INSIDE SLANT

There is no ambiguity to it. If Arizona wins it final three games, it will go to its first Rose Bowl ever.

There will be nothing easy about the final three games, however, and the Wildcats will have to do deal with being directly in the spotlight’s glare. Potential distractions before this week’s home game against Oregon include extra interviews and the excitement over the first-ever appearance of ESPN’s popular GameDay program in Tucson.

“I think its fantastic for the team, I think its fantastic for the city, and I think its fantastic for the fans,” said inside receivers coach Garret Chachere. “What do we do in this profession? We wake up every day, turn on the TV and watch ‘GameDay’. The exposure, you can’t buy that.”

That exposure might not be worth too much if the Wildcats (6-3, 4-2) lay an egg against the league-leading Ducks (8-2, 6-1). Oregon’s offense has a way of making opponents look silly.

Arizona knows first hand. Oregon scored 45 points in the first half of last year’s game in Eugene before the Wildcats rallied and had a chance to win. They fell 55-45.

This season, Oregon has scored at least 42 points in six of seven Pac-10 games, the exception being against UCLA when quarterback Jeremiah Masoli did not play because of a knee injury.

“They’re very, very difficult,” said defensive coordinator Mark Stoops. “They’re good in their scheme, and then they’re good athletically. They are going to put you in a bind. They are going to stress you, and when you have a chance to make basic football plays, you better make them.”

After this game, Arizona finishes the season at rival Arizona State and at USC.

NOTES, QUOTES

• This will be the final home game for 23 Arizona seniors, including a dozen regular starters. Eight of the seniors are four-year lettermen. “These guys have really been a big part of what we wanted to do,” said coach Mike Stoops. “These guys took a risk in coming in and shared the same vision.”

• Coach Mike Stoops, whose team upset second-ranked Oregon in Tucson two years ago (Nov. 15, 34-24), is 7-15 against ranked teams in his nearly six seasons at Arizona.

Series History:   Oregon leads Arizona 20-14 (last meeting, 2008, 55-45 Oregon).

Scouting The Offense:   Arizona was out of sync all last week against Cal, which was able to control the run game with its defensive front while often dropping eight into coverage. UA couldn’t connect deep and failed to get its bread-and-butter screen game going, too. It will help that starting RB Nic Grigsby should be back from a shoulder injury, as he is a big-play threat who can make people miss and threaten a defense to the outside (which is something backup Keola Antolin really can’t do). Arizona says it is no surprise to see a team drop eight into coverage; it just needs to execute better.

Scouting The Defense:   The Wildcats have played well lately, and DE Brooks Reed, coming back from an ankle injury, started for the first time in Pac-10 play last week at Cal. But it’s not easy getting to Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli, who is slippery enough to avoid the tackle when the pressure comes. Arizona is 20th nationally in rushing defense at 104.9 yards per game, but hasn’t seen a read-option team like this all season. It will be speed on speed as Arizona’s quick linebackers try to stop redshirt freshman RB LaMichael James, who has five games this season with at least 150 rushing yards.

Quote To Note:   “It’s not something that needs to be in your head.”—Sophomore WR David Roberts, when asked if the team discusses the fact Arizona has never been to the Rose Bowl.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

This Week  ‘S GAME: Oregon at Arizona, Nov. 21—Arizona hasn’t often been in position to have a chance at the Rose Bowl at this point in the calendar, so this is the most important home game the Wildcats have ever played this late in the season. With a loss, the dream of a Pac-10 title is gone. Win, and Arizona is effectively alone in first … with plenty of work left to do.

Keys To The Game:   Don’t panic. No matter how well Arizona plays on defense, Oregon is going to score points and hit for big plays. The Wildcats have to minimize the damage by making one-on-one tackles when given the chance and staying disciplined so that Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli doesn’t have huge running lanes.

Players To Watch:  

QB Nick Foles—The sophomore has to bounce back from the Cal game, in which his late-game illegal double-pass took Arizona out of range of attempting a potential game-winning field goal. He has gotten high marks for leadership, so this is the time to show it. He is completing 69.7 percent of his passes (175 of 251) for 1,736 yards, with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

CB Trevin Wade—Arizona has to devote extra personnel to stopping Oregon’s running game, which means more one-on-one coverage in the back. Wade, with four interceptions, has been UA’s best corner this season.

DT Earl Mitchell—The senior is coming off a big game at Cal—nine tackles, including two for loss and a sack, as well as a forced fumble. It is so important against Oregon that he control his gap and not let Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli make something huge out of a broken play.

Roster Report:  

• RB Nic Grigsby, who missed the Washington State game on Nov. 7 and played only on the final series against Cal last week, should be close to 100 percent this week, coach Mike Stoops said. Grigsby, bothered by a shoulder injury for nearly two months, is the team’s leading rusher with 71 carries for 535 yards—7.5 per attempt.

• OG Herman Hall, who had to leave last week’s game with a shoulder injury, should be available for Oregon this week.