Resistance was futile

Week Two: Arizona at LSU
L (45-3)

Impressions
The beginning of the end came early for Arizona. LSU’s defense put a lot of pressure on the Wildcats – as head coach Mike Stoops said they would – and Arizona couldn’t handle it. An inexperienced, young offensive line didn’t protect quarterback Willie Tuitama, and he was sacked on a helmet to helmet hit from an LSU defender on the first play of the game. The sophomore signal-caller from then on played like he was in a fog, and for the second straight week the Wildcats couldn’t get anything going on offense. LSU played stifling defense, forcing four turnovers and keeping Arizona out of the end zone.

The good:
- Arizona’s defense forced three LSU turnovers (2 fumbles, 1 interception).
- 3 points. The Wildcats weren’t shutout.

The not-so-good:
- Willie Tuitama went 8 of 17 passing with 2 interceptions. He must read defenses better, and start looking off defenders.
- Arizona had 152 total yards. LSU had 461.
- LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell went 13 of 20 passing for 196 yards. He was pulled late in the game when the Tigers decided to rest many of their starters. The guy Arizona needed to contain couldn’t be contained.
- No go-to player. Mike Thomas had 3 catches for 19 yards. Syndric Steptoe had 4 for 26. Chris Henry carried the ball six times for a whopping 2 yards. Arizona needs someone they can count on in third down situations.

Player of the game: LSU defense

The Experience
Before the game I tuned into 1290am “The Source” to listen to some pre-game stuff. Brad Allis and John Shuster do a phenomenal job leading up to the games. They had interviews with offensive coordinator Mike Canales and tight end Brad Wood, and provided insightful analysis of both LSU and Arizona. Their game-day radio show from 1:30 to kickoff is a great place to learn about Wildcats match-ups each week.