Wildcats' scrimmage tomorrow full-contact, open to general public


By Kyle Kensing
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Friday, April 1, 2005

The Arizona football team has its first full-pad action since November at 9:15 a.m. Saturday at the Jimenez Practice Field, the first such workouts of 2005.

"We may have a team scrimmage with full contact in pads," Arizona head coach Mike Stoops said. "We'll just be running through 20 to 30 plays."

The workout, Arizona's third of the 2005 spring season, is the first open to the public.

The Wildcats will run through some of the many sets in place for the fall and will likely complete the morning with an offense-against-defense scrimmage.

Stoops said the scrimmage might take place at Arizona Stadium, if field conditions permit.

The workout will be full-contact for every Wildcat except for junior quarterback Adam Austin, as per the common practice to prevent injuries at that position.

"(The coaches) don't want me getting hurt in workouts, I'm the only (quarterback) we've got right now," he said after Wednesday's practice.

Austin has been impressive thus far this spring in place of starter sophomore Richard Kovalcheck, Stoops said. Kovalcheck is out recovering from back surgery.

"Everybody's together. Both offense and defense are on the same page," Austin said.

Stoops said the conclusion of 2004 was vital for a successful 2005 season, and the good feelings have carried over into the spring.

"Winning on the road (at Washington) and beating a top-15 team in Arizona State was huge for (the team's) confidence," he said.

Stoops said the addition of new blood has been positive.

Among those newcomers is wide receiver B.J. Vickers, a 6-foot-3 junior college transfer from California.

Vickers said he is happy to now be in Arizona and hopes to immediately impact the Wildcat offense.

Vickers is one of many Wildcats Stoops said have impressed him in the first two practices.

Others include Byron Smith that Stoops called a "prototypical (defensive) line man," and linebacker Spencer Larsen.

Larsen saw his first field time in over two years this week following his return from a Mormon mission in southern Chile.

However, Stoops said Larsen might miss Saturday's scrimmage after leaving Wednesday's practice early with a knee injury.