CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Kris Heavner, freshman QB

Changes.

That's Arizona football's one-word summary for the midpoint of its 2003 season.

With changes at quarterback, changes at tailback and most recently a change at head coach, it's been tough for the Wildcats to find any consistency or success this year ÷ a trend reflected by a 1-5 overall and 0-2 Pacific 10 Conference record.

With a new head coach in Mike Hankwitz and a supposedly permanent starter in true freshman quarterback Kris Heavner, UA football has shown signs of improvement in its last two games.

But if Arizona's season were over today, its report card would make its folks cringe.

Quarterback:

The ridiculously young and inexperienced combination of Heavner, freshman Ryan O'Hara and sophomore Nic Costa have thrown a total of just six touchdowns, while giving up 11 interceptions. But the Cats are finally headed in the right direction, so long as Hankwitz sticks with one QB the rest of the season and allows him to mature.

Heavner has impressed at times in his first two collegiate starts ÷ particularly Saturday against the Cougars, a team that intercepted Oregon's QBs seven times the week before.

Grade: D+

Running backs:

Arizona's ground game has been atrocious to this point, but its running backs aren't entirely to blame. The merry-go-round of Mike Bell, Clarence Farmer, Chris Henry and Beau Carr needs to stop.

With that said, the running backs certainly do bear a great deal of responsibility for their poor performance. Three yards a carry or less on a weekly basis is unacceptable. And although Arizona has been lucky thus far in recovering most of its own fumbles, Bell, Farmer, Carr and company need to learn how to carry the ball and run at the same time.

Grade: F

Wide receivers/tight ends:

Biren Ealy leads UA's receiving core with 24 catches, 295 yards and two touchdowns. Arizona's number two and three wide receivers, Lance Relford and Ricky Williams, along with starting tight end Steve Fleming, have a combined 34 receptions for 498 yards and three TDs.

There has typically been at least one receiver who has stepped up to take a little heat off of Ealy each week. But no one has come close to Ealy's consistency. If it continues, Ealy will be singled out by secondaries, forcing someone else to make plays. Hopefully, Relford's four catches last Saturday is a sign that he wants to be that guy.

Grade: C-

Offensive line:

Guards Keith Jackson and Kili Lefotu, tackles Chris Johnson and Tanner Bell, and center Keoki Frazer did something amazing Saturday: They held the Cougars sackless for the first time in 23 games.

The O-line has given up just 12 sacks all season. Considering the inexperience of UA's field generals ÷ and considering that none of these five men are seniors ÷ this is, at the very least, a minor miracle.

Grade: B-

Offense:

The Wildcats scored 42 points in their opener against UTEP. They have scored 47 since. Although the offense has shown signs of improvement, it has yet to be reflected on the scoreboard. Until that changes, the positives will continue to be hard to find.

Grade: D-

Defensive Line:

Arizona's new pass-oriented 3-4 defense has taken the emphasis off the D-line, leaving nose tackle Carl Tuitavuki and defensive ends Carlos Williams and Paul Philipp as the only starters up front.

Williams leads the trio with 19 tackles ÷ 11 solo ÷ and two fumble recoveries, tied for the most takeaways on the team. Since there's just the three of them, it would be unfair to blame them entirely for Arizona's poor rushing defense. That's not to say that Tuitavuki and Philipp couldn't stand to make some stops behind the line.

Grade: C

Linebackers:

OLB Matt Molina leads the entire defense with six tackles for losses and three sacks, but MLB Joe Siofele has paced the linebacking core with 35 tackles, putting him on pace for a 70-tackle season.

Still, the linebackers are giving too much on the ground, allowing close to four yards a carry. Someone needs to compliment Molina in making the occassional tackle for a loss.

Grade: C-

Defensive Backs:

With the 3-4 in place, these guys have gotten a workout ÷ and are the main reason the Wildcats have been competitive the last two weeks. Safeties Clay Hardt, Darrell Brooks and Lamon Means lead the defense with 46, 43 and 40 tackles, respectively. Impressive, but far too many tackles for your defensive backfield to have to make.

Cornerback Michael Jolivette's pick in the end zone Saturday brought Arizona's season interception total to four. That doesn't cut it, especially when your offense often places you in your own territory.

Grade: C+

Defense:

Minus its opponents' three non-offensive touchdowns, Arizona's defense has given up 195 points ÷ 32.5 a game. But in its last two games against top-20 teams TCU and Washington State, it has given up a total of 36 points. For a defense that's been on the field over 56 percent of the time and a defense that's forced twice as many fumbles as its opponents, the second half of the season doesn't look quite as scary as it did before TCU and WSU.

Grade: C+

Special Teams:

This group would receive a failing grade if not for punter Danny Baugher. Baugher has averaged nearly 43 yards a punt, and averaged almost 48 against TCU, constantly pinning the Horned Frogs deep in their own territory and keeping the Wildcats in the game.

On the other hand, the Wildcats are averaging more than three yards fewer on kickoff and punt returns than their opponents. Place kicker Bobby Gill has only had a chance to attempt five field goals, but has missed three of them, and is 1-for-3 on kicks inside 40 yards.

Grade: C

Coaching:

Hankwitz needs to learn from Mackovic's mistakes and give his freshmen and sophomores time to mature. That means picking a starter at QB and RB and sticking with him. Hankwitz made the wise choice in starting Heavner again, and needs to do the same at the tailback position.

Mackovic's departure has left offensive coordinator Mike Deal in charge of calling the plays on offense. Deal showed he can be crafty by putting in Costa in a goal-line situation, resulting in Arizona's only touchdown of the game. Hopefully, this creativity will be a trend.

Grade: D-

Overall:

Though they've looked better the last two weeks, there is still much room for improvement. Fortunately, the Wildcats have a couple of unranked teams upcoming on their schedule. With a permanent starter at QB and a defense that's gotten more rabid of late, it's unlikely Arizona will remain winless for the rest of the season.

Arizona football gets a passing grade at the midway point ÷ barely.

Grade: D