After a few extra days of practice and rest for Arizona football because of its bye week, head coach Mike Stoops said his team is as healthy and prepared as he could expect.

"I think we should be mentally and physically ready to go," Stoops said yesterday at his weekly press conference.

The Wildcats open their Pacific 10 Conference season Saturday at 4 p.m. when they take on No. 12 California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. [Read article]

Sophomore Dyck thriving in starting role for surging Cats

The circumstances may not be ideal, but sophomore setter Amy Dyck of the Arizona volleyball team will take what she can get.

When junior setter Stephanie Butkus injured her medial collateral ligament Sept. 8, Dyck was forced into the starting setting role for a Wildcat team in the middle of its best start (10-1) in five years.

"I would never wish anything ill upon Stephanie, but I think it's a blessing in disguise because it does give me a chance to be just thrown in there and just dive right in and see what I can do," Dyck said. [Read article]

The Arizona football team's Sept. 17 loss against Purdue was difficult to take, but not because of any muffed punt, dropped pass or false-start penalty.

Rather, it was difficult to stand in the student section's "sea of red" and feel proud of being a student here at Arizona.

We're about as creative in our football chants as a brick wall. Everything revolves around profanity - and most of the time, it's not even a clever attempt at using it. [Read article]

The Arizona men's club rugby team is holding open tryouts for its lock position at today's practice.

Arizona head coach Dave Sitton said in a press release yesterday that any UA student who stands at least 6-foot-3 and weighs 220 pounds or more is invited to try and join the Ruggers' 85-person roster. The team begins its season the weekend of Oct. 21 with road games against Texas and Baylor.

The lock position is similar to the tackle in American football, Sitton said, but locks still carry the ball on occasion. [Read article]

Prior to the Arizona football team's first game of the 2005 season, head coach Mike Stoops singled out the Wildcats' kicking game and said it would be a strong point this season.

Stoops knew he had a pair of capable feet in senior punter Danny Baugher and junior placekicker Nick Folk, and both athletes have proven Stoops correct over the team's first three contests.

Baugher leads the nation in punting, averaging 51.8 yards per kick going into Arizona's Pacific 10 Conference opener Saturday in Berkeley, Calif., while Folk has booted 12 out of 17 kickoffs into the end zone this season. [Read article]

If sports were like the movies, sophomore midfielder-defender Nicole Scheid would be the Arizona soccer team's supporting actress.

She's understated: She isn't going to be on the team poster or have her name plastered about everywhere, but the show wouldn't be what it is without her.

She makes a good team performance that much better. She'll do what needs to be done, even if that means not doing what she wants at times. [Read article]