ESPN College Football

He's the wolf screaming lonely in the night
He's the blood stain on the stage
He's the tear in your eye
Being tempted by his lies

• Arizona talked to Urban Meyer about its coaching job, and a look at other candidates of note. The cupboard is not empty at Arizona -- consider true freshman defensive back Tramayne Bondurant.
• The Zendejas family knows the Arizona-Arizona State rivalry. The Sun Devils' defense has taken a step back.
• Words of wisdom from Joe Kapp. California safety Sean Cattouse has been a standup guy about his, er, meeting with Stanford QB Andrew Luck in the 2010 Big Game. He's looking forward to a second chance.
• Colorado coach Jon Embree is comfortable predicting an end to the Buffaloes' 22-game road losing streak at UCLA.
• Oregon coach Chip Kelly isn't going to politic for his team or his players. The Ducks may not be as good as last year, but that still should be good enough to beat USC.
• Oregon State tries to stay focused.
• Luck is no longer a lock for the Heisman Trophy. Checking in with safety Michael Thomas.
• Is UCLA going to get its best defensive player back?
• USC QB Matt Barkley thinks Oregon's defense is vulnerable. Some injury concerns for USC.
• Utah's defense gets ready to go on Halliday.
• Washington and Oregon State went in different directions after last year's game.
• Some notes from Washington State coach Paul Wulff's news conference.

Oregon State is playing well and playing with fire, leading Arizona 27-6 at the break.

Arizona? The Wildcats are playing like they don't care about their coach.

If this one doesn't change trajectory, Mike Stoops will officially be on the hot seat Saturday night.

How bad are things for Arizona? Kicker Alex Zendejas missed a PAT and a chip-shot field goal.

How bad? Jack Baucus' indifferent effort on a dribbled kickoff with 16 seconds left ended up as a fumble to the Beavers, which turned into three more points as time expired.

Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion is outplaying Nick Foles, too. Mannion completed 20 of 25 passes for 165 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Foles completed 13 of 18 for 131 yards with a TD and a pick.

Arizona came roaring back at USC last weekend. Do the Wildcats have another comeback in them?

Or are things about to get really uncomfortable for Stoops in Tucson?

Kicker is typically a strong position in the Pac-12. That is not the case -- at least based on preseason appearances -- this fall.

Just five teams welcome back experienced kickers. The pickings is so slim in terms of quality that Phil Steele named Arizona's Alex Zendejas third-team All-Pac-10 in his preview magazine.

So how does this thin group stack up? Read on.

Great shape

Washington: Erik Folk was perfect on 33 PATs last year while also connecting on 13 of 20 field goals with a long of 54 yards. Most years, these numbers would rate as "good" rather than "great," but having the best returning kicker in the conference, even if his numbers aren't scintillating, is a significant boost.

Good shape

Oregon: Rob Beard made 10 of 13 field goals last year -- coach Chip Kelly doesn't like field goals -- and was 63 of 64 on PATs.

Arizona: Zendejas had some, er, notable issues -- we won't even bring up the PATs in the Arizona State game -- but he did make 14 of 19 field goals with a long of 47. His 73.7 percent field goal percentage ranked third in the Pac-10 in 2010, ahead, by the way, of UCLA's Kai Forbath.

Washington State: Washington State only attempted 11 field goals last year. It made seven of those, three from Andrew Furney, who tops the post-spring depth chart. He also was 18-of-18 on PATs.

California: Giorgio Tavecchio is probably not going to be a great kicker, but he's experienced. He made 11 of 16 kicks last year with a long of 53. He missed two of his 39 PATs.

We'll see

Stanford: Jordan Williamson and Eric Whitaker battled this spring to replace Whitaker's older brother, Nate, who was first-team All-Pac-10 in 2010. Williamson seemed to have a slight lead heading into the offseason, though Whitaker has more experience.

USC: True freshman Andre Heidari was the nation's top-rated prep kicker last year. It's unlikely he will do worse than last year's kicker, Joe Houston, who ranked last in the conference in field goal percentage, though he was perfect on 43 PATs.

UCLA: The post-spring depth chart included an "or" between junior Jeff Locke -- the Bruins' punter -- and redshirt freshman Kip Smith.

Oregon State: Trevor Romaine was ahead of Max Johnson after spring practices to replace Justin Kahut. Both missed two attempts in the spring game. Romaine showed a good foot on kickoffs.

Utah: Coleman Petersen beat out Nick Marsh, the Utes' kickoff specialist last year, this spring to replace Joe Phillips. He's never kicked in a game.

Arizona State: Thomas Weber is gone. His replacement looks like redshirt freshman Alex Garoutte, who wasn't consistent this spring.

Colorado: Justin Castor topped the depth chart this spring -- he wasn't terribly consistent -- but incoming freshman Will Oliver might give him some competition.

Wanna know why I carry this tape recorder? To tape things. See, I'm an idea man, Chuck. I got ideas coming at me all day... I couldn't even fight 'em off if I wanted. Wait a second... hold the phone! Hold the phone! Idea to eliminate garbage. Edible paper. You eat it, it's gone! You eat it, it's outta there! No more garbage!

• Making some kicks and hearing cheers were good for Arizona's Alex Zendejas.
• Some notes from Arizona State's scrimmage. Some thoughts on Pat Tillman.
• The meaning of Jeff Tedford taking back over California's play-calling duties. Considering the QB competition.
• Colorado QB Tyler Hansen gets a fresh start.
• Coaching continuity is key for Oregon. The Ducks secondary looks solid.
• Oregon State hopes this DE is a chip off the old block. Adjusting to life as an offensive line starter.
• The UCLA defense bounces back. Bruins LB Jordan Zumwalt is a big hit.
• Five observations from USC's scrimmage. Should the Pac-12 start worrying about a defensive renewal?
• Pac-12 membership means higher academic goals for Utah, too. And the money in the Pac-12 will be good, too. As for football, the Utes new scheme seemed to slow things down.
• Washington's pass rush is impressive, even if it came at the expense of the O-line. Five spring standouts for the Huskies.
• Washington State's spring game was a rousing success.

Spring game: Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET at Arizona Stadium

What happened: How to completely rebuild the offensive line and replace defensive ends Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore were some of the big questions for Arizona heading into spring. Things seemed to clear up fairly quickly. The offensive line looks like this: LT Mickey Baucus, LG Chris Putton, C Kyle Quinn, RG Trace Biskin, RT Fabbians Ebbele. C.J. Parrish and Mohammed Usman asserted themselves at DE. Still, there's still room for refinements, developing depth and perhaps some more competition. On the downside, the ACL injury for promising safety Adam Hall was a major hit to one of the Pac-12's strongest secondaries. Backup quarterback Matt Scott had an impressive spring, but the (optimistic) plan still is to redshirt him and bring him back as the 2012 starter.

What's ahead: The Wildcats offense will pass to set up the run, but it probably will just pass a lot with quarterback Nick Foles and the conference's deepest, most talented crew of receivers. It's hard to imagine the edge rush on defense will be as good as 2010, so it's likely a veteran group of linebackers will blitz more this fall. There's also some concern as to whether kicker Alex Zendejas can recover his confidence after a late-season swoon that included a handful of painfully memorable misses. Ultimately, the Wildcats season will turn on how well the young, inexperienced line performs. If it's more than passable, Arizona will be in the mix for the Pac-12 South title.

Spring stars: With backup running back Greg Nwoko going down with a knee injury, the Wildcats needed Daniel Jenkins to step up and he did. Parrish, a former H-back who moved to linebacker and missed last season due to concussions, was a pleasant surprise on defense, drawing raves from coordinator Tim Kish and coach Mike Stoops. The depth already was good at receiver but redshirt freshmen Tyler Slavin, Austin Hill, and speedster Garic Wharton might be good enough to push into the rotation. Baucus impressed coaches with his fiery attitude at LT. DT Kirifi Taula stepped up this spring and should add depth on the defensive line. Cornerback Trevin Wade, after a forgettable junior season that fell well short of expectations, has been focused and playing well. Still, sophomore Jonathan McKnight is touted as the team's best coverage corner. Redshirt freshman Jourdan Grandon could get into the mix at safety.

Happy Friday.

• Arizona running back Daniel Jenkins is trying to make his move. Alex Zendejas tries to bounce back. Chat with Ryan Finley today at noon or 3 p.m. ET.
• The Snake appeared at Arizona State practice. Notes from practice.
• California tight end Spencer Ladner "tweaked" his knee and other notes. It's time for the heralded 2010 linebacker recruits to make their mark.
• Colorado added a long-snapper.
• Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris talks big, plays big. And is this the most underrated Duck?
• Former Oregon State stars Jacquizz Rodgers and Stephen Paea get ready for the NFL draft.
• Quarterback Richard Brehaut surged when true freshman Brett Hundley struggled during UCLA's scrimmage. Is Brehaut making his move?
• It appears that USC has found a backup quarterback. And Jesse Scroggins is just one member of a strong 2010 recruiting class.
• Considering another candidate to be Jordan Wynn's backup at Utah. The search for an offensive identity is on-going, though there has been some progress.
• Where does Washington stand at safety? Defensive end Hau’oli Jamora needs to take a step forward after a strong debut.
• There were some bumps and bruises at Washington State's final practice before the spring game.
• The Pac-12 knows how to party.

Arizona starts spring practice today, which means it can stop licking the wounds of a five-game losing streak to end 2010 and start looking forward to 2011.

But if taking a step forward toward 2011 is the carrot, a lingering backwards glance to 2010 is the stick. The Wildcats should be plenty motivated.

"The kids know we are close, but we need to do some things better to take that next step," coach Mike Stoops said. "We've gotten to this point. We need to go further."

On the one hand, the losing streak happened against a brutal schedule: Stanford, USC, Oregon, Arizona State and Oklahoma State combined for a 49-15 record. But the Wildcats aspire to being a team that wins those sorts of games.

"We just need to be stronger in some ways, stronger against stronger teams," Stoops said.

The Wildcats have intriguing talent coming back -- with quarterback Nick Foles and perhaps the Pac-12's best group of receivers leading the way -- but they also have two glaring holes: offensive line and defensive end. All the 2010 starters at those positions are gone.

Here are some notes:

Out of spring: Just two starters will not participate in full-contact work: defensive tackle Justin Washington and cornerback Shaquille Richardson. Both had shoulder surgery. Receiver Bug Wright was given the boot for repeated team rules violations.

Offensive line questions? All five starters are gone on the offensive line. Sophomore Mickey Baucus and redshirt freshman Fabbians Ebbelle are the front-runners at the tackles. Kyle Quinn, who started the Alamo Bowl for Colin Baxter, is the leader at center, though mid-year transfer Addison Bachman could make a challenge. Sophomores Chris Putton, Trace Biskin and Eric Bender-Ramsay are in the mix at the guards. Redshirt freshmen Trent Spurgeon and Carter Lees and junior Shane Zink also are in the mix. With a new offensive line coach -- Robert Anae -- there could be plenty of mixing and matching.

End of the line? Senior Muhammed Usman and redshirt freshman Dan Pettinato will be with the first unit to start spring, but defensive end might be an even bigger question than offensive line. The Wildcats are deep at tackle -- Washington, Sione Tuihalamaka, Willie Mobley, Chris Merrill, Dominique Austin, Jowyn Ward, Aiulua Fanene, etc. -- so it's possible things might be fluid on the defensive line. One of the more athletic tackles might move outside to become a big, strongside end. And junior college transfer Lamar de Rego arrives in the fall.

Good to receive: The Wildcats welcome back potential preseason All-American receiver Juron Criner, but the big news is the overflow of enthusiasm for Texas transfer Dan Buckner, who will give the Wildcats a second speedy, 6-foot-4 target on the outside. Said Stoops, "I think he gives us the two best outside receivers maybe in the country. Having [Buckner] and Criner on opposite sides is going to create problems for people." When you toss in Dave Roberts, David Douglas and Richard Morrison on the inside, you have a deep crew that Stoops called "the best receiving group we've ever had, without question." Oh, and don't forget: Terrence Miller, Garic Wharton, Austin Hill and Tyler Slavin. Lots of competition for touches here.

Backed by seven: The Wildcats welcome back all three starting linebackers and a talented secondary. Sophomore Marquis Flowers and junior Adam Hall figure to offer an upgrade in the secondary -- both saw plenty of action in 2010. Robert Golden, Trevin Wade, Shaquille Richardson and Jonathan McKnight provide talent and experience at cornerback. And Stoops thinks Wade, who suffered through a notable slump last fall, is going to bounce back: "Trevin has had a much better out-of-season already. I think he learned a great deal from some of his mistakes a year ago as well as his preparation. I look for him to come back strong." He added, "This is the most athletic back-seven we've had. Best group of corners we've had."

Not special: The Wildcats didn't get much from their kicker Alex Zendejas and punter Keenyn Crier last season. Zendejas is back, but he needs to step up. Said Stoops: "Zendejas needs to become a much better player... we need more out of him." Junior college transfer Jaimie Salazar arrives in the fall. Junior college transfer punter Kyle Dugandzic was signed to start, so he needs to come through.

Redshirt or backup for Scott: Stoops wants to redshirt backup quarterback Matt Scott, which means he could return for a redshirt senior season in 2012. But that might not be doable. Said Stoops, "In a perfect world, we'd love to redshirt him. But we've got to keep him ready to play if things slide or something happens to Nick." Junior Bryson Beirne would make things easier on his coaches with an inspired effort this spring.

This is Foles' team: Foles has been a good quarterback for two years. If he becomes an All-Conference or even All-American quarterback as a senior, the Wildcats could climb to the top of the Pac-12 South Division. Stoops expects a lot out of Foles. "Nick has to have total control of this team and this offense," he said. "He's a premier starter who will become, hopefully, a first-round NFL draft pick. He needs to assert himself in every way possible as a leader."

We continue our countdown of the Pac-10's 25 best players from 2010.

Note: Because we are ranking players based on this past season, it's Pac-10, not Pac-12.

Here are the preseason rankings (click each name to read the blurb).

No. 18. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

2010 numbers: Foles led the Pac-10 with 290 yards passing per game. He ranked fourth in passing efficiency -- 34th in the nation -- completing 67 percent of his passes with with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Preseason ranking: No. 16

Making the case for Foles: Arizona's disappointing late-season slide wasn't Foles' fault, though he probably would be the first to admit his year was far from perfect -- see a season-high three interceptions in the Wildcats dreadful performance against Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl (he didn't throw more than one pick in any other game). Foles led clutch fourth-quarter drives to beat both Iowa and California, and it appeared he had done the same to beat arch-rival Arizona State before Alex Zendejas' PAT was blocked with 27 seconds left in regulation. Foles also showed toughness when he quickly returned -- two missed starts -- after dislocating his knee cap on Oct. 16 at Washington State. He clearly wasn't sharp in his first game, a disastrous team performance at Stanford that was the first of five consecutive defeats to end the season. Foles was in a difficult situation while his offensive line struggled. The Wildcats could neither run the ball well nor protect the passer, so it often seemed like it was "Foles against the world." And, notably, in the final three regular season games, he threw nine touchdown passes with just one interception, while passing for 353, 448 and 262 yards.

No. 19. Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon
No. 20. Talmadge Jackson, CB, Oregon
No. 21. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA
No. 22. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon
No. 23. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington
No. 24. Jurrell Casey, DT, USC
No. 25. Shane Vereen, RB, California

For every love won, there is love lost. For every thrill of victory, there is an agony of defeat.

While we only wish you happiness on Valentines Day, here are six top heartbreaks from the Pac-12.

6. Cal gets Polked: Jeff Tedford had never had a losing season since he took over at California in 2002. And all his Bears had to do to maintain that impressive run was stop Washington on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with two seconds left, which would then earn them a bowl berth. Nope. Chris Polk scores a TD for a 16-13 Huskies win. The Memorial Stadium crowd, with no postseason to look forward to, goes home grumbling. The Huskies ride the win to their first bowl game since 2002.

5.Thomas spurns USC for Oregon: DeAnthony Thomas, widely considered one of the most dynamic athletes in the 2011 recruiting class, was a long-time USC commitment. He was expected to be one of the jewels of the Trojans' top-five class. But he took a late visit to Oregon just before signing day, when he broke USC hearts by signing with the Ducks.

4. Trojans get kicked: USC lost consecutive games the first two weekends of October -- 32-31 to Washington and 37-35 to Stanford -- on last-second field goals. And there was much gnashing of teeth.

3. Buffalo slaughter: Colorado led Kansas 45-17 with 14:52 left. Stick a fork in this one, right? Hey, maybe there was some life in Dan Hawkins' Colorado team. And Kansas, after all, was a bad team in turmoil under first-year coach Turner Gill, having lost 11 consecutive conference games. But no. Kansas scored the final 35 points in the fourth quarter and won 52-45. Epic collapse or epic comeback? Either way, it was stunning.

2. James Brooks swats Alex Zendejas twice: A blocked extra-point attempt is rare. Two in one game -- by the same guy -- is even more rare. And two PATs blocked by the same guy in game-deciding situations in a rivalry game? Well, that's great theater. But the thrill for Arizona State's James Brooks -- the mad swatter -- was pure agony for Arizona kicker Alex Zendejas. Brooks rejected Zendejas' PAT late in the fourth quarter, which forced overtime. He then turned away a Zendejas PAT in the second overtime, giving the Sun Devils an improbable upset win, 30-29.

1. Dyer circumstances: Auburn's freshman running back Michael Dyer looked down, tackled by Oregon rover Eddie Pleasant. If you watch the replay, you can interpret it any way you want, as many have. But the bottom line is Dyer's apparent short run late in the national title game turned into a controversial 37-yard scamper, which set up the Tigers' winning field goal as the clock expired in a 22-19 victory. One word: Ouch.

How can a football season be reduce to top 10 moments? It certainly isn't easy.

You might have your own ideas. There certainly are a few that were difficult to leave out.

We tried for diversity here: Games, performances, teams and plays. We came up with a list of 18 and then whittled things down.

Feel free to disagree.

1. Dyer circumstances: Was Michael Dyer down? Oregon fans say yes, but the game -- and replay -- officials said no in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game. The end result was a 37-yard run for the Auburn running back to Oregon's 23-yard line late in the fourth quarter, which set up the Tigers game-winning field goal in a 22-19 Ducks defeat.

2. The tying drive: What was the biggest moment that led to Oregon tying the national title game at 19-19? First came Ducks linebacker Casey Matthews forcing a fumble from Auburn quarterback Cam Newton on a first-down run. Then came a 29-yard pass from Darron Thomas to D.J. Davis on a fourth-and-5 play. Or maybe it was the third-down shovel pass to LaMichael James that gave the Ducks a 2-yard TD. And don't forget Jeff Maehl's leaping catch for the 2-point conversion. It was a magnificent moment of almost.

3. Pleasant fumble return: Oregon safety Eddie Pleasant's 51-yard fumble return against Stanford was the turning point of the Ducks' Pac-10 game of the year win over Stanford. It was tied 31-31 in the third quarter, but Stanford was driving into Oregon territory after an Andrew Luck pass to Chris Owusu converted a third down. But Owusu fumbled on a hit from Javes Lewis and Pleasant rumbled to the Cardinal 3-yard line. A James run later and the Ducks took control.

4. It's better to be Luck than merely good: Luck was masterful in the Discover Orange Bowl, completing 18 of 23 passes for 287 yards with four touchdowns in a 40-12 win over Virginia Tech. So that's what all those NFL scouts were talking about.

5. Polk's plunge: You don't get much more basic than this: Fourth-and-goal from the 1 with just two seconds left, the game -- and bowl eligibility -- on the line. When Washington running back Chris Polk scored a TD as time expired to give the Huskies a 16-13 win at California, it became the centerpiece of a late-season surge that got Washington to its first bowl game since 2002. And it knocked the Bears out of the postseason.

6. Locker hurts Nebraska: Washington quarterback Jake Locker's 25-yard TD run against Nebraska on the first possession of the third quarter of the Bridgepoint Education Holiday, which came immediately after he completed a 26-yard passing to wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin on third-and-8, gave the Huskies a 17-7 lead. It was the moment when everyone went, "Wow, the Huskies might beat a team that stomped them 56-21 on Sept. 18."

7. UCLA pounds Texas: While it ended up not meaning a thing -- Texas wasn't that good; UCLA finished 4-8 -- don't forget how shocking UCLA's dominant 34-12 win at Texas was. No one -- no one! -- saw it coming.

8. For the defense: Stanford's defense held Locker and Washington to just 107 total yards in a 41-0 shutout win in Husky Stadium, the Huskies' first shutout home loss since 1976. It was one of three shutouts for the Cardinal, whose transformation on defense was (almost) as big a story this year as Luck.

9. Five at the half: USC quarterback Matt Barkley passed for a school-record-tying five touchdowns ... in the first half ... in USC's 48-14 blowout win over California. Barkley finished with 352 yards passing, but the Trojans, who led 42-zip at the half, opted not to run the score up.

10. Blowing PATs in the desert: Arizona State beat rival Arizona 30-29 in double-overtime because James Brooks blocked two extra point attempts from Wildcats kicker Alex Zendejas. The first PAT probably would have won the game for Arizona in regulation. The second ended the game in the second OT. While the Sun Devils didn't earn bowl eligibility, the win sent them into the offseason with momentum for what figures to be a promising 2011 campaign. For the Wildcats, it was the fourth of what would become five consecutive defeats to end the season.

You can't ever take the PAT for granted. If you don't believe that, check in with an Arizona fan.

Kicker Alex Zendejas' extra-point attempt, which would have given the Wildcats the lead with 30 seconds left in the Territorial Cup against Arizona State, was blocked. Then another PAT was blocked that would have tied the game in the second overtime.

The end result is Arizona State upset No. 23 Arizona 30-29 in a thriller on Thursday.

It appeared James Brooks blocked both kicks, which were low.

The entire game took place after halftime. In the first half, both offenses were completely ineffective, and the Sun Devils led 6-0 at the break. But from then on, things went back and forth, with big plays and big mistakes changing momentum multiple times.

The statistics were almost identical: Both teams had 19 first downs. Arizona had 391 total yards; Arizona State had 389.

But the kickers were a mismatch. Sun Devils kicker Thomas Weber, a former Lou Groza Award winner who has struggled this year, was 5-for-5 on field goals with a long of 52 yards and made his one extra point. Zendejas made a 19-yard field goal and missed the aforementioned PATs.

Both quarterbacks turned in strong performances -- at least after bad first halves. Wildcats QB Nick Foles completed 22-of-36 for 262 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. It appeared he had led his third game-winning drive of the season before the missed PAT late in the fourth quarter.

Arizona State's Brock Osweiler, who got the start because of a concussion suffered by starter Steven Threet against UCLA last weekend, began just 3-for-15, but he settled down and ended up completing 22-of-49 for 267 yards with a TD. He also rushed for 56 yards and frequently eluded tough pressure from the Wildcats.

It is worth noting that, particularly early in the game, the Wildcats dropped at least three fairly easy interceptions, which probably allowed Osweiler to get his feet under him in his first start this season.

What does the result mean?

It means that Arizona (7-5) will ride a four-game losing streak into the postseason. That likely will cost them a berth in the Valero Alamo Bowl if Washington beats Washington State on Saturday, which means they figure to make a return trip to the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.

Arizona State improves to 6-6. It has applied to the NCAA for a bowl waiver, despite needing seven wins, per NCAA rules, because it played two FCS teams. The reasoning is the Sun Devils only played a second FCS team because San Jose State dropped out of a scheduled game late in the offseason, leaving the Sun Devils stranded and without options.

A further justification: The Sun Devils are probably the best 6-6 team in the nation.

With just two senior starters, you will hear from them in 2011.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- There is only one certainty from Arizona's 29-27 loss to Oregon State: The Wildcats won't go undefeated in 2010. That puts them in the same boat with Alabama. That's one way to look at things.

Another way to look at it? There they go again.

Just when it seemed like the ninth-ranked Wildcats were ready to take a major step forward -- beating then-No. 9 Iowa, riding a high national ranking -- they take a step back.

"Tonight was a tough night in a lot of ways," coach Mike Stoops said. "When you look at the entire game, we just weren't there."

The feeling entering the game was the Wildcats were on the cusp of a potentially special season. It still might turn out special. Only not as special as it could have been. The first loss is often the hardest, but it's even harder when it comes at home to a two-loss team, and when it feels like a lot of football was played badly.

"I don't think it's a wake-up call," linebacker Paul Vassallo said. "It's disappointing with two weeks of prep."

Vassallo is a JC transfer, so he hasn't been around the program long. But it's good he's not leaning on the idea of this team needing a "wake-up call." The Arizona program is awake. It's just sometimes confounding -- see Vassallo's noting of how the Wildcats played after getting two weeks to prepare for the Beavers.

It's hard to put much blame on Nick Foles and the offense, which gained 541 yards, including 311 in the second half. Foles passed for 440 yards and three touchdowns and led scoring drives of 57, 66, 66 and 80 yards.

Special teams weren't special. Kicker Alex Zendejas missed a 37-yard field goal just before halftime and had a PAT blocked. Struggling punter Keenyn Crier blasted a beautiful 47-yard punt in the fourth quarter -- only he blasted it into the end zone for a touchback instead of pinning the Beavers deep in their own territory. Oregon State then drove for the decisive TD.

And that was telling -- yielding a 10-play, 80-yard, nearly five-minute drive when the screws were tightening . Ultimately, the predominant blame falls on the unit that had been so dominant this year: the defense.

The Wildcats entered the game ranked among the nation's leaders in nearly every major defensive statistical category. The Beavers had been struggling on offense. But the Wildcats gave up 486 yards, including 393 yards passing to the Beavers, who were 10-of-15 on third-down plays.

"We played sloppy tonight," end Ricky Elmore said after the game.

And, considering the Wildcats visit Washington State next weekend, it probably cost them a 7-0 start and all that might have brought -- such as a potential top-five ranking.

Of course, a top-five ranking eight weeks into the season isn't really all that great. It doesn't include a trophy or a bowl invitation. It's always about how you finish.

"I don't really know if we just lost our edge or took for granted what we had or what, but it's going to be a very long season," Stoops said.

That's good, because Saturday was a long and mostly unpleasant night for the Wildcats; the first time that's been the case this season.

Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders. You might never matter again in your life as much as you do right now.

• Alex Zendejas is ready to get his kicks for Arizona.
• All signs point to Steven Threet being named Arizona State's quarterback Monday. Notes from Sunday's practice.
• Training camp ends for California. A round table on the Bears quarterback situation (read: Kevin Riley).
• The quarterback job won, now Oregon is Darron Thomas' team. The decision is met with approval here. The Ducks' depth chart.
• The return of Oregon State lineman Wilder McAndrews is one of the best stories of the preseason. A Q&A with Beavers defensive coordinator Mark Banker.
• This Stanford defensive lineman is already a first-round draft choice. Some Bay Area football notes.
• Sean Westgate doesn't look the part of a linebacker, but he's going to start for UCLA. Rick Neuheisel is trying to put the puzzle pieces together.
• USC receiver Brice Butler is one of a number of Trojans trying to fight their way up the depth chart. The Trojans' offensive line depth takes another hit.
• A lot has been written about Washington quarterback Jake Locker, but this story is worth reading. A Sunday notebook. Defensive lineman Alameda Ta’amu is leaner, better.
• Washington State's defensive line might surprise some folks. The road has been windingfor this Cougars linebacker. For Jeff Tuel: Previous Cougars quarterbacks have struggled before breaking through.
• Some predictions for the season and the week ahead.

Six Pac-10 kickers are on the 30-man Lou Groza Award watch list, including 2009 winner Kai Forbath of UCLA and 2007 winner Thomas Weber of Arizona State.

Forbath could become the second kicker to earn back-to-back awards. The only previous Groza winner to repeat is current Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who received the honor in 1998 and 1999, while playing for Florida State.

You can view the complete watch list here.

In addition to Forbath and Weber, the Pac-10 kickers on the list are:

Erik Folk, Washington
Justin Kahut, Oregon State
Nate Whitaker, Stanford
Alex Zendejas, Arizona

A good kicker solves a lot of problems. An inconsistent one makes everyone anxious, particularly late in tight games.

The Pac-10 will feature two of the best kickers in the nation -- two Lou Groza Award winners, no less -- in 2010, but for a handful of schools, the position is questionable.

So, who stands where?

Great shape

• UCLA: Kai Forbath is the best kicker in the country. The first-team All-American and 2009 Groza Award winner is practically automatic, even outside 50 yards.
• Arizona State: Thomas Weber suffered through a lost 2009 season because of injuries, but when healthy the 2007 Groza Award winner is a potential All-American.
• Oregon State: Justin Kahut earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2009 after converting 22 of 27 field goals with a long of 50 yards.
• Washington: Erik Folk bounced back from two injury-plagued years to connect on 18 of 21 field goals in 2009.

Good shape

• Stanford: Nate Whitaker made 16 of 22 field goals last year, which is solid, but his 54-yarder against Wake Forest was the longest in the conference last season.
• Arizona: As a sophomore, Alex Zendejas was true on 17 of 22 field goals with a long of 47 yards.

We'll see

• California: Cal used two kickers last season -- Giorgio Tavecchio and Vincenzo D'Amato -- but neither was consistent.
• Washington State: Nico Grasu was solid in 2008 -- booting the game-winner in the "Crapple" Cup against Washington -- but he faded in 2009, missing the final four games with a thigh injury.
• Oregon: The Ducks are replacing the reliable Morgan Flint. Rob Beard and incoming freshman Alejandro Maldonado are the top candidates for the spot.
• USC: Unproven seniors Joe Houston and Jacob Harfman are competing to replace Jordan Congdon, the seventh-best kicker in the conference in 2009.