Smith, Jenkins will continue to share time

Aaron Wickenden Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior Quarterback Keith Smith (12) prepares to start a play during yesterday's practice at the football practice field. The UA Wildcats play their first home game against the Iowa Hawkeyes this Saturday.

But two wins have changed their minds.

"I don't see that happening," Jenkins said of Tomey's plan to name a starter by the fourth game. "Right now we're winning and I think it will continue as long as we do."

Jenkins and Smith evenly split playing time at Stanford Saturday, both going 8 of 14 with a touchdown pass.

Smith said the system has other benefits for the two of them.

"I'm not as sore after a game," he said. "I have fresh legs all the time now."

Smith agreed with Jenkins that the system is working thanks to the team's two victories.

"It seems to be working well. We've got a good little streak going here. I've got no problem with it right now, but maybe that's just because we're winning. We could go the whole season this way," Smith said.

Tomey will once again wait until game time to name his starter against Iowa this Saturday, but both players will split time evenly in the first half regardless of who starts.

Junior wide receiver Brad Brennan is likely to miss the Iowa game after spraining his ankle at Stanford.

Brennan said that he is officially "day to day," but he does not expect to play against the Hawkeyes.

"I don't even like sitting in practice," he said. "I'll play if I can. I'm just trying to get healthy right now."

Tomey said that Brennan's replacement will likely be redshirt freshman A.J. Brown, who came to the team as a wide receiver but has been converted to free safety.

"I'm not too worried," Brennan said of his replacement, though he did note that Brown struggled a bit in practice, something Brennan said had to do with conditioning.

Brown was comfortable with the switch back to his high school position.

"It's cool," he said. "I just do whatever's good for the team. I like receiver a lot. I've got that background."

Two things that make Brown's transition easier are the quarterbacks throwing to him.

"They're great. I love them. They're 100 percent accurate," he said.

Brown said that he has been able to pick up on the plays quickly since he learned them last year.

"I know most of them. I've been meeting with my coach daily and going over them," he said.

One player who won't get benched despite a bad performance last week is junior kicker Mark McDonald.

Despite going only 1 of 3 on field goals at Stanford after missing his only attempt at Hawaii, McDonald won't be losing his job just yet.

"I'd say no, but it's like every other job on this team," Tomey said. "I think Mark will pick himself up. He just needs to believe in himself some more."

Tomey said that every job on the team is evaluated after each game, and that no one is safe in terms of keeping his job after a bad performance.

Should McDonald continue to struggle, junior kicker Michael Johnson, who has only been used in kickoff situations so far, would step in.

Johnson was 6 of 6 on field goals in a scrimmage earlier this fall.

Still, Tomey gave McDonald his vote of confidence.

"Mark's still our guy," he said.

Chris Jackson can be reached via e-mail at Chris.Jackson@wildcat.arizona.edu.