“You want to play? Elevate your technique…If a freshman is good enough to play, we’ll put him out there.”- Brent Brennan Former UCLA WR and current 2nd year Arizona Wildcats Head Coach
It was 66 degrees this morning with 16 pct humidity and an 18-22 MPH SW wind. Cool enough for jogging pants and a light hoodie on the morning stroll around the Meadows. A nice break from what the afternoons and evenings have been. Even the mornings lately have been on the warm side, so it was a literal ‘breath of fresh air’ as I put the fuzzy on the lead and set out at dawn to explore.
As it nears 10AM in the desert, the mercury is encroaching upon 90. It’ll reach 95+ here today and 103 in Tuscon, where Coach Brennan is gearing his squad for the Fall Season. Bear down!
I’ve listened to his past three press conferences, and he is quite likable from the podium. Great energy, thoughtful and discerning to each question, and clear in how he wants his team to operate. “Elevate your technique…be where you are supposed to be.” It’s that simple; just not that easy.
As a new fan of the Arizona Wildcats, I had to look up why the Wildcats motto was “bear down.” Turns out, it’s deeper and further back than I expected it to be.
There was a fella on the Arizona campus back in 1926, and not to use the term ‘renaissance man’ too loosely, but in a way that is exactly what he was for his day. Quarterback on the football team, Catcher on the baseball team, member of Sigma Nu, and student body president. Square jaw, High cheekbones, rough and ready forehead, full head of hair, and a glint in his eye like he always knows the answer, it’s the one and only, John Byrd “Button” Salmon.
Sadly, after a preseason matchup, and six days before the season kicked off against Phoenix Junior College October 9, Button was involved in a car crash, in which he suffered a severed spinal cord. He would succumb to his injuries October 18, 1926, but before he perished, he passed one last encouraging word to his teammates through his Head Football Coach Pop McKale.
I imagine Coach McKale on a stool sitting as close to the bed as possible and leaning in to hear the young man’s last words.
“Tell them…tell the team to bear down.”-
John B “Button Salmon 10/22/1903- 10/18/1926.
Yep, I get it now. Bear down.
Arizona will host Hawaii Week 1 for a 10:30 EST showdown with the Rainbow Warriors in Tuscon, but before then, Coach Brennan is still deciding who the starters will be at certain positions. He didn’t specifically say which positions, but it sounded like there are some healthy individual competitions at these positions early in Fall Camp. Competition is good. Elevates the team. Whoever can “elevate” their “technique” will win the position.
One connection that can really get wings and fly this year for the Cats is Quarterback Noah Fifita to 6’6″, 245 Tight End Keyan Burnett. It sounds like Burnett is working back into his role after an unfruitful tour around the transfer portal. “He’s back now…He’s Happy to be here,” said Brennan yesterday. “I told him I loved him when he left–and welcomed him back.”
This is a relatively small, but still fast, receiving core, so having a “Gronk” type player may be beneficial for the, also relatively small, Fifita on pressure situations and in the redzone. He will get doubled in the redzone for sure.
The strength of this team is the savvy QB and the defense in my opinion. Play some good ole ‘boring’ football, and this team can win games. Eight wins with four losses if “Predicting the Unpredictable” is correct, which is bound to be true. A big road win on September 27th in Ames would elevate this team and give it a belief that could spark such a successful season as (8-4) would be for this squad.
Coach Brennan is a spark plug of a human, and he will dream much bigger things for his team inside the locker room than I ever could from almost 800 miles away.
Here’s how it plays out.
Arizona Schedule:
- Hawaii 8/30
- Weber St 9/6
- Kansas St 9/12
- @ Iowa St 9/27
- Ok St 10/4
- BYU 10/11
- @ Houston
- @ Colorado 11/1
- Kansas 11/8
- @ Cincinatti 11/15
- Baylor
- @ Arizona St
Eight Wins:
- Hawaii
- Weber St
- Iowa St
- Ok St
- BYU
- Colorado
- Cincinatti
- Baylor
Four Losses:
- Kansas St
- Houston
- Kansas
- Arizona St
It’s the Big12. It’s always a shootout anyways. Well, used to be referred to a ‘shootout’ because of the consistent inflated final scores within the league. Now, it’s due to the fact that anyone any given week can win in this conference. And, no–that is not hyperbole. The Big12 is as wide-open as a league can get. It’ll make it fun to watch, but it will strain fan bases and gamblers at times.
I’m in on Bear Down and Coach Brent Brennan in 2025. One of the many teams I like this year. And what a story about John Byrd “Button” Salmon. What a tragic end to such a seemingly elite, well-rounded human. The 99-year anniversary of the tragedy falls this October 18th. Bear down Arizona!
My coffee needs me to hold it for a minute. This has been a nice start to the day, but on zero sips of coffee thus far and that just won’t do.
Until next time,
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.