We are now less than three weeks away from the season opener for Arizona against Hawaii. After Saturday’s practice in Arizona Stadium, coach Brent Brennan spoke to the media about the Wildcats current outlook so far in training camp as well as honoring two Arizona greats in the Ring of Honor ahead of the opening game against the Rainbow Warriors.
Opening Statement:
“I love being in Arizona Stadium. Obviously this is the first time we’ve been able to get in here this training camp so far. I think it’s important for our players to be on the surface we play on. I think it’s important for them to feel the atmosphere or just feel the environment and the lights, all of it. Just what the turf is like, so it was a great night. It was one of those things that we’re talking about a lot with our campaign in the fall “own the night” which is as many night games as we play here at the UofA, just finding ways to get us in here at night time to give us a chance to feel what it feels like in being in the place where we’re going to play games.
I’m excited watching the guys run around. Night time practices always have great energy, so that was a lot of fun… We’re looking forward to next weekend on the 16th when we have the meet the team event where it’s going to be a great opportunity for everybody in Tucson to meet our players and be around them and get a feel for what they’re about. Sunday night on the 17th, we have an open practice. I’m looking forward to all of it. We’re nine days in (training camp). I like where we’re at. We’ve got a lot of work to do and we’re moving forward.”
On what is special about Chris Hunter and his playmaking abilities:
“I think our expectations for Chris are really high. He is a young man (who) has played a lot of football, so he kind of matches high-level talent with a lot of experience. When you see him, he plays with a lot of confidence and I think that’s one of those things that’s a lot of fun. He’s a really technically sound receiver. He is technically fantastic, just me as a receiver guy. I’m always trying to pick on little things with him, but he is really clean that way. It’s fun to see him make plays. I think him and Noah (Fifita) are building some good chemistry. I’m excited to see the things he’s going to do this fall.”
On what the defense has shown the first nine days of training camp:
“I just love how hard they’re playing. I think that’s one of the things that coach (Danny) Gonzales and the defensive staff have really been demanding of and then I think the players are really leaning into it. You see how they take the field and how they leave the field. You see how they’re getting to the football. I think when we talk about redline, I think they are really diving into it and really making that part of who they are. It is fun to see.”
On Tetairoa McMillan and and Randy Robbins getting inducted into the Ring of Honor:
“I think it’s an incredible honor and I think it’s well deserved. T-Mac has been one of those guys who was always a great representative of the University of Arizona. We got to watch him play a little bit (Friday night) which was fun. He made a couple of catches in his first preseason game. But, anytime him coming back here being around. He was around some in the late spring and early summer, but he loves this place and this place is special to him. I think when you look at the Ring of Honor… there’s not a lot of wide receivers on the Ring of Honor. It is pretty special. It speaks to the caliber of player he is and also speaks to the caliber of person he is. Randy is amazing because when I was a GA here, Randy was on staff here. Randy was our running backs coach in coach (Dick) Tomey’s last here year, so I’m excited for him too. Obviously an awesome player, but also just an outstanding human being so two great people going up into the Ring of Honor for the Wildcats.”…