UA takes winless road record to Cal

By Craig Sanders
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 1, 1996

Tanith L. Balaban
Arizona Daily Wildcat

Rodney Williams will try to help an inconsistent UA offense against a suprising Cal team when the Wildcats face the Bears tomorrow in Berkeley, Calif.

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Arizona has done everything it can to become unpredictable this season.

It put an unpredictable freshman quarterback in the backfield, put an unpredictable offensive coordinator in charge of play calling and added an unpredictable blitzing scheme to its already potent defense.

In fact, the only thing that really has remained predictable about Arizona this season is the most important thing: its record.

The Wildcats (4-3 overall, 2-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference) are in a familiar position as they enter the game against Cal. The team has won every home game this season and lost the next game on the road. With a 33-7 victory over Oregon State still fresh in their minds, the Wildcats once again will try to break the cycle.

Arizona faces Cal (5-2, 2-2) at 1:30 p.m. Tucson time at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. The game will be televised on tape delay by KTTU-TV at 7 p.m. It will be broadcast by KNST (AM 790).

"We have to produce on the road and that's a fact," UA head coach Dick Tomey said. "We are two teams with a chance at reaching the postseason depending on the outcome of these last four games. This will be fun competition."

Arizona's main focus will likely be on the California passing game. The Golden Bears have the most prolific threat in the conference and should test the UA secondary early and often. The Bears are captained by senior quarterback Pat Barnes, the conference leader in total offense this season.

Barnes averages more than 300 yards passing per game and the three-man wide receiving core of Bobby Shaw, Na'il Benjamin and Tony Gonzalez are all ranked in the top 10 among conference wide receivers. Shaw leads the Pac-10 with 39 receptions for 579 yards an six touchdowns.

"They have an excellent team and a good nucleus," Tomey said. "Pat is one of the better quarterbacks in the league. He has outstanding mobility. He is making plays like winners do."

Yet the Bears' offense is anything but one dimensional. Sophomore Brandon Willis is fourth in the conference in rushing with 586 yards this season.

"You have to stop the running game first," Tomey said. "Once you have done that you can gamble and try to double-team some of their receivers."

The Bear defense is ranked ninth overall in the conference this season, but still has the players to make an impact. Defensive lineman Andy Jacobs has recorded seven sacks this season while defensive back Kato Serwanga is second in the conference with four interceptions.

While Cal's defense may be underachieving, it appears as if Arizona's is the oppoiste. With a core group of nucleus players and a solid addition of a supporting cast, the Wildcats are once again at the top of the total defense category in the conference.


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