By Joel Flom
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 15, 1997

Canidate doubtful for Washington game - Football Notes

Arizona coaches are taking no chances with one of the Wildcat's biggest surprises of the season, tailback Trung Canidate, who has seen limited action during practice this week because of ankle injuries.

"Trung is about where he has been the past couple of weeks," UA head coach Dick Tomey said. "He hasn't practiced but he has found a way to play."

After rushing for 142 yards on 16 carries through three quarters against San Diego State, Canidate was forced to leave during the fourth quarter after injuring his right ankle.

He was limited to just five carries against Stanford, and had his left ankle x-rayed during the third quarter. The x-rays were negative, but he did not return to the contest.

"We are going to try to be smart about it with him," Tomey said. "We need for him to get well. We need him to not play this game half-speed and play the rest of the games like that. "We need him to get well. We are not going to play him unless he indicates that he can go."

Canidate will be surely missed, especially his 107-yard average per game. His numbers place him second in the Pacific 10 Conference and 19th in the country.

Already this year, the sophomore has had three 100-yard outings, and three rushing touchdowns over 60 yards. He has also inked himself into the school's record book. Canidate's 96-yard touchdown run against SDSU was the longest run and play from scrimmage in Arizona history.

Juniors Kelvin Eafon and Jay Hinton, and senior Kevin Schmidtke will be called upon to take up the slack.

"I think we will be fine," Tomey said. "We will have the same choices that we had in the Stanford game a lot of the game, because Trung only carried five times."

Smith Update

Keith Smith may have a new role on the team, but the coaches are not sure where.

"We are not sure yet about him taking a hit," Tomey said. "He will be our back-up quarterback, and down the road he may have new role."

Being healthy is most important right now for Smith.

"Keith wants to win, Keith wants to play, and Keith wants to get healthy," Tomey said.

Despite the competition at the position, Smith, Ortege Jenkins and Brady Batten have been supportive of each other.

"Brady, Keith, and O.J. are close, good friends," Tomey said. "They understand that this is a hard game and our willing to do whatever it takes to win."

Smith nearly entered the Stanford game when Jenkins was slow getting up after a play. His throwing ability doesn't seem to be limited, but looking at him in pads, it's obvious that he is wearing some sort or wrap over the shoulder area.

He might even have his name on his jersey

True freshman walk-on punter Chris Palic, better known as just number 4, will again be taking care of the punting duties because of the injury to Ryan Springston.

"Chris will punt and he will hold on field goals and extra points," Tomey said. "I was more concerned about that than anything because he had not really done that in game competition. He did a nice job of that."

Tomey said that Palic had been getting with kicker Mark McDonald in practice to get their timing down.

McDonald is just as new as Palic, taking over the field goal duties two games ago.

Springston hurt his left knee when a punt attempt of his was blocked by Stanford. Although the replay looked bad for Springston and he was unable to return to the game, the injury is not as bad as first thought.

"It is not a season-ending injury," Tomey said. "It is not as bad an injury as it looked like on tape. It looked awful on tape. It looked like he broke his leg."

For the time being, Palic, who blasted a 55-yard punt out of the end zone in his collegiate debut, will get the punting chores. And possibly a last name on his uniform.