore — is a big man playing a small person's position. Criner has taught Miller how to use his size to his advantage, sealing off linebackers to make catches and cracking back on defenders to clear running lanes.
"With bigger linebackers, I have to use my body more, so they don't throw me around or get under when they try to jam me," he said.
SAVVY from Rob Gronkowski. Though he has yet to play a snap with Gronkowski, Miller said he appreciates the tight end's ability to make plays. Miller is confident that he can contribute, albeit on a smaller level, as a true freshman.
"If that's what coach wants me to do," he said, "I can do it."
TRAVELING MEN
Long and winding road has its perks for Cats
The Arizona Wildcats are road warriors. In a span of a month, the team will have traveled to Iowa City, Iowa, Corvallis, Ore., and Seattle. While many players and coaches bemoan the long trips on cramped planes and long hotel stays, traveling with the Wildcats has its privileges.
Like:
• VIP treatment. The Wildcats charter their own planes to road games. Players sit in front and coaches in the back. Wide receiver Terrell Turner said he and Cam Nelson spend their time talking to stewardesses.
"We get the best service because all the stewardesses are up there talking to us," he said. "We're flirting with them and they're flirting with us."
Once on the ground, the Wildcats receive police escorts to and from the stadium.
"They make us feel kind of important," Turner said. "I wish I could have them all the time on campus."
• Good food. Arizona's players eat from the time they land in a new city until it's time for kickoff. The menu typically includes plenty of proteins — red meat, chicken, fish — and enough sides to fill up even the biggest lineman.
"We eat, like, the whole day," running back Keola Antolin said.
• New experiences. For most players, football road trips mark their only opportunities to visit faraway places like Iowa City, Iowa, Pullman, Wash., and — in the case of this week's game — Corvallis, Ore.
"It is a business trip and that's serious stuff, but the best part is appreciating other places," guard Conan Amituanai said. "Going to Iowa was a really good experience. I've never seen anything that 'country' in all my life."
Amituanai, and the rest of the Wildcats' players, noticed a few signs of life.
"There was hope of human existence when I saw a McDonald's along the way," he said.
• Team bonding. Home games, the players admit, can be distracting. Friends and family members typically linger at the team hotel, and take up players' time after games.
The road trip is a different beast.
"Our away games, it's just about hanging out with each other and getting closer," Amituanai said. "We all have our little cliques, but what brings us all together is our goal."
ABOUT TERRENCE MILLER
• Height: 6 feet 4 inches
• Weight: 220 pounds
• Age: 17
• Hometown (high school): Moreno Valley, Calif. (Rancho Verde HS)
• Position: Inside receiver
