Wildcats Football '08

An on-field star, a brighter future

UA linebacker Ronnie Palmer was working at a Taco Bell in Spring, Texas, four years ago when he first got a glimpse of his future.

And it had nothing to do with fast food.

Coach Mike Stoops and assistant Eric Wolford visited Palmer at his part-time job as part of an ongoing recruitment. Their pitch was simple: Come to Arizona and play football.

"Coach Stoops came in and ordered — I can't remember what he got," Palmer said this week. "I got off from work a little bit early, walked home and then — sure enough — he was there, too. We talked."

The remaining members of Stoops' first recruiting class will be honored before tonight's game against Arizona State.

Few deserve the attention more than Palmer. The Wildcats' middle linebacker leads the team with 70 tackles.

Stoops said Palmer has been "kind of the glue behind everything we've done, not only physically but mentally."

"He stands for a lot of what we do," Stoops said. "He has great integrity, character and work ethic."

Palmer has developed into a film-room junkie, always quick to pull a freshman or backup player into meetings to break down tape. On the field, Palmer — a three-year starter — has been a calming force on a young defense.

Palmer is set to receive his degree in communications this spring.

"We're just excited to see where life takes him," linebackers coach Tim Kish said. "His dream is to play at the next level. I think somebody will take the opportunity to look at him.

"The good news is that he's going to have a degree from the University of Arizona. With that, and his personality, he'll be fine."

Ronnie Palmer's top games

Nov. 5, 2005

Palmer breaks a finger early in the Wildcats' 52-14 rout of No. 7 UCLA at Arizona Stadium, but returns to make eight tackles.

"I came back in all casted up. Definitely, that was a good memory for me," he said.

Nov. 11, 2006

Palmer seals Arizona's 24-20 win over No. 8 California with an interception with 1:30 remaining.

"That was a good highlight," he said. "It was a crazy game. It was one of my best games."

The victory improved Arizona to 5-5 overall with two games left. The Wildcats split their final two games and were left out of a bowl game.

Nov. 15, 2007

Registers a season-high 11 tackles in Arizona's 34-24 win over No. 2 Oregon in a game that was shown nationally on ESPN.

"Every time we beat a top-10 team — each time the fans have rushed the field — it's been a highlight," he said. "It's been a great experience."

HE SAID IT

"I was watching the Virginia-Virginia Tech game and they said, 'This is a gentleman's rivalry.' If that's a gentleman's rivalry, then this rivalry is the complete opposite. It's heated. When I see people walking around Tucson with ASU hats on, I want to go after them. It's huge, man. There's a lot of hate."

— UA junior offensive tackle Eben Britton, on Arizona's rivalry with Arizona State

The last time

Sun Devils knocked Cats out of bowl picture in '07

● Date: Dec. 1, 2007

● What went down: Arizona's second consecutive win-and-you're-in rivalry game ended with a familiar refrain: Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, including one to wide receiver Mike Jones with four minutes left, and the Sun Devils won 20-17. Arizona State captured a share of the Pac-10 Conference title — and eliminated Arizona from the postseason — with the victory.

● How it read: The Star's Greg Hansen wrote: Nobody wants to hear the UA is getting closer. Twelve months ago, they were "closer." They were a victory over ASU away from a 7-5 season and an end to their self-enforced bowl prohibition. And there they are, 12 months later, a loss to ASU from the same place.

What follows is another winter of discontent. The Wildcats couldn't win The Big One, or get to The Big One, because they lost so many little ones along the way. It was an underwhelming season, not just because Arizona lost to a pair of Mountain West Conference teams, but because its typical late-season tease included some tainted victories over quarterback-poor UCLA and Oregon.

● Turning point: With 4:27 remaining in the game, Carpenter completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jones that gave the Sun Devils a 20-10 lead. The scoring pass capped an 8-play, 46-yard drive and put the Wildcats away.

● Stats that matter: Carpenter improved to 3-0 all-time against the Wildcats with another masterful performance. Willie Tuitama wasn't as lucky — Arizona's quarterback threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice and lost a fumble. The UA was penalized eight times for 65 yards.

● It's history: Arizona finished the season 5-7, missing a bowl game for the ninth consecutive season. Arizona State lost to Texas in the Holiday Bowl and finished 10-3.

'HAMMER' NAILS IT

This is 10th Arizona-ASU game for Hammerschmidt

Few understand the Arizona Wildcats' rivalry with Arizona State better than Jeff Hammerschmidt.

Arizona's first-year special teams coach has been a part of nine UA-ASU rivalry games as a player (1986-90), graduate assistant (1992) and assistant coach (1993-95). Hammerschmidt was hired last off-season for his third tour of duty in Tucson; his role as football-office historian is just a plus.

"He likes to reminisce about the past, and we like to hear all his stories, especially about the wins in this game," UA coach Mike Stoops said.

Hammerschmidt talked to the Star this week about his favorite moments in UA-ASU history.

● "The Pick." Chuck Cecil's 106-yard interception return for a touchdown in Arizona's 34-17 victory in 1986 may be the most-identifiable play in program history. Hammerschmidt was on the sidelines — "right near the kicking nets" — as a redshirt freshman.

"How can you forget it?" he said. "That started it all for me."

● Phillips' fumble recovery. Freshman walk-on Jey Phillips dived on a botched snap in the end zone for a touchdown in Arizona's 21-17 win in 1990.

ASU long-snapper Drew Metcalf hiked the ball over the head of punter Brad Williams in the first quarter. Phillips fell on it to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead. The UA's victory was the last in a nine-game unbeaten streak (eight wins and one tie) against ASU. The loss assured the Sun Devils of their first losing season since 1984.

● Galbreath's gallop. Arizona State's Kevin Galbreath broke a tackle and turned it into a 51-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown run in Arizona State's 7-6 victory over the Wildcats in 1992. The UA hadn't allowed a rush of more than 22 yards all season until Galbreath's scamper.

"That," Hammerschmidt said, "was painful."

● The tie. Arizona's Gary Coston hit a last-minute field goal at Sun Devil Stadium to forge a 24-24 tie in 1987, the only draw in the series' 109-year history. The tie extended Arizona's streak over ASU to seven games without a loss.

KUSH IS FAN OF STOOPS

Former Sun Devils coach likes Wildcats defense

Frank Kush sees a lot of fiery coach Mike Stoops in the Arizona Wildcats' defense.

"For the average fan, just watch them on defense," the former ASU coach said. "You'll see five or six tacklers around the ball carrier. That's indicative of the mental attitude.

"Because college football, to me, is so much mental — especially on defense. And I think they have a great defensive attitude. And that's what we're going to have to defend against."

Kush said the Sun Devils will need to run "screens, draws, misdirections and three-step dropback passes" to counter the UA's aggressive defense. Kush said Arizona's defensive weakness is its secondary, and he expects the Wildcats to blitz and not allow ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter to try deep throws.

The coach himself will be at Arizona Stadium on Saturday but laughed when he said he's rarely in his seat. "I roam around," he said. "I try to hide."

FRIENDLY RIVALS

QBs say they don't talk about UA-ASU history

The last three years, quarterbacks Rudy Carpenter and Willie Tuitama deflected most questions about each other. Both said they didn't know each other very well — despite being an hour and a half away during their entire college careers.

Not anymore.

Tuitama and Carpenter got to know each other while working at quarterback camps this summer.

"We were around each other quite a bit," Carpenter said. "He's a cool person; he's good to be around.

"He was a lot different than what I expected he would be like. I don't know … I just thought, 'He was from the U of A, he probably doesn't like me.' But he wasn't like that at all. We still kept in contact throughout the summer and stuff.

"I think it will make this game a little more interesting for us."

Tuitama called Carpenter "a good guy," but said they did not talk about the rivalry.

"We kept that under wraps," he said.

Tuitama said he doesn't worry about Carpenter's legacy of winning all three times the two have met.

"There's nothing more to it than that," he said, "except that we would like to go out and turn it around."

Carpenter, smiling, said he doesn't need to remind Tuitama of their history.

"I'm probably pretty sure he knows he's 0-3," he said.

PROTECT YOUR TURF

Winning the game can help recruiting, but not always

UA coach Mike Stoops and Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson believe today's game is key to winning the in-state recruiting battle.

"That's where everything starts, in-state, to hold down your territory," Stoops said.

In reality, it may not be that simple.

The winner of Arizona-Arizona State game has emerged with a better recruiting class just four times in the last eight years, according to the Rivals.com database. Arizona has defeated Arizona State on the field and landed a better ensuing recruiting class just once since 2001.

Eight undecided recruits are expected to watch from the sidelines today. They are:

WR Kraig Appleton, WR Terry Hawthorne, RB Jamal Miles, WR Adam Hall, LB Bryson Littlejohn, DT Edward Nuckols, ATH Derrick Rainey and DT Keni Kaufusi.

CASON'S HOMECOMING

Ex-UA defensive back has kept rivalry passion

Antoine Cason will return to Tucson today for the first time since leaving for the San Diego Chargers' training camp last summer.

"What's going to be weird is watching a game and not playing in it," he said. "I'll be on the sidelines. I won't be sitting in the Zona Zoo. I love the Zona Zoo. I love the Red Army and all those guys. They're great, but it can get crazy."

From the home sideline, Cason will have a great view of his name in lights. Cason was added to the UA's ring of honor this fall, but has yet to see it in person.

Cason talked this week about today's game.

Why come back to Tucson in the middle of your season? "Oh, I didn't want to miss this at all. Going to a good bowl game, and knocking those other guys out of a bowl game, there's a lot on the line. It's going to be a good game."

Arizona can improve to 7-5 with a win. What's the difference between finishing 7-5 and 6-6, especially given what's at stake? "There's a big difference. A .500 season isn't good enough. No doubt about it, we need to win the games we need to win, especially against these guys, and especially at home."

Will a win get Arizona over the hump? "No. We played in a lot of games when I was there that were over-the-hump-type games. But one win usually doesn't do it. You need to put a lot of wins together to get over the hump."

What's the biggest difference between college football and the NFL? "It's your job. It's not just football now. And that's good."

Now that you're not a college player anymore, you can say whatever you want about Rudy Carpenter … "(Laughing). Is he still there? We need to do some damage against Rudy Carpenter. He talks all the time. This time, we need to get pressure, knock him down and shut him up. Get him to stop talking."

MOST VALUABLE

Award in honor of reporter will keep his memory alive

The most valuable player in today's game will receive a new award named after an old friend. The Bob Moran Most Valuable Player Award will honor Moran, a longtime Arizona Daily Star and East Valley Tribune reporter who died of cancer in May.

Moran, a student of the game and a passionate fan, would have loved writing about today's game.

Tonight, though, the headlines belong to him.

ARIZONA STate at ARIZONA • 6 p.m. • FSAZ, ESPN • 1290-AM, 107.5-FM, 990-AM (Spanish) Gameday breakdown by Ryan Finley