By
Ryan Finley
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Freshman Farmer impresses at running back
In a dress rehearsal for the season's Sept. 2 opener against Utah, the first-team UA offense defeated the second-team Wildcat defense, 33-0, in a scrimmage held Friday night inside Arizona Stadium.
For UA senior center Bruce Wiggins, the margin of victory was to be expected. "This offense was successful going against the second team," he said. "We wouldn't expect anything less."
Starting quarterback Ortege Jenkins threw just five passes in the hour-long scrimmage, connecting on three of them for a total of 57 yards. Jenkins, who had been sidelined with arm soreness last week at Camp Cochise, was impressed with his team's intensity following a week of practice at the team's summer camp in Cochise.
"We did really good tonight," he said. "We ran real hard (and) were really physical."
Offensively, Arizona was paced by running back Clarence Farmer, who gained 37 yards on eight carries and scored two touchdowns. The freshman from Booker T. Washington High School in Houston even managed to impress Jenkins, one of the team's few veterans.
"(Farmer) showed up and ran hard," Jenkins said. "The offensive line will put holes there for you."
Farmer, seemingly left out of the summer's highly-publicized running back debate, believes that the competition between himself, Larry Croom and Leo Mills has helped him improve.
"There's no animosity... I'm doing better because of it," he said. "My ability has helped me get further up the line."
On defense, the Wildcats were led by redshirt freshman free safety Clay Hardt, who contributed with four tackles and an interception in the offensively-dominated game.
Hardt, a native of nearby Marana, is eager for the season to begin.
"The team's ready to play," he said. "If you don't want to hit, don't come play for the Wildcats."
Arizona's kicking woes seemed to return on Friday, however. Sophomore kicker Shawn Keel went just 4-for-7 from the field, missing kicks from 32, 39, and 40 yards. Keel's competition, freshman Doug Jones, missed all four attempted field goals.
Despite both kickers' showings, Tomey believes the job is Keel's to lose.
"(Currently,) Shawn Keel would still be our kicker," Tomey said. "If someone doesn't beat him out, he deserves to continue. As of now, nobody has beaten him out."
Friday night's scrimmage allowed UA fans to familiarize themselves with new faces on a team that hardly resembles the squad that went 6-6 last season.
Following the game, Farmer was caught looking around Arizona Stadium in awe.
"Oh, snap - it's great playing in this stadium," he said. "In high school, I played in like five thousand-person stadiums, but this is Division I. This is what it's all about."
