Robertson comes out of nowhere

Tanith L. Balaban Arizona Daily Wildcat UA offensive guard Yusuf Scott (72) prepares to set a block for tailback Leo Mill as he runs the ball during a practice at Camp Cochise. The Wildcats will play at home this weekend against Northeast Louisiana.

Last weekend in Corvallis, Ore., that player was sophomore transfer Mike Robertson, a defensive end who wasn't even on the depth chart.

"The thing with our team is we have to learn to play without anyone," Robertson said. "I mean, look at Chris McAlister. He's the best corner we've got and we had to play without him in the Washington game, which was one of the biggest games of the year."

Unlike McAlister, who was suspended by the NCAA for one game, Robertson stepped onto the field as an injury replacement for sophomore Joe Tafoya.

Tafoya sat out the Oregon State game with a sore back, giving Robertson the opportunity to show his stuff.

He came away with five unassisted tackles, three of which were for a loss, plus two sacks and one forced fumble.

"Certainly I think Mike Robertson came to the front this week," UA head coach Dick Tomey said.

Robertson said that any jitters going into the game were overshadowed by something that had bothered him more all season.

"The thing that scared me the most was not playing," he said. "I came out of junior college a year early. I could've stayed and played.

"In high school I was told I'd never have the chance to play at the next level. In JC I was a 200-pound defensive lineman and I was told I would never play at Division I."

But Robertson proved everyone wrong, and Tomey said that fans should expect to see a lot more of him as Tafoya's back has not gotten better yet.

"Yeah, I think Mike will continue to play," he said. "We'll see if that's beginner's luck or not. I don't think that's the case, though. We had no idea he could do what he did until he got into a game."

Redshirt freshman defensive end Eli Wnek said he wasn't surprised "at all" by Robertson's emergence.

"He's a great player. He just needed the opportunity to show it," Wnek said. "I'm so excited for Mike. He really deserves to start this week."

Robertson said nothing is set in terms of the starting line-up that will face Northeast Louisiana Saturday night.

"You're still competing at every practice," he said. "There have been some battles for the starting jobs out there, but there have been a hell of some battles between the guys for second and third (string). It's a bitch, every damn practice fighting for time out here."

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Though there might be the temptation, the Arizona players are saying they are not looking ahead to the game with No. 12 Oregon Oct. 31.

"I can't look at Oregon right now," junior quarterback Keith Smith said. "Our concern is Northeast Louisiana."

But Smith did admit the tendency to overlook the 2-4 Indians for the 5-1 Ducks is there.

"We're human," he said. "So sure, you look ahead at the schedule sometimes."

Smith said that the worry of ignoring NLU is that the Indians "could come up and bite us in the butt."

Junior right guard Yusuf Scott said that focusing on one game at a time is "not really that hard."

He said, "We need the win if we want to go to a big bowl at the end of the season. We have to treat this like every other game."

Tomey said this game is "at least as important as Iowa."

Junior linebacker Scooter Sprotte said the Wildcats' character won't let them overlook the Indians.

"No, I don't think (so), not with this team," he said. "We don't want to settle with playing average or becoming an average team."

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Another player who stepped up last week without any flashy stats to support him was back-up freshman left guard Makoa Freitas.

"Last week was clearly his best game," Tomey said. "He's going to continue to grow the more he plays. His best days are down the road."

Freitas stepped into the starting position after center Bruce Wiggins went down and starting left guard Steven Grace moved over to replace him.

With Wiggins questionable for Saturday's game, Freitas may get another opportunity to start this weekend.

"We'd be in a world of hurt without him," Tomey said.

Freshman defensive tackle Keoni Fraser, who, like Freitas, is from Hawaii, has also made an impact.

Fraser has become a specialist of sorts, splitting time with sophomore Anthony Thomas, with Fraser playing mainly against the run and Thomas against the pass.

"That's where Keoni's better is in rush situations," Tomey said. "He's our best point guy."

Fraser has eight unassisted tackles on the year, while Thomas has only three. Both have appeared in all seven of Arizona's games this year.

Tomey said he believes no other team in the country has the unique situation that Arizona does with two freshmen linemen starting.

"And it's difficult to imagine any freshman linemen doing better in the country," Tomey said.

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