EMILY REID/Arizona Daily Wildcat With a new starting position on offense, redshirt freshman Mike Bell is ready to put his first career start behind him and look ahead to the future. Bell, a former Phoenix prep star, will replace Clarence Farmer as the Wildcats' starting halfback for the rest of the season.

Redshirt freshman Mike Bell is now the go-to guy in the Wildcats' backfield

Mike Bell knew he was going to eventually be the starting running back at Arizona, but he wasn't expecting his opportunity to come so soon.

Only four games into his redshirt freshman season, the former Phoenix prep star was thrust into the top spot in the backfield when junior running back Clarence Farmer went down with a knee injury against North Texas.

Now, what was supposed to be a season as Farmer's understudy has become a trial by fire, but if this is supposed to be the time for humility, someone forgot to tell Bell.

Despite a rough first outing against Oregon ÷ 54 yards rushing on 21 carries, 20 yards receiving and one touchdown catch ÷ Bell still believes he has the ability to anchor Arizona's running game.

Ringing the Bell

Name: Mike Bell Weight: 204 Height: 6 foot Hometown: Phoenix High School: Tolleson High School Year: Redshirt freshman Last week: 21 carries for 54 yards and one touchdown

"I wasn't really expecting to start this early in the season. I knew Clarence was a great back, and I wanted to learn a lot from him this season," Bell said. "But I know I can step up and do it."

Head coach John Mackovic said he was satisfied with the early results from Bell, but added that he'll need to improve quickly for this team to be able to establish a consistent rushing attack.

"Mike Bell did a nice job (against Oregon). He had a touchdown catch, and he ran hard," Mackovic said. "It is difficult for a first-year player to know exactly how the game unfolds. He will have to do a better job of reading the runs because now he has a role where he has to carry a lot of responsibility."

Bell is going to have another chance to prove himself on a big stage Saturday, when the Wildcats head to Seattle to take on Washington, another preseason favorite to capture the Pacific 10 Conference title. Bell said he plans on not being as tentative against the Huskies as he was against the Ducks.

"There were holes I missed. There were things that I didn't do that I usually do, and that I need to do," he said. "I was just thinking too much, because I was too worried about messing up or missing my reads."

Nevertheless, the guy who will be handing the ball to Bell for the rest of the season said he's confident the running back won't take long to pick up his play.

"With Mike Bell, the word Îpotential' has been used a lot with him, and I think we're starting to see him coming into his own," senior quarterback Jason Johnson said. "I know he can get a whole lot better, and I'm excited for him down the road."

Bell came into Arizona after a superlative prep career at Tolleson High School in Phoenix, where he rushed for 2,484 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior ÷ earning a unanimous selection as State Player of the Year from the Arizona Republic. Bell left high school as Arizona's No. 2 all-time leading rusher with 4,692 yards. He was also the captain of his school's track team, where he competed in six different events.

But Bell has noticed that things aren't as easy now as they were in high school, after taking on one of the best teams in the conference.

"You can't get to the outside on every single play. In high school, if I got to the outside it was an automatic touchdown. But now, I've got linebackers and defensive linemen just as fast as me, and they can run me down and catch me," Bell said.

However, by virtue of playing the Ducks, Bell got to watch perhaps the best running back in the Pac-10 perform close-up in Onterrio Smith, who scorched the Wildcats for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

"I love watching (Smith) run, even though he had to do it against us. I just love the way he moves and how he makes people miss," Bell said. "He's a great running back and I know he has a bright future ahead of him."

As Bell heads into this weekend's game ÷ a vital one for the Wildcats if they want to remain even somewhat competitive in the conference standings ÷ he said he has one simple goal.

"I know I can run better than (I did against Oregon). I know I will run better than that. I expect more out of myself," he said. "I want to run the ball the best I've ever run the ball before."