Football meets fansAnnual scrimmage draws kids, adults

Ryan A. Mihalyi Arizona Daily Wildcat UA junior receiver Jeff Nadeau signs an autograph for a young fan last night at the annual "Meet the Team." The UA football team mingled with fans and answered questions at Arizona Stadium.

Although the girl's mother cut him off, handing him a media guide instead, Arizona fans should appreciate Burnett's outlook.

Bowl considerations and a win in Tempe are what's going to make people happy in the fall.

"We'll be ready, trust me," the senior-to-be inside linebacker said between signing balls and backs of T-shirts worn by children. "We have been working our butts off."

While the roughly 1,000 people who attended the open session to meet the players and coaches caught their first glimpse of what's to be, the players are fully aware of the direction the team is heading in.

"We have been putting in more work than any other season since I have been here," senior-to-be Mike Szlauko said. "The dedication this year to winning has been phenomenal. The coaches have been nuts about it."

UA head coach Dick Tomey even gave the scrimmage a voice, giving the crowd a play-by-play analysis of each play. After a fumble on one occassion, Tomey said "turnovers must be eliminated from our offense, this is why we practice, folks."

With the manditory 6 a.m. running sessions over, the players can sleep in, but they are fully aware that now until Camp Cochise in August is the best time to improve.

"The hard work starts now," defensive tackle James Lewis said. "It's up to each of us to keep this momentum going over the summer."