Jersey retirement
The Wildcats retired the jerseys of their most accomplished players - a ceremonial honor - at halftime Saturday.
President Robert Shelton, athletic director Greg Byrne and senior associate athletic director Kathleen "Rocky" LaRose stood at midfield.
"The Cactus Comet," Art Luppino, whose number had already been retired, was introduced to the crowd.
Defensive tackle Rob Waldrop, place-kicker Steve McLaughin, cornerback Antoine Cason and cornerback Chris McAlister were honored on the field alongside their families. Fireworks set atop the press box - where the players' numbers hang - were shot off about six minutes before the start of the second half.
Linebacker Ricky Hunley, who appeared earlier this year at Arizona Stadium because he had a UFL game Saturday, was represented by his brother Lamonte.
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Cornerback Darryll Lewis was not present; he was represented by UA booster Burt Kinerk. Safety Chuck Cecil wasn't there, either; he's the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, who play in Miami today.
The big number
5
Touchdown drives of 10 or more plays by UA opponents during a four-quarter span. Stanford had three in the second half last week, and USC recorded two in the first half Saturday.
Proud papa
Riki Ellison had a lot to be proud of this weekend.
The former Amphitheater High School star, who went on to play at USC and then in the NFL, made the trip to Tucson this weekend to watch his son, Rhett, play for the Trojans. Ellison, who went by the last name Gray while at USC, even stood on the sideline during Amphi's playoff win Friday night.
On Saturday night, his son caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Matt Barkley to give the Trojans a 14-0 lead.
Riki Ellison played linebacker at USC from 1978 to 1980 and in 1982, winning a national title in his first year and all-league honors in his second. He played in two Super Bowls between 1983 and 1988 as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, and for three seasons with the then-Los Angeles Raiders.
Ties
The Wildcats and Trojans have more in common than USC center and Tucson native Kris O'Dowd. A few examples:
• USC tackle Matt Kalil's father, Frank, played center at the UA from 1980 to 1982.
• UA cornerback Jonathan McKnight's brother, Joe, played tailback at USC from 2007 to 2009.
• UA offensive lineman Rylan Browner's uncle, Joey, played safety and cornerback at USC from 1979 to 1982.
• UA defensive line coach Mike Tuiasosopo and offensive lineman Conan Amituanai are related to former USC guard Titus Tuiasosopo; Mike is his brother and Amituanai his nephew.
Small sideline
NCAA sanctions have limited the Trojans' roster figures. On Saturday night, we counted 59 USC players in uniform on the sideline; to play Stanford, the Trojans traveled with 57. Pac-10 teams are allowed to travel with as many as 70 players.
Huh?
Maybe it was the weather. Or the anticipation of tonight's basketball opener.
But gosh, the Arizona Wildcats couldn't get more fans for USC than they did for The Citadel?
The UA's announced crowd of 54,722 was 92 fewer than the Game 2 attendance against The Citadel. Arizona drew 57,864 for Iowa; 56,054 for Oregon State; and 56,244 for Washington.
Saturday didn't mark the worst crowd of the season, just the second-worst. (Seriously, this is stunning.) The UA drew about 4,000 more Saturday than it did for the Cal game. The vibe before the game was just strange. Those fans that did arrive early seemed subdued, as if mellowed after having Rose Bowl hopes all but dashed last week.
Patrick Finley
