Double-take
From afar, it looked like an unusual match.
Fan Victor Basurto and Cher.
No, not that Cher.
Basurto stood across from the UA library, under a tent with food and drinks, where the Wildcat Walk was about to begin.
Basurto was wearing a USC jersey, No. 10. He has a full beard, and shaggy hair on his noggin. He had long black socks, with the colors of the Jamaican flag at the top.
Also, Basurto said, he has a big tattoo of the USC Trojan on his back.
In his right arm, he clutched a tiny, white dog. That was “Cher,” Basurto’s 10-year-old dog.
“Cher” is a Papillon and Pomeranian mix, or a Paperanian. Oh, and she was wearing a white USC scarf around her neck. Adorable.
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“She’s daddy’s No. 1 fan,” Basurto said, “besides Mom.”
Basurto brings her to every football tailgate. And yes, he is a Wildcats fan. Just not on Saturday. Or whenever the UA plays USC.
“When the Trojans aren’t here, I’m in my U of A gear,” said Basurto, who owns a construction business in town. “My wife goes here. But, I went to school (at USC). I gotta represent.
“I get stuff thrown at me,” he added, laughing. “Every time. Why do they have to do that to me?”
If he brought his cute puppy along, maybe that wouldn’t happen. Each game, when he’s ready to go into Arizona Stadium for kickoff, his wife comes and picks the dog up and takes Cher home.
Tweet of the night
@ZachEClark: “The door attendant at the press box just made Larry Scott show him his ID. I had to bite my tongue to stop from giggling. Hilarious.” — ESPN Tucson’s Zach Clark, host of the “Zach Clark Show,” about Pac-12 commissioner Scott
The Big Number
195Pass attempts from Cody Kessler between interceptions, a streak that ended when Jonathan McKnight picked off Kessler in the second quarter. That dated to last season, when Kessler threw a pick against Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Keeping it casual
Early in second quarter, with four or five defenders swarming him, and inside the 10-yard line, Davonte’ Neal had the most casual fair catch we’ve ever seen. There were a few funny tweets sent to us about the moment; here are two of our favorites.
@slomustang1219: “looked like Barry Bonds catching a fly ball”
@ejfreed: “Willy Mays (Hayes).”
Not so questionable
Each week, Arizona releases an injury report. So far this season, when a player has been listed “questionable,” there hasn’t been much of a question — they’ve yet to play. The tally so far this season? Nine “questionables,” zero played. That includes tailback Nick Wilson and offensive lineman Cayman Bundage, both of whom sat Saturday because of injuries.
Here’s the total tally of the number of players listed in each injury category this season.
Questionable: 9
Probable: 6
Out: 7
California-ed
In the third quarter, Jared Baker scored on a 6-yard rushing touchdown to bring Arizona within 21-13. Baker, from Loyola High School in Los Angeles, wasn’t recruited by USC. He got some playing time Saturday night because of injuries to Wilson and Terris Jones-Grigsby. It was Baker’s first TD of the season and the second of the junior tailback’s career.
Zack Rosenblatt
